Heading to Australia for the first time is the bastard cousin to Jon Spencer’s genre-demolishing Blues Explosion, HEAVY TRASH featuring Jon Spencer (not a stranger to these shores), with Matt Verta-Ray guitar brawler and producer extraordinaire, in a project that drinks down the best of roots, R&B and rock-a-billy.
On stage and in the studio, JON SPENCER has destroyed and rebuilt American roots music with such ferocity and wild abandon it is hard to believe that there is anything left. The trail of musical destruction in the wake of his groovy hate-f**k combo PUSSY GALORE still smoulders with the stench of avant punk trash and nasty garage ooze and grind, while his towering work with the JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION remains an indelible totem to his enormous mojo spirit and red-hot power of deliverance. He is Daddy BOSS HOG! He is the BLUES EXPLODER and MICROPHONE DESTROYER! A GIBSON BROTHER! The man who shared a Chicken Dog with Rufus Thomas, got Soul with R.L. Burnside, and enjoyed a greasy Lap Dance with Andre Williams!
MATT VERTA-RAY grew up in the loving arms of left-wing parents who would take him to folk and blues shows long before he sprouted sideburns. (His mother passed away in the 90s, still angry that Dylan had gone electric, despite the fact – Matt is quick to point out – that she owned tons of Sun rockabilly 78s, which he very gratefully still has.) In the late 70s, young Matt found himself one of only twelve people who went to see Bo Diddley at a Canadian fairground. After the show, Bo came out and preached to Matt for an hour about the dark secrets of rock’n’roll. And the rest, as they say, is history. Matt has meandered his way towards forming HEAVY TRASH with his friend JON SPENCER via various outfits including MADDER ROSE, hard-wired deconstructionist rootsabilly band SPEEDBALL BABY, incidentally where he developed his slashing-dagger guitar style. Matt is also the mad scientist behind the jungle of tube amps and old-school echo machines that form the mutated nucleus of his analog cave, world-class recording studio NY Hed, where musicians come from all over the galaxy to get… WAY OUT!!!
Shakin’ their snake-hips and playing songs from their back catalogue which includes their self-titled album (2005), Going Way Out with Heavy Trash (2008), and their soon to be released Midnight Soul Serenade CD, these kings of buzz saw guitars and late night incantations, will be appearing at the following Australian venues :
WED 9TH DEC : The Zoo, Brisbane,
Tickets : Oztix
THURS 10TH DEC : The Prince Bandroom, Melbourne,
Tickets : The Prince of Wales Public Bar, Polyester (City & Fitzroy), Missing Link, & Greville Records
SUN 13TH DEC : Manning Bar, Sydney,
Tickets : Moshtix & Oztix
