The Phantom Surfers

The Phantom Surfers are a surf rock band formed in 1988 known for spearheading the instrumental surf-guitar revival of the 1990s with their authentic yet irreverent re-creations of high energy Sixties-era surf music. Dave Crider of Estrus Records, who put out their first EP, said of the Phantom Surfers, "They've opened people's attitudes toward instrumental music, and that hasn't happened in a long, long time." Recalling their early performances, bassist Michael Lucas stated, "Before Pulp Fiction, we were just surprised that anybody liked us without having an idea of the tradition that we were abusing... I mean... working in. 'You guys are good, but how come your songs don't have any lyrics?' was a not infrequent question." Assessing the surf music boom that followed in their wake, Lucas said, "It's great to see that so many surf bands formed, and that people are into surf music. The problem is when they lose sight of the fact that surf is a subset of rock 'n' roll. The same dangers of show-off musicianship, pseudo-intellectualism, and other forms of self-indulgent lameness that made rock go comatose in the late '60s are still primary hazards." The distinctive, all-encompassing aesthetic of the Phantom Surfers compared to other "surf revival" bands was stated by guitarist Johnny Bartlett as, "A lot of surf bands got it so wrong. It's not just the guitar you use, or the sound you get, or the clothes you wear...it's the whole package." They have toured five continents, released eight LPs, done two split albums (both with bands from Argentina, Los Tormentos and the Beachbreakers), and recorded with Davie Allen, Dick Dale, Clarence "Blowfly" Reid, Rudy Ray Moore ("Dolemite"), and Neil Hamburger. Their recordings are generally considered "lo fi," whether recorded on 4 track in an industrial space or in 32 track studios, and the production choices invoke divisive opinions online on forums such as SurfGuitar 101, but there seems to be a strong consensus that their live shows are "wild." Artist Frank Kozik, who featured posters he had done for the Phantom Surfers in his book Man's Ruin: The Posters & Art of Frank Kozik, wrote that they were "an amazing live band." They are known for their self-deprecating sense of humor and "steadfastly refusing to 'make it' in music, despite occasional overtures from the industry," qualities displayed in their 2010 book Rock Stardom for Dumbshits, of which the SF Weekly wrote, "If some truths can only be told in jest, then Rock Stardom for Dumbshits is hilarious to the point of painful, if only because it's an all-too-accurate account of the nature of the music business and the stupidity that it breeds at every level. Their music has appeared in the films Blood Orgy of the Leather Girls (1988) and The Return of the Great God Pan (2024). As of 2025, the Phantom Surfers were still performing live, doing their eighth Japanese tour as well as performing at the Tiki Oasis and Surf Guitar 101 festivals. An eleventh album, The Phantom Surfers Play the Great Titles, is scheduled for release on Hi-Tide Recordings in late 2026, featuring original songs that use "great titles" associated with other, unrelated, works such as "Cruel Summer," "Highway to Hell," and "Death of a Salesman." "Swell" Mel Bergman: guitar Mike "Mouth" Lucas: bass Maz "Spazz" Kattuah: guitar Russell "Junky Johnny" Quan: drums Johnny "Big Hand" Bartlett: guitar Johnny "Big Hand" Bartlett: guitar Mel "Frostbite" Bergman: guitar Michael "Daddy Love" Lucas: bass Maz "Tender Pants"/"Good Knievel" Kattuah: drums Trent Ruane: rhythm guitar and organ on Big-Screen Spectaculars LP Fred again Johnny "Big Hand" Bartlett: guitar Mel "Frostbite" Bergman: guitar Michael "Daddy Love" Lucas: bass Danny Seelig: drums (Norton Records, 1992) Pleasure Point 20,000 Leagues Under the Surf San Onofre Horror Beach Monster From The Surf Sewer Peak Surfin' With The Vy Legend Of The Phantom Surfer Wave Hog Palincar Sandtrap Stomp Slots O'Fun Stiletto 14 Miles To Gotham Theme From