SACRED COWBOYS + MATT MALONE & THE HOLY SPIRITS - IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST!

Name: SACRED COWBOYS + MATT MALONE & THE HOLY SPIRITS - IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST!
Start: 2026-05-08T10:00:00+10:00
Location: The Old Bar

Schedule

Fri, 08 May, 2026 at 10:00 am

UTC+10:00

Location

The Old Bar | Melbourne, VI

IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST!
Pop show Countdown’s worst nightmare, the legendary SACRED COWBOYS, will be tearing up The Old Bar for their last show before they head over to Europe for the Binic Festival.
Playing their hits, including ' The Psychedelic Shooter' from their new album 'In the Manifesto' and dusky jewels from earlier recordings.
They’ll be supported by heavy blues / post-punk band MATT MALONE & THE HOLY SPIRITS.
Nothing Grows In Texas MF's - don’t miss this show!
$30 presale / $35 door.
https://theoldbar.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/30490af4-4bbd-4f8e-b228-27a64b0399f9
SACRED COWBOYS
The Sacred Cowboys' name originated from the 1968 "Get Smart" television episode "The Groovy Guru," in which a villainous group called the Sacred Cows employs psychedelic music for mind control, an inspiration that cofounder Garry Gray cited as sparking the group's formation in 1982. This quirky reference underscored their irreverent approach, blending pop culture nods with musical experimentation.
Sacred Cowboys have just released 'In The Manifesto' which is their sixth studio album and first since 2007. They started playing in murky Melbourne dive bars in 1982 attracting a rabid following.
With the release of their iconic first single, “Nothing Grows in Texas”, they were catapulted to national TV notoriety on pop show Countdown where the hapless compare famously labelled them "the worst group I've seen in five years". Sacred Cowboys released the "Trouble from Providence" album in mid-1988 and "Hell Sucks" single in 1990, the latter becoming the band's signature tune for its driving rhythm and dystopian themes.
These efforts marked growing success on independent labels, such as New Rose France, Normal Records, Germany, Bang Records Spain and Beast Records France. Ian McFarlane further noted the group's reputation as "one of the most confrontational live outfits," emphasizing their raw, unyielding performances that drew from post-punk roots and swamp-blues backbeats.
Stylistic roots developped through covers of influential artists, including Creedence Clearwater Revival's swamp-rock grooves, Alex Chilton's "Bangkok" for its eccentric pop edge, The Velvet Underground's avant-garde minimalism, Captain Beefheart's surreal blues, Suicide's electronic proto-punk, and Bob Dylan's folk introspection, which collectively shaped their gritty, eclectic aesthetic
Co-founders Garry Gray and Mark Ferrie revived the band in 2025 and enlisted Timothy Deane, Anthony Paine, and Damian Fitzgerald for this album. The new album, “In the Manifesto”, is attracting wide airplay in Europe and in Melbourne and Sydney following its sold-out St Valentine’s Day launch at The Tote.
MATT MALONE & THE HOLY SPIRITS
Matt Malone is an iconoclastic singer-songwriter from the goldfields of Victoria, Australia. Malone is known for his bold baritone / tenebrous lyricism compared to Michael Gira, Glenn Danzig + Jim Morrison carving out a cult following through his intense live performances. He’s joined by rock n’ roll / swing stickman James W. du Plessis (The Sea Birds) on drums + electric slide guitarist Benny Mc (Pete Wells Band).
Matt Malone & The Holy Spirits released the single Wolfman on Halloween ‘25 and Jealousy on Valentine’s Day ‘26 both produced by Loki Lockwood (Spooky Records, The Drones, Spencer P. Jones). Matt Malone & The Holy Spirits channel their unique blend of apocalyptic blues, death country, + post-punk spiritualism - delivering live performances as much firebrand ritual as rock n’ roll show.