Created in 1978 by Peter (vocals) and Del (vocals and guitar) in Peter's Dads garage in Peacehaven, Sussex, their early gigs were fun filled events with electrifying tunes and plenty of entertainment. Harmless humour of those early gigs was captured on their debut album, "Pissed And Proud". From those early gems, the Test Tubes just got better and better. The next crop of songs, "Jinx", "Blown Out Again" and "September" all featured on "The Mating Sounds Of South American Frogs", which stayed at number one for four months at the top of the independent charts. A US tour followed, climaxing with a 4,000 capacity sell out show at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium.
The Test Tubes first US domestic release, "Soberphobia", is probably one of their finest moments. The use of keyboards and sax on some tracks may not have been what people expected but it worked a treat. The much sought after CDs "Cringe" and "The $Hit Factory" again proved the Test Tubes unpredictability in the early '90s.
The mid '90s saw the release of "Supermodels" and the departure from the band of originals 'Trapper' and 'Ogs' (bass and drums). The band brought in fresh blood. Local hero's, Rum and AD, on bass and drums respectively joined to promote the 'Supermodels' album. The band then went on a 25 date tour of Germany, Holland and Switzerland.
On their 20th anniversary in 1998 the band flew to Germany to record the "Alien Pubduction" album, their first with AD and Rum. The band also undertook a massive US and Canadian tour that lasted five weeks, lots of UK gigs and of course the annual German Christmas tour.
Rum & AD quit in 1999 due to the punishing tour schedule. Paul 'H' Henrickson, known to the band and a Brighton stalwart, took over on bass and Dave 'Caveman' 'O'Brien' was soon added behind, and sometimes on top of, the drum kit . The band hit the road again with renewed vigour touring repeatedly throughout the UK, Germany, Ireland, USA, France, Australia, New Zealand and making an impact on the summer festival circuits.
In 2005, after a seven year hiatus in the studio, the band released "A Foot Full of Bullets", recorded at Ford Lane Studios, Ford, West Sussex. The album was definitely worth the long wait demonstrating a familiar core sound matched with smart self assurance gained from decades of experience. Storming on with characteristic vigour, the Test Tubes gained praise as "the best band of the weekend" (Lars Friedrickson) at the WASTED festival before closing the year with the annual German Xmas Tour 2005. A remix of "A Foot Full of Bullets" was produced with contributions from Campino (Die Toten Hosen) and Olga (The Toy Dolls) at the start of 2006. "For a Few Bullets More".
Peter and the Test Tube Babies continue to tour and perform at festivals across the globe and remain one of the best punk bands to come out of Europe. See them live if you ever get the chance and check they're gig listings for all the latest show news and events!!
The Jinx
Peter & The Test Tube Babies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And whereas usually we'd get in, we don't tonight 'cos we're with him.
We're miles from home waiting for the last bus, but when it comes it don't stop for us
We can't afford a cab and it's quite clear, this wouldn't happen if he weren't here.
He's a jinx, jinx, everything goes wrong.
He's a jinx, jinx, when he string along.
It's Saturday night and there's parties on, but we can't get in any 'cos he's come along.
So we end up walking 'round all night, if it weren't for him we'd been alright.
If you want a partner for pool or darts, and you play with him you've lost before it starts.
If we go to a match and he comes in, you can guarantee our team won't win.
The lyrics of Peter & The Test Tube Babies' song The Jinx talks about a person who brings nothing but bad luck to the group of friends. The song starts with the group leaving a pub to go downtown to a nightclub, but they are unable to get in because the jinx is with them. It is clear that the jinx has some sort of reputation for bringing bad luck wherever he goes. The group of friends are stuck waiting for the last bus, and when it finally arrives, it doesn't stop for them. This unlucky turn of events wouldn't have happened if the jinx wasn't with them.
As the night progresses, they are unable to get into any parties because the jinx is with them. They end up walking around all night with no luck. The jinx is so unlucky that even playing pool or darts with him is a lost cause. If they attend a game, their team is guaranteed to lose. The lyrics suggest that the jinx is not aware of his bad luck and continues to bring it wherever he goes.
The song is essentially a cautionary tale about the company we keep and how they can affect our fortunes. Here, it's a jinx that causes all the bad luck, but often it might be someone's behavior or attitude that can impact those around them negatively. As the saying goes, "Bad company corrupts good character." It's a reminder to be mindful of who we spend our time with and how they can impact our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
He joins the gang as we leave the pub, we're off downtown to a niteclub.
We were leaving the pub and heading to a nightclub, but he decided to come with us.
And whereas usually we'd get in, we don't tonight 'cos we're with him.
We usually would have gotten into the nightclub, but we were turned away because he was with us.
We're miles from home waiting for the last bus, but when it comes it don't stop for us.
We're stranded far from home waiting for the last bus, but it passes us by without stopping.
We can't afford a cab and it's quite clear, this wouldn't happen if he weren't here.
We can't afford a taxi, and it's obvious that this wouldn't have happened if he wasn't with us.
He's a jinx, jinx, everything goes wrong.
He's a jinx, bringing bad luck and causing everything to go wrong.
He's a jinx, jinx, when he string along.
He's a jinx when he's with the group, bringing bad luck and causing problems.
It's Saturday night and there's parties on, but we can't get in any 'cos he's come along.
There are parties around but we can't get in because he is with us.
So we end up walking 'round all night, if it weren't for him we'd been alright.
We end up wandering around all night, and if he wasn't with us, we would have been fine.
If you want a partner for pool or darts, and you play with him you've lost before it starts.
If you team up with him for pool or darts, you are doomed to lose from the start.
If we go to a match and he comes in, you can guarantee our team won't win.
If we go to a match and he's with us, our team is guaranteed to lose.
Contributed by Mila I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.