Dead West Twist Off Jalama Burger Banzai Run (Estrus, 1992) Bikini Drag Pursuit of the Leather Girls Geronimo L'Ultima Volta Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte Batwoman vs. Ratfink High Wall Bali Hai Big Screen Spectacular Tonight Eaffin' and Surfin' Gammera The Beach Girls and The Monster Suffer Popcorn (Lookout! Records, 1995. Re-edited in 1998) Introduction Everybody Up Death O A Rookie Schlock Slot Slotter On 10th Avenue Crossover Tragedy Rheostat Rock Pacific Shores A Slot Car Named Desire Turn Marshal Stumps Of Mystery Endurance Rally Final Lap "Church Key" (Crown Records, 1996) Stop That Cedric Tell Tale Couch Rochambeau Tic-Toc Rock Battle of Little Big Hand Skirfir Fairest of Them All Wow! The Lonely Mattress Gas Chamber Try To Hide Me Pretty Little Lisa Sloth in We'll Never Hear The End of It (Lookout! Records, 1997) The Great Surf Crash Of '97 Rootin' Around For Ramona Pygmy Dance Basset Ballet Single Whammy The Cat Came Back Ticker Tape jungle Medley X-Files / Stupid Files Ants In My Pants (I Call My Baby) D.D.T. Holiday Harbor Babalou Buy High, Sell Low Yozora No Hoshi Out The Window No Go Diggy-Di Lancelot Link Wray (Lookout! Records, 1998) Curb Job (Skaterhater Overture) Sidewalk City Devil Dust Sheena Was A Punk Rocker You Meet The Nicest People On A Harley Supercycle (Love Theme From Skaterhater) The End Of A Skater Blues Theme (Vocal) Grindhouse (The Sound Of) Breaking Glass Arrow Space Skate And Bait Murder Can Be Fun Polyurethane Drag Run (Lookout! Records, 2000) I Know It When I Hear It Dick Hickeys The Pioneers/Have A Good Funeral/Yellow Neck Will Pay The Golden Turd Nantucket Sleigh Ride Necro Sue The Crepitation Contest Tomato Juice The Big Dick Club Peach Pousaye Dolemite's Corner Happiness Is... The Phantom Surfers' Alphabet Business Deal Love Is... A Funny Thing Happened To Me On The Way To The Orgy Sin In The Suburbs Special Guest Guffaws (featuring America's Funnyman Neil Hamburger) Let's Fist Again Summa Pornographica (V8 Records/Secret Recipe, 2000. Contains written history of the band) Phantom Surfers Quality Statement The Hearse/ El Aguila Paradise Cove Skating Red Square Six Pack Gypsy Surfer Lafayette Klingons Vs. Daleks Surfari Move It Besame Mucho Playa Raton Flutterfoot Shaving Cream Poison Clam Tie Me Kangaroo Down Orbitron 7" (Estrus, 1991) Besame Mucho 7" (Standard Recordings, 1991) Unknown Museum Stomp 7" (Sympathy For The Record Industry, 1992) Bikini Drag 7" (Estrus, 1992) Flutter Foot 7" (Drop-Out, 1993) Survival Of The Fattest 7" (Planet Pimp Records, 1995) Istanbul 7" (Lookout! Records, 1996) Banzai Washout 7" (Estrus) Northwest Budget Rock Massacre 7" (The Phantom Surfers / Mummies)(Pre B.S. Records, 1991) Hell-Beach Party 7" (The Phantom Surfers / The Roofdogs)(Demolition Records, 1992) Rocket To Surfin' Europe Tour 1994 7" (The Phantom Surfers / The Astronauts) (Pin Up Records, 1994) Go! (The Phantom Surfers / The Tormentos) (Scatter/Lost Tiki, 2003) Parrillada con Amigos (The Phantom Surfers / The Beach Breakers) (ATMC Records, 2012) The Estrus Half-Rack 3x7"-box (Estrus, 3 7"-box1991) The Estrus Half-Rack (Estrus, 1991) Ultra Punch Deluxe 7" (Cruddy Records, 1993) Turban Renewal: A Tribute to Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs (Norton Records, 2 LPs 1994) Locked In To Surf & Rock 'n Roll Instrumentals (LP: Alopecia! Records, 1994; CD:Alopecia! Records, 1995) Heide Sez (Lookout! Records, 1996) You're Only As Good As the Last Thing You Did (Lookout! Records, 1997) Forward Till Death (Lookout! Records, 1999) The Necessary Effect, Screamers Songs Interpreted (Extravertigo Recordings/Xeroid Records, 2 CDs, 2003) Instro-Mental Mania (AlphaMonic, 2004) Fuck You Spaceman! 7" (Planet Pimp Records, 2004) Everybody's Surfing/Nobody's Surfing LP (Repent Records) Blood Orgy of the Leather Girls Soundtrack LP (Planet Pimp Records) Cowabunga! The Box Set (Rhino Records/Rhino Song Banzai Run, 4 CDs) "Alien Visitors". Brian Chidester, Domenic Priore. Pop Surf Culture: Music, Design, Film