Matt Carr profile picture

Matt Carr

None of my witty catchphrases fit in this box!

About Me

Matt Carr is trying not to be a guitarist's guitarist. His roots continue to grow firmly into the blues as he branches out into many other styles. He tries to avoid the technical flash and speed (not that he doe'sn't like that stuff!) or vaudevillean fingerpicking of many of his peers, opting instead for solid groove and a soulful take on the music he so dearly loves.After receiving his early musical education from Australian blues legends Bo Jenkins and Lloyd Spiegel, Matt Carr studied under the watchful eye (and acid tongue) of Motown arranger and jazz guru Gil Askey (Oscar nominee for "Lady Sings the Blues", musical director Diana Ross etc.) and spent a number of years drinking and learning (both underage) in Melbourne's blues haunts. In 2001/02 he founded and fronted the band Matt Carr and the Lovely Assistants, enjoying moderate success and then spent many a year as a busker on the streets of his hometown, Mordialloc. It was here that he gained his love of improvisation and his ability to create full sounding solo arrangements, accompanied only by his trusty Cole Clark accoustic. His live performances have been remarked upon as "Enjoyable and from the soul." by the likes of Lloyd Spiegel with whom he occaisionally guests. Other musicians with whom Matt has shared stages include Geoff Achison, Fiona Boyes, Honeymaker, Andrea Marr, Spectrum and many more. He currently splits his time between being a cook at a local noodle bar and playing gigs to small but extremely appreciative audiences.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 9/16/2006
Band Website: This is as close to a Matt Carr website as ya get!
Band Members: Himself... for now anyway.
Influences: Bob Dylan, The Band, Neil Young, Robert Johnson, The Reverend Gary Davis, John Lee Hooker, B.B, Albert, Freddie and Kaki King (respectively), James Brown, Bob Marley, Handel, Billie Holliday, The Bees, Blues Explosion, Jeff Buckley, Van the Man, Tex Perkins, Elton John's early stuff, The Faces (but not Rod Stewart on his own), David Bowie, The Velvet Underground, Iggy and The Stooges, The Ramones, Billy Bragg, The Whitlams, Duke Ellington, AC/DC, Hendrix, SRV, Django Reinhardt, Keith Richards , Tim Buckley, Lee Underwood, Joe Falsia, Jackson Browne, The Eagles (a guilty pleasure), Lou Reed, Joni Mitchell, Mozart, Miles Davis, Woody Guthrie, Richie Havens, U2, The White Stripes, Elvis (Presley and Costello), Clapton, Les Paul, Led Zep, Ween, Coltrane, Patti Larkin, Geoff Achison, Lloyd Spiegel, Dr John, Chuck Berry, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Living Colour, Fred Neill, Henry Rollins, Nick Cave and The Boys Next Door and The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds and well... did I mention Nick Cave?, Fiona Boyes, My Friend The Chocolate Cake, Bo Diddley, Something for Kate, MC5, The Pogues, The Beatles, Johnny Winter, Chet Atkins, Lightnin' Hopkins, Muddy Waters, The Kinks, The Police, The Clash, Nelson Mandela, Beethoven, Pink Floyd, Eric Johnson, Bo Jenkins, Crowded House, The Beasts of Bourbon, Digger and The Pussycats, Joe Camilleri, Paul Kelly, The Doors, J.D Salinger, J.D sour mash whiskey, Madness, Garbage, The Cruel Sea, Hank Williams, Shakespeare, Leonard Cohen, various members of the Wainwright family, The Young Ones, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Black Sabbath, Thelonius Monk, The Weather Report, Honeymaker (Rest In Pieces), Magic Dirt, Junior Wells, H.G Wells, Orson Welles, The Vagrants, The Tea Party, Wilco, The Watchmen, Nick Drake, Gil Askey, Chris Wilson, Gil Scott Herron, Chet Atkins, Marvin Gaye, The Reverend Al Green, Otis Redding, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, The Electric Flag, Sir Isaac Newton, Richard Thompson, Neko Case, The Shins, The Black Keys, that guy who fell into a crevasse and cut his own arm off with a pocket knife to live, PD Hale, Live's "Throwing Copper" album, The Wallflowers, Los Lobos, Yo Yo Ma, Segovia, Dutch Tilders, Leadbelly, Creedence (again with the guilty pleasures!) Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, James Dean, Louis King and The Liars Klub, The Reverend Horton Heat (lotsa Reverends in here, eh?), Janis Ian, Concrete Blonde, The Verve, Mr Bungle, The Animals, Tex, Don and Charlie, PJ Harvey, Tim Winton, John Butler, The Waifs, Jimmie Vaughan, Robben Ford, Buddy Guy, Hunter S Thompson...... and now...YOU! SIMPLY FOR HAVING THE INTESTINAL FORTITUDE TO READ ALL OF THAT!!!
Sounds Like: Fun, I reckon.
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: None

My Blog

Barbecue anyone?

    Just a plug here folks.  I've left my soapbox at home today.  I promise that this blog contains absolutely no acidity and only one (relatively nonthreatening) opinion.&nbs...
Posted by Matt Carr on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 07:13:00 PST

So maybe I took it a little too far.

Okay...   So maybe my last blog was a little acidic.  I just get a little billious when political correctness starts (invariably) sucking the poetry out of language.  As people, I ...
Posted by Matt Carr on Tue, 13 Nov 2007 04:11:00 PST

You gotta be fuckin’ kidding me right?

So here's an interesting one for you.  Apparently some department store Santa's in training are being urged to refrain from use of the term "Ho, Ho, Ho!" because it may be considered "derogatory ...
Posted by Matt Carr on Tue, 13 Nov 2007 08:02:00 PST

Play like a girl.

When I was seventeen ("I'm sure there's a song in that somewhere!" I hear you say.)... about a hundred thousand years ago in 2001, some drunk jerk decided to tell me that I played like a... God forbid...
Posted by Matt Carr on Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:36:00 PST

My new hero!

Howdy kids,   I stand before you here in cyberspace to sing the praises of one of the most talented musicians I've seen.  18 year old Jason Lowe is one of those absolute freaks of nature tha...
Posted by Matt Carr on Mon, 27 Aug 2007 07:50:00 PST

What a night!

I just wanted to say a huge thankyou to everyone who made it on down to Nighthawk last night.  It was easily the most positive response I've had to one of my little gigs and the biggest turn out ...
Posted by Matt Carr on Thu, 23 Aug 2007 08:49:00 PST

Loving life.

As regular readers of my blog will well know.  I quite frequently use this function to vent, bitch and generally spew as much bile as a 23 year old, middle class bluesman (if there is such a thin...
Posted by Matt Carr on Mon, 09 Jul 2007 05:58:00 PST

About the songs.

Well, here you go.  I've finally got some music up on my page.  These tracks (plus one other) were recorded and mixed in about three hours and engineered by the very talented Steve Iorio (ch...
Posted by Matt Carr on Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:23:00 PST

Tracks for myspace are coming! (seriously this time!)

That's right kids! You heard it here first.  I'm heading into the studio this weekend to record some tracks... several of which will be available here on my Myspace page for your perusal and scat...
Posted by Matt Carr on Fri, 29 Jun 2007 06:37:00 PST

Bobstock (special thanks to Spiegel for the title!)

Friends, romans, countrymen, fellow MySpatians, lend me your ears!  ...um... actually seeing as this is text... can I borrow your eyes for a minute?  I'll give 'em back I swear!!! Anywa...
Posted by Matt Carr on Sat, 23 Jun 2007 11:50:00 PST