Share

May 17, 1981 — The band later named the Butthole Surfers play their first ever gig

by rocknroll_ic86lw · March 29, 2015

Appearing as “The Dick Clark Five”, the first gig by the band that would become the Butthole Surfers took place at the Shown-Davenport Art Gallery, in San Antonio, Texas. The occasion was the opening of an art exhibit by band-member Scott Mathews, and fellow artist Cheryl Dawn Dyer.

The original lineup of the band featured Mathews, Gibby Haynes, Scott Stevens and Paul Leary. Over the years, members would come and go, but Leary and Haynes, the co-founders of the band, would remain its constants, with both men singing and playing guitar. (Haynes also played saxophone, and is generally considered the lead singer of the band.)

Butthole Surfers performing on January 1, 2009 at the Fillmore in San Francisco, California

As mentioned in:

The Fez — The Dead Milkmen

Browse