Peter and the Test Tube Babies


Peter and the Test Tube Babies are an English punk rock band, formed in Peacehaven, Sussex in 1978, by Derek "Strangefish" Greening and Peter Bywaters. Due to their humorous tongue-in-cheek lyrics, they have been considered part of the Punk pathetique subgenre.

History

Peter and the Test Tube Babies were first featured in Sounds magazine in July 1980, and after a John Peel Radio One session, made their vinyl debut on the Brighton compilation album Vaultage 78.
In recent years the band has played at festivals including the 11th Antifest in 2005. They also had two songs on the Oi! compilation Oi! the Album in that same year. They favoured absurd lyrics and strange titles, such as "The Queen Gives Good Blow Jobs". In 1982, they covered the chart-topping Gary Glitter hit "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" on their album Pissed and Proud.
When the band is not touring, Bywaters offers English as a second language tuition on a live-in basis at his home in Brighton.
Strangefish currently hosts a punk rock radio show with Jimmy Skurvi of the Brighton punk band, Skurvi, on Brighton's Radio Reverb. The shows are also shown every week on his podcast page.
In 2017, Bywaters was refused entry and deported from the US; he stated that this occurred because he had imitated Donald Trump the previous year; U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said it was because he had the wrong visa.

Members

Current line-up

  • Peter Bywaters — Vocals
  • Derek "Strangefish" Greening — Guitar
  • Michael ’Tat’ Tatler- Bass
  • Sam Fuller — Drums
  • Andy ‘Aggro’ Stenning - Guitar

Original line-up

  • Peter Bywaters — Vocals
  • Derek "Strangefish" Greening — Guitar
  • Chris "Trapper" Marchant — Bass
  • Trev Rutherford — Drums

Discography

Albums

Pissed and Proud, 1982The Mating Sounds of South American Frogs, 1983Journey to the Centre of Johnny Clarke's Head, 1984The Loud Blaring Punk Rock LP, 1985Soberphobia, 1986Live and Loud!! - More Chin Shouting, 1990The $hit Factory, 1990Cringe, 1991Supermodels, 1995Schwein Lake Live, 1996Alien Pubduction, 1998A Foot Full of Bullets, 2005Piss Ups, 2012That Shallot, 2017Fuctifano, 2020

EPs and singles

Compilation appearances

Vaultage 78, 1978Oi The Album "Rob A Bank " 1980The Kids Are United "Rob A Bank" 1981Carry On Oi "Transvestite", "Maniac"1981The Secret Life of Punks "Maniac" 1982Punk and Disorderly, 1982There Is No Future "Banned From The Pubs", "Up Yer Bum" 1984Angels With Dirty Faces "Banned From The Pubs", "Moped Lads" 1984Viva La Revolution "Run Like Hell" 1985The Best of Peter and the Test Tube Babies, 1988Oi Chartbusters Vol.5 "Transvestite" 1989Test Tube Trash, 1994The Punk Singles Collection, 1995