Dog Trumpet
www.dogtrumpet.net
Dog Trumpet is spearheaded by brothers Peter O’Doherty and Reg Mombassa, original members of iconic
Aria award winning and Hall of Fame band Mental As Anything. Dog Trumpet is spearheaded by brothers Peter O’Doherty and Reg Mombassa, original members of iconic Aria award winning and Hall of Fame band Mental As Anything. Their songwriting contributions to the Mental
s include Berserk Warriors, Egypt, Brain Brain, Apocalypso, Surf and Mull and Sex and Fun, Close Again and Psychedelic Peace Lamp. Over the last thirty years as Dog Trumpet they have released seven critically acclaimed albums: Two Heads One Brain, Suitcase, Dog Trumpet, Antisocial Tendencies, River of Flowers, Medicated Spirits and their latest, released in 2020, 'Great South Road'. Great South Road refers to the old main road leading from Auckland to Wellington passing through the brothers' southern Auckland childhood suburb of Papakura; and is also a metaphor for the parlous and perilous state of the world as it heads south towards a dystopian future. Peter is also a successful and much sought after painter. For over three decades the brothers have exhibited in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Asia. When playing live along with Bernie Hayes on bass and Jim Elliott (ex Cruel Sea) on drums they create a distinctive and eclectic meld of rock and roll, psychedelic folk, country and blues. The band have toured extensively around Australia and New Zealand, making appearances at music festivals including Blues Fest, Port Fairy, Blue Mountains, Apollo Bay and South by Southwest in Austin Texas. Dog Trumpet have a brand new album “Shadowland” our eighth to be released on the 4th November 2022 on Vinyl, CD and digitally worldwide via Demon Music Group. New single “The Ballad of Clayton Looby” out 9/9/22. Shadowland is a distinctive blending of psychedelia, folk and blues, the album probes the perils and absurdities of human existence, kicking off with the title track Shadowland, a nervous musing on digital over-surveillance; followed by Nina Simone, a song reflecting on romance and memory. F***ing Idiots points out the shameful idiocy of our addiction to war and militarism. Sheep of the Long White Cloud, describes how the sheep of New Zealand sculpt the landscape by their constant walking and eating grass and weeds. Will it Yet Be Thus is a song about the quiet and assertive people who would prefer to look out the window and day-dream rather than proactively engage with and participate in mainstream society. The Ballad of Clayton Looby this song is a reminiscence of growing up in the 1970’s on the northern beaches of Sydney. Barrenjoey High was built behind the sand hills at Avalon and in those days it was a pretty relaxed atmosphere where we seemed to spend more time at the beach than at school. Clayton Looby was a free-spirited larrikin in my year; an obsessive surfer and ratbag. The song references his unconventional pirate life following the surf, sailing, riding motorbikes, living in Bali and spending a couple of years in a Japanese jail. He died a couple of years ago and this song is a salute to his memory and his life
