"Even a man who is pure in heart
And says his prayers by Night
May become a wolf
When the wolf-bane blooms
And the autumn moon is bright."

MATT MALONE & THE HOLY SPIRITS will be launching their new single WOLFMAN (Produced by Loki Lockwood) @ their fave small venue MERRI CREEK TAVERN! They will be joined by the sultry / glam-core songstress ESTHER RIVERS. Put in your fangs, strap on your demon wings, dress up in your fave gothic wares and don't miss out on this very special night!

$16.66 / Pre-Sale
$20 / Door
Prize for Best Dressed x

MATT MALONE & THE HOLY SPIRITS

Matt Malone is an iconoclastic singer-songwriter from the goldfields of Victoria, Australia, known for his bold baritone and tenebrous lyricism. Malone is often compared to Jim Morrison, Glenn Danzig, Nick Cave, Johnny Cash + has carved out a cult following through his intense live performances and uncompromising vision. In 2023, he released the critically acclaimed For The Term Of My Natural Life (VRS Records), a brooding, poetic record that cemented his reputation as one of the most vital voices in the Australian underground. On stage, Malone has shared the spotlight with revered figures like Kim Salmon (Beasts of Bourbon) + Hugo Race (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds), performing on stages both nationally / abroad. He’ll be joined by swing / double-kick / rock n’ roll stickman James W. du Plessis (Volcanic Honeymoon, The Sea Birds) on drums, Matt Malone & The Holy Spirits channel their unique blend of apocalyptic blues, death country, + post-punk spiritualism - delivering live performances that are as much firebrand ritual as rock n’ roll show.

'★★★★’
- Sydney Morning Herald

'★★★★’
- Backseat Mafia

“What a powerful rendition of the John Lee Hooker classic I’m Bad Like Jesse James from bluesman and twang artisan - Matt Malone… I like that!”
- Tower Of Song, Double J

"Malone mines life's dark shadows in a similar way to Nick Cave or foreign antecedents like Merle Haggard and Bob Dylan. It's an album of singular vision, unrelenting in its intensity..."
- Rhythms Magazine

"Matt Malone & The Holy Spirits sound like a Ennio Morricone score for a Cormac McCarthy movie.”
- Americana UK

"Whatever juju, alchemy or disturbed darkness that made Jim Morrison put on a pair of leather trousers & shock the world out of its apathy… Matt has got it!"
- Kim Salmon (The Scientists, Beasts Of Bourbon, The Surrealists)

LINKS:

Bandcamp:
https://mattmaloneandtheholyspirits.bandcamp.com/

Video:
https://youtu.be/JXOAjqxr1oY?si=9Mr2dhVGerGS88u1

+

ESTHER RIVERS

Esther Rivers is a Naarm singer songwriter, with poetic rock songs in the vein of Patti Smith, Janis Joplin, or Melanie Safka. Fronting her band Little Desert until 2019, she's now debuting solo work with a rotating line-up of some of Melbourne's finest jazz, soul, and rock musicians.

Rivers' long-awaited EP Heretic was released in June 2024, following her debut single Prisoners. Transported by her song, we find ourselves smoking in the caverns of old Paris nightclubs, or wandering with the ghosts of the Chelsea Hotel. As much a sultry chanteuse as a reckless loner, Rivers' voice is an offering.

"One of the most sorrowfully beautiful voices I've heard." - VICE

"The soaring voice and ruptured intimacy of vocalist Esther Rivers would have suited the end credits of Justin Kurzel's take on Macbeth." - The Age

"She has immediately established herself as one of the Australian music scene’s most enigmatic emerging artists." - Happy Magazine

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7b8xfFwRiferEuGHYiuExC?si=bMOodxSsSiSW0EM6cxGPYg

https://estherrivers.bandcamp.com/album/heretic-ep

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=lsF0Fh5bRvM