With album titles like Pissed and Proud, The Mating Sounds of South American Frogs and The Loud Blaring Punk Rock LP, Brighton nutters Peter & The Test Tube Babies were the clown princes of the British Punk/Oi! movement.
Their singles and EP’s had similar titles – Banned From The Pubs, Moped Lads, Up Yer Bum, Zombie Creeping Flesh and Rotting In The Fart Sack for example.
Like The Toy Dolls, the Test Tube Babies had nifty tunes and solid musicianship to back up their wacky lyrics, and both bands were particularly strong in the guitar department.
They first appeared on vinyl with the brilliantly strange Elvis Is Dead, contributing it to the wonderful Brighton compilation Vaultage 78. That gave no hint, however, of the chaos that was to ensue when they appeared on Oi! The Album in 1980, before signing to No Future the following year.
Fuelled by Merrydown Cider and with a cavalier attitude to “career choices”, the Test Tubes simply blundered on, turning out chucklesome but seriously good punk anthems.
If any band from that period could have been voted band most likely to succeed, it would have had to have been the Test Tubes.
Peter Bywaters
Vocals
Derek “Delboy” Greening
Guitar
Chris “Trapper” Marchant
Bass
Mark Hoggins
Drums
Nick Loizides
Drums
