White Boy And The Average Rat Band

The name is not only intriguing but many will be left bewildered. Those who have heard about the band will know that “White Boy and the Average White Band” is the best-kept secret of the American Rock ‘n Roll underground. We were fortunate enough to speak with Mike Matney to discuss everything from the band’s beginnings to what is next.



MGM: Enough about the history of the band; I’m sure you are tired of going over that in every interview. So, let us start with how the reissue project came about. People had been seeking the album and information about this band for years so why did it take so long for this to finally happen?

Mike Matney: That’s a long story. 38 years. Number one would be because of the limited release. (250 copies) Number two would be because of our rural location in Southwest, VA. Normally a band will build their following locally but in our case, there were really no venues in our area for the kind of music we were making. Third, I hate to say it but probably the bootlegs. They had good distribution and suddenly people other than collectors could get their hands on it and not have to pay a fortune. Last I think the internet helped i.e. ‘Metal Archives’ that’s where Heaven And Hell found me.

MGM: You had a band together playing under the name Matney and for a short while under White Boy and the Average Rat Band. Meanwhile, at the same time, the album was becoming highly collectable and the band was building a sort of cult following. Were you aware of this going on?

Mike Matney: Actually, through the eighties and nineties I played for several bands including a brief stint with David Allan Coe. I went back to school in the nineties and got my degree in Recording Industry Management. I even interned in the A&R dept. of Asylum Records for a year. It was during this time John Allison a local record collector and friend of mine informed me about the album. He showed me a list from other collectors all over the world where their album was selling for $125 a copy. I couldn’t believe it.

MGM: Now, as recent as last year one of the original pressings sold for $800.00; sure would be nice to have some copies. Before the reissue project came about had you planned to re-visit White Boy and the Average Rat Band or just continue as Matney?

Mike Matney: Well we were starting to get some recognition under the name Matney. So that’s really hard to answer. Not sure what might have happened but obviously things are going the direction they should be going now.

MGM: After the reissued album was released the band immediately set out on a small tour cleverly called ‘Back in the Rat Race’ that hit some famous clubs one both coasts. How was that tour and were the audiences receptive to the band?

Mike Matney: Great fun! We never got to tour or travel as a band before. I myself haven’t played out on the road a lot. Because of the re-issue and the great PR we got to play some of the most famous rock and roll dive bars in the United States. We had good turnouts everywhere we played. What would get me the most is at almost every show there were fans who would say they drove a long way or they couldn’t believe it when they have seen we were out playing. It’s very humbling when you are in some far off place and someone comes up to you and pulls out one of your albums, ask you to sign it and starts telling you their story behind it. Learning about how well the name was known in the Boston area was pretty trippy. We were invited up there to perform on Ken McIntyre (aka Sleazegrinder) public access show Heavy Leather. Turns Out he had been a big fan for years but as with everyone he was not aware that we were active or ever knew anything about us beyond the album. While we were up there we picked up another gig where people were showing up that had been familiar with the band for years. Even a local skateboard company was using White Boy songs in their demo video releases. Stuff like this just continued to pop-up. It is like having something going on around you and about you but having no idea it is happening.

MGM: There is a bit of buzz going around about you guys mainly in punk rock and metal circles. It seems it has risen some from the deep rock underground catacombs. What would you attribute this to?

Mike Matney: ‘From the deep rock underground catacombs’, nice. Well, I have to give John Allison as well as many other hardcore Metal Collectors a lot of credit. Mostly I guess are the fans. There are some people that are really kinda fanatical about that album. (hey I just realized where that word comes from) Recently I was told that Mike Varney ordered one of the CD re-issues and well that just seems pretty cool to think that the guy who basically discovered Yngwie Malmsteen likes my album.

MGM: As Matney, the band played the southern rock circuit and now as White Boy and the Average Rat Band you are playing for punks and metal fans. Why do you think your songs have such a mass appeal?

Mike Matney: I tend to have more of the old school writing style. I call it the Nashville style of writing. I believe in telling a story, giving advice, a good rhyme scheme and a good catchy, and this is important, ‘pentatonic’ riff. That’s the best bluesy rocking stuff.

MGM: It appears that you have had several different people in your line-ups going back to the 1980s. Now The Average Rat Band is a three-piece. Can you tell me a bit about Darryl and Jerry? And how is playing as a power trio different from playing as a four piece for you?

M. Matney: Darrell A.k.A. ‘Rambo’ is my bass player. I’ve known Rambo for years. I always enjoyed watching him perform in his band No Klu. He’s solid. I tell him to play really basic, really driving. Jerry Hogston (Hog) plays the drums. He’s been with me for years. He’s actually on two tracks on the original album, ‘Sector 387’ and ‘Maybe I’m A Fool. I tell Rambo and Hog just to keep it basic for me, that in turn gives me more freedom and a bigger canvas to paint on so to speak. As for playing as a three-piece oppose to a four piece; well certainly there are differences and pros and cons to each way, right now a three-piece seems to be working just fine.

