The Tubes - Tumblr Posts

The weirdest band to ever have hits

Y'know, for as much as the Internet seems fascinated by the "weird bands" of old like Frank Zappa, the Butthole Surfers, Primus, and Mr. Bungle, and even by newer ones like System of a Down, GWAR, and Babymetal, I'm surprised that almost nobody has talked about The Tubes.

These guys were weird, and yet I never hear about them among those other bizarre juggernauts.

They had a biting satirical edge to their lyrics, often satirizing television and pop culture; they an intricate live show where members and backing dancers wore costumes including assless chaps, giant cigarette costumes, and prosthetic penises, and where their lead singer portrayed a doped-up rocker named Quay Lude; and their eclectic music style blended punk, glam rock, art rock, shock rock, and synth-driven pop.

In other words… they were the Falsies of the 1970s-80s. And they had multiple hits! That's the craziest part! They regularly received MTV airplay!

Yet nowadays, it feels like the Tubes are mostly only remembered as one-hit wonders for their "She's a Beauty," or if you're really a nerd, you may remember them for having a brief appearance in the oft-derided 1980 movie Xanadu (although the latter was admittedly the best scene in that movie).

Hell, even I didn't know how weird they were until I decided to look them up after reading about how their keyboardist Vince Welnick later joined the Grateful Dead. And that is a shame because the Tubes were truly something else and deserve to be remembered for much more than what they are currently remembered for.

Anyway, if you want to get a sense of their true weirdness, check out "White Punks on Dope."

I'd also advise watching the music video for their song "Sports Fans," which I will put after the Read More because fair warning, it does contain male nudity at the beginning. (But it is one hell of a trip, believe me.)