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 heroes 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!!
Beat Up The Mods
Peter and the Test Tube Babies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I see them walking down the street, it makes me puke 'cos they look so neat.
Beat up the mods, beat up the mods ..
I hate Ian Page 'cos he's such a fucking tit, I wanna re-arrange his face with a building brick.
He wouldn't fight back though I wouldn't care, he'd be afraid to spoil his shit mohair.
They wear shit parkas even when its hot, they've got less brain cells than a lump of snot.
The lyrics to Peter and the Test Tube Babies' song Beat Up The Mods appear to be a manifestation of the frustration and aggression felt towards the "mod" subculture by the singer of the song. The mod movement emerged in the UK in the late 1950s as a response to the rock and roll and youth culture that was sweeping the nation. The mod scene was characterized by a love of fashion, scooters, and soul music. However, according to the lyrics of the song, the singer sees the mods' fashion sense as something to be despised. He wants to "beat up all the silly sods" because of their "poxy posy" appearance.
The second verse takes things even further, with the singer expressing a particular hatred for Ian Page, the lead singer of Secret Affair, a British mod revival band from the late 1970s. The singer states that he wants to "re-arrange his face with a building brick" and that even if Page wanted to fight back, he'd be too afraid of spoiling his "shit mohair." The lyrics also suggest that the parents of these mods might like them because of their smart appearance, but in reality, they are just "prats" who wear "shit parkas."
Overall, the lyrics of Beat Up The Mods convey a sense of anger and frustration at a particular subculture and its fashion sense. Although the song uses violent language, it is unlikely that the band members or fans of Peter and the Test Tube Babies actually advocate physical violence against mods. Rather, the song can be seen as a form of protest against a cultural movement that the band did not identify with or appreciate.
Line by Line Meaning
When I see all those poxy posy mods, I want to beat up all the silly sods.
Whenever I spot those pathetic, poser mods, I feel like assaulting them all relentlessly.
When I see them walking down the street, it makes me puke 'cos they look so neat.
Whenever I watch them parading on the street, I feel so disgusted at their squeaky-clean appearance.
Beat up the mods, beat up the mods ..
We should bash up those artificial mods badly; Beat them up, beat them up!
I hate Ian Page 'cos he's such a fucking tit, I wanna re-arrange his face with a building brick.
I hold Ian Page in contempt due to his foolishness, and I wish to restructure his face using a building brick.
He wouldn't fight back though I wouldn't care, he'd be afraid to spoil his shit mohair.
I am confident he would not retaliate, but even if he did not fight back, he wouldn't want to ruin his crappy mohair.
Mums and dads like 'cos they look so smart, but they're just prats and they look the part.
Parents admire them because they seem fashionable, but they are really just insipid and just appear trendy.
They wear shit parkas even when its hot, they've got less brain cells than a lump of snot.
They insist on putting on those wretched parkas on sweltering days, revealing their dismal IQs that are as low as the intelligence of snot.
Contributed by Lucy L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.