Before they inflict their weirdness on the U.S., the band will be in Australia for a few gigs, including the Livid Festival in Brisbane.

Since emerging from Texas in the early ‘80s, the Butthole Surfers have built a reputation for combining subversion with great musical chops. (It’s easy to see where the Frank Zappa comparisons stem from.)

Given to eccentricity in the extreme, Butthole Surfers have always generated interest because of their graphic and outrageous live shows. Even if the audience doesn’t get the band’s potent brew of art-rock, metal and psychedelia, they still dig the circus sideshow atmosphere.

Nude dancers, film clips of sex-change operations, and playing with fire are just a fraction of the antics witnessed during the group’s performances.

Their cult following has enabled them to remain a steady presence in the music scene, even if radio DJs have refused to say their name on air. That’s OK, really; the band has only produced one radio-friendly single anyway, the1996 smash hit “Pepper.”

Infiltrating the mainstream may mark the Butthole Surfers’ most subversive moment, but it probably won’t be their last.

Joining the Surfers is drummer King Coffey’s friend Kid 606. A one-man act, Kid 606 has musical leanings similar to that of the Butthole Surfers: indie-punk, heavy metal, and techno. Jumbling these influences together, Kid 606 emerges with his own brand of hardcore electronica.