MGM: People had wanted to know for years if there was any other material by the band and five bonus tracks showed up on the CD version of the reissue. Rumour has it that there is even more material from way back that has never been released. Is this true and well we ever get to hear this material?

Mike Matney: There is more material. Mostly from the late 80’s and early nineties. I’m negotiating with the record company now about the new album and how to present the material. The problem lies in the fact I’m kind of a loner in the studio and like to do everything myself. I like getting it out of my head and on tape as close as what I’m hearing. I programmed the drums for some of the new tunes and the record company hates that so we’re working on a compromise.

MGM: It is very difficult to pinpoint the band’s sound. When one describes White Boy and the Average Rat Band many things come to mind. Yet nothing can totally sum it up. The music is so familiar yet quite unique. It sounds like… but not really. Is this the goal when you write a song? When you wrote and recorded the first album what were you going for?

Mike Matney: Honestly I’m a product of my environment. Growing up in the seventies with all that great music going in I’m sure it all had a huge influence on what came out. I’m pretty eclectic in my taste so while I may be shooting for one thing when creating a song often times it will come out a little different.

MGM: What does Michael Matney listen to and what influences him?

Mike Matney: I’m not a huge consumer of media anymore. There’s good stuff out there. I’ve always been a fan of great guitar players and three-piece power trios. Fill in the blank, there’s just so many of them. Billy Gibbons, Frank Marino, Pat Travers and Robin Trower are a few of my favourites.

MGM: The band recently played the annual Legions of Metal Festival in Chicago. How was that experience?

Mike Matney: Legions Of Metal was great fun! First time I’ve ever played/been to Chicago. Reggies is an awesome venue. We knew we were ‘stand out’ from the other bands there but everyone was so kind and we had a great crowd so. Thanks so much to Bob Byrne and Shane Merrill for having us and putting on a great festival!!

MGM: The debut came out thirty-eight years ago. So, is there a new album in the works and if so when might we see a release?

Mike Matney: Yes!! New album on the way. Gonna be in the studio in September. Thinking maybe 6 new songs recorded with the guys now and maybe 7 or 8 I’ve worked on over the last 20 yrs. It’s really gonna be different and unique there are a few surprises in store. I’m excited about it. Hopefully, you guys will have me back and we can talk about it after the release.

MGM: Thanks for rapping with me Mike. Do you have any last words for the readers out there?

Mike Matney: And thank you. I am thankful and humbled by all the fans out there; thank you all for you support. Please continue to follow us on Facebook and watch for new material and tour dates coming soon.

Follow Mike and the band at Facebook

Tell Us How You Feel - Global Minds.com

White Boy and The Average Rat Band Talks Reissue Of Rare Classic & First New Material In Forty Years!
By The Grim Lord on April 24, 2018 in Interviews

White Boy and The Average Rat Band

Interview with Mike Matney (Guitar, Vocals) By The Grim Lord

A true to form blast from the past, this US-based act are known for having one of the most bootlegged albums in the scene, with rarities selling for several hundreds of dollars online. They couldn’t be pigeon-holed into one genre, which is a reason why I feel the act have been sought after for so many years. The Grim Tower is absolutely honored to have these legends present in the dungeon today, as they discuss their origins, the original recording sessions, the bootleg, the remaster and the prospect of new material. Their first in nearly forty years.

First and foremost, where in the heck have you guys been? When I first found out about your debut album, I realized that it was released during heavy metal’s golden age, back in the eighties. After that, I realized that there hadn’t been any activity in the project for nearly forty years! Also, where did you come up with the name “White Boy and The Average Rat Band?” Sounds like a blues group.

Mike Matney: Well that is a story I suppose. I got the name White Boy when I was in Nashville playing in this band called Tabu. It was an odd band to say the least, I was only there for a short time. But while I was there, I was given the name White Boy by Tabu’s main-man Kriss Famous. Usually, nicknames are just given, and they end up sticking I suppose. Later I just figured I would call the band The Average Rat Band.

First, you have to understand that with the Rat Band, it all began as somewhat of a solo project of mine when I returned home from Nashville around 1979. I took a job working for a local record store; the owner happened to also own a recording studio and offered me recording time as payment for working at the record store. It seemed like a good deal to me.

I would end up writing and recording everything on the album in exception to the drums. So I had to bring in a drummer and then continued to put together a band for the album cover and live shows. It was always intended to be a band, it just worked out the way it did. Back then musicians were very difficult to find, certainly in a small town such as where I was from.

The album had its original release in the early eighties. There was only a limited amount of copies released and it afforded few opportunities at the time. However, over the years it has developed a cult following of loyal fans, that is totally mind-blowing to me.

