Tuesday 20 June 2023, 8pm
“In this writer's opinion, The Dead C might just be the best rock act currently active.” – The Quietus
Over the moon to bring the legendary New Zealand trio of Bruce Russell, Michael Morley and Robbie Yeats, The Dead C, to OTO for a very special three-day residency.
The Dead C’s improvised noise rock verges on disintegration with a trademark hazy disorientation, invariably evoking hypnotic and heavy moods. But The Dead C are no bummer. They seek liberation from shallow and easy rock conventions; amid the murk of cardboard box guitars, underwater vocals, and ramshackle drumming, a new consciousness emerges. The recognizable, sullen strumming, mumbling and lyrical ennui of Michael Morley, anchored by percussionist Robbie Yeats and punctuated by the atonal bursts of Bruce Russell coalesce in a solid front that mocks the efforts of schmaltz-peddling hacks. – Starlight Furniture Co
“They truly are an act wholly unto themselves, never once letting their flirtations with structure or melody establish authority over their compositions, nor letting their mesh of noise-drenched improvisations drift into formless meandering.” – Tiny Mix Tapes
“The New Zealand noise trio remain as vital, corrosive, and challenging as ever.” – Pitchfork
A key protagonist in the Christchurch 80s noise rock scene, his minimalist post-punk band The Pin Group were the first act to release on Flying Nun and lead to other explorations in short-lived drone project The Shallows and the gloriously open-ended freedoms of noise pop outfit Dadamah.
After a quiet spell, he returned in the late 90s, producing towering spires of guitar lines that exposed fragility between the strums. With his solo releases and in collaboration with Flying Saucer Attack, Bardo Pond (Hash Jar Tempo), and Chris Heaphy (Dissolve), his focus shifted from the truth-mining of rock music to epic celestialism. His ambitious yet humble tracks outstrip their origins, and Montgomery toured the world sitting cross-legged on the floor, playing twenty-plus-minute compositions.
A long period of silence followed, marked only with a split album with Grouper (who lists Montgomery as a primary influence), involvement in Torlesse Super Group, and a couple of thematic variations serving as soundtracks for films.
He unexpectedly re-emerged in 2016 with R M H Q (also know as Roy Montgomery’s Headquarters) on Grapefruit/Ba Da Bing, four albums of new material released simultaneously that marked a return to his distinctive pastoral guitar style but added the rare sound of his singing voice. Like all of his catalogue listening to his work is a visceral experience with repeating phrases swelling and decaying, immersing the listener in the cyclical narrative of his compositions.
