Brace yourselves because Fully Lubed, the second studio offering from Plymouth Punks, The Butt Plug Babies, has finally been unleashed, having been officially launched at Plymouth Punx Picnic.
The Butt Plug Babies – Fully Lubed (Independent release)
Release Date: Out Now
Words: Jools Green
“Aside from Stay Away, we had all the material ready to record before Covid,” the band said, “but we couldn’t get into the studio because of lockdown. Then the launch was delayed twice because Muddy, our drummer, was unwell. Third time, luckily, we were able to get his ‘stunt double’, our good friend Justin of 51st State and Planet Strange, to stand in, as it was essential to do a live launch because we are fundamentally a live band. We were beginning to think it would never happen.”
The album title follows the loose theme linked to the band name and continues on from the previous release Going In Dry. “We were relative newbies,” the band said, “when we recorded that release. Since then, we’ve learnt a lot about ourselves and our ability to create and deliver. Now we are more experienced, so Fully Lubed is reflected in the title as well as having a hilarious double meaning because we are the Butt Plug Babies after all, and we like to make people laugh and smile.”
Fully Lubed is a nine-track (plus a secret bonus track), twenty-nine-minute slab of material that is all tried and tested live. Even the most recent track, Stay Away. “Guitarist Morv had a riff he wanted to develop around,” the band said, “and we wanted to do a Horror Punk song, it just went from there.”
There’s definitely no shortage of the humour you would experience in a live performance included within the release, as well as a few extra studio enhancements. Taking no prisoners as it opens with Insert The Buttplug, the lyrical contents are reasonably self-explanatory from the title. It’s an up-tempo number that will have you singing along. Just be careful where you are if you do.
“Songwriting for us is a collective affair,” the band said. “Someone comes up with an idea, or Morv has a riff, we just develop it around that. It’s more likely to end up with a hilarious twist done that way too. We also like to explore different Punk styles, which is why our songs are all different. It keeps it interesting for us and the fans.”
The next track, Fake News, has global political inspiration from the Trump era at its core, always a popular source of inspiration for the Butt Plug Babies. With added Donald sound bites, Fake News has a great fuzzy edge on both the rhythm and bass, and Fatlip’s vocals drop to an impressive deep gravelly growl.
Stay Away, the next offering, is possibly their best work to date, in my opinion. A catchy Horror Punk number with excellent midpoint leadwork and lyrically where, by some evil twist, the pursued becomes the pursuer, the victim becoming the predator. Fuck You Too is a straightforward message to potential detractors.
Grandslam is based on a true story about vocalist Fatlip going out on a bender, the band having to hose him down as a result. In true Punk Rock style, by the end of the week, they had written this catchy, up-tempo number about the event, which lyrically spares nothing regarding the details of that event either. But it’s another up-tempo, singalong piece you can’t resist joining in with on the chorus, “I’m so fucking drunk, I did a grandslam, a fucking grandslam”.
We return to politics for inspiration on MP, performed loosely to the tune of Elvis’ Hound Dog with lyrical inspiration around the Butt Plug Babies’ general dissatisfaction for all political figures and a jolly little mid-point solo from Morv to lift your spirits.
Salmon Flop is a tongue-in-cheek Pop-Punk style tribute, which includes an American style Pop Punk vocal delivery, about a friend of the band who ended up breaking several ribs attempting to “cheer up a lass” with his cool breakdancing moves.
Continuing with another alleged band member-inspired track, Shave My Balls, is about the perils of trying to do so. The opening sound bite will have you crying with laughter before the hilarious lyrics kick in, with Fatlip returning to his normal gravely delivery. Lyrically it’s got several catchy repeats that stick with you, and for me, the high point is the closing kazoo solo from Fatlip. Then there is the hilarious, but not necessarily wise, advice in the closing line: “Don’t shave your balls use Veet instead.”
The seemingly final track, Mary Had A Little Plug is a Punk Rock take on the nursery rhyme Mary Had A little lamb (with lamb replaced by plug) with a Monty Python-esque intro and an abundance of Oi’s and Oh’s, which are hilariously appropriate given the lyrical content.
Finally, there is the surprise/hidden track, a laid-back, chillaxed version of Puppy Revolution, which featured on their first release. With clean singing from Fatlip, very clean guitar work and gentle drum work, the original is a great song, but this version puts a superb new slant on the track, which totally took me by surprise.
I’ll leave the final word with guitarist Morv who says, “we do what we do for the love of music and our friends, so I’m relieved that it’s finally out there.”
Personally, I think it’s definitely an album to keep the fans happy between gigs.
All band pictures courtesy of Keith Conlin Photography and cover art by Bex.
Physical copies are available from the band either via their Facebook page. Message them for information or buy at their gigs. It’s also available to stream via Spotify along with the previous album.