The original line-up of the band was short-lived; between location, timing, and sadly tragedy, it seemed it was just not in the cards for us at the time. After that, the band just came to an end. Through the rest of the eighties, I went on to other projects and eventually back to school in the nineties. I then would have a band playing out called the Matney Project that did a lot of the southern rock circuit. We played several festivals with bands like Black Oak Arkansas and Blackfoot. This went on for some time then I tried to resurrect the White Boy and the Average Rat Band again in 2011. It was doing pretty good but still not the right time, more of a warm up to what is going on now.

The recent signing with Heaven and Hell Records and the subsequent first official reissue of the album has generated a fair amount of press and increased interest in the band allowing us to tour nationwide and play some iconic clubs.

It was not lost on me the reputation the album and name had gained over the years. But, ever since the re-issue and all this has started a new… well, it is extremely humbling to say the least. I continue to be surprised when finding out place the album has reached or hearing from people who know the name.

So who came to you with the decision to remaster and reissue this classic album? Had this been something that you’d always wanted to do, but never got the chance before?

M. Matney: It’s something I always hoped would happen. Since its release in the early eighties, it’s been bootlegged. I made a half-hearted attempt once to stop the bootlegger. I contacted an attorney in Los Angeles who advised me to ‘stop the money’. So we went straight to the distributor. Within a day I got an anonymous email saying that they were the one bootlegging my album. They went on to say they only had 400 copies made up and had 40 left they’d send me. So I had to decide should I stop this guy or not? I mean, at this point I was being contacted by fans of the album from all over. So when I was contacted by Heaven and Hell Records years later, last summer to be exact; and offered a chance to have the album re-mastered and distributed ‘officially’. Needless to say I jumped at the chance. I still had the master tapes of the album, which Jeremy tells me is extremely rare to find in similar cases. We sent them down to Jamie King in North Carolina, and he did what he does.

The sound is great; the volume is up, it is fuller, it meets industry standards, and it is not that straight from a vinyl lift that the bootleg is.

I’ve noticed that a lot of previously rare classics are being reissued in both digital and physical forms; mostly what I think is due to the online market. Do you see that being the case with this recording? Apparently, people on sites like eBay have been selling the original pressing for a fortune due to its obscurity.

M. Matney: If you’re asking whether or not I think that the internet is responsible for the underground cult popularity of White Boy and the Average Rat Band, then I would say to a degree. I was first contacted by collector John Allison in the early nineties and John showed me collectors list from all over including Germany, England and Japan where the album was already selling for $125 a copy. All of these lists were paper booklets. Magazines of sorts mailed between collectors. The first big mention/review the album got was in ‘The Acid Archives’ book. This was of course before the internet, or at least the internet as we know it today.

Jeremy was telling me a few weeks ago about a collector he had met recently who apparently was instrumental in helping the album become what it has become over the years. Seems this guy was one of the key players in helping the album circulate years ago. As Jeremy was investigating more about the record and the guy, he was told by a third party source that the dude was not just a casual collector and that he was one of the world’s major players.

Seriously, this record collecting thing is like some Indiana Jones stuff. Those guys are serious and it goes deep too. The way I understand is that there are people with a lot of records, and then there are those real major players who spend lots on a record.

It’s true these days that it seems to have a pretty large online presence. I’ve seen it on hundreds of online sites, blogs, reviews, etc. It’s like the masses now have access to what only a few had before. I myself didn’t have a copy of the album and who can afford $500 or $600 for an original?

A few months ago, not long after the re-issued vinyl dropped, an original was sold for a little over $800.00 I’m told… That is crazy!

Looking back at this performance, how do you feel about it today? Are there some things that you would have changed during the writing/recording process?

M. Matney: Knowing what I know now, obviously I wouldn’t change a thing. Now if you had asked me at the time I would have changed a lot. Everyone that knows me knows that I’m bad to second guess myself and artistically I’m my own biggest fan and worst critic. I’ve constantly struggled with what to leave in and what to throw out.

Sometimes we (as in people) create something and have no idea what it will actually become. Apparently, that album captured something special. I don’t understand and I don’t want to spend my time trying to understand. I’m just grateful and humbled.

I hear that you’re working on new material right now, which would make this forthcoming effort the first thing that anyone has ever heard from the band in forty years. How’s that coming along? Do you play to perform a few shows for it?

M. Matney: There are five never before released songs on the CD version of the re-issue. These were tracks that had been in the can for many years, they were originally recorded back in the early eighties.

The label wanted extra material and well there were these tracks. At first, I wasn’t even aware what was on the tapes, so it was a pleasant surprise to discover these tracks.

Now there is still a lot more material from way back, it is just a matter of sorting through it all. That tends to be more difficult than most people might imagine.

I went back to school in the nineties and got a degree in Recording Industry Management from MTSU. I wrote a lot while I was in school and after moving back home to Virginia I built my own studio back on the farm and continued to record. I’ve made a couple of CD-Rs of demos and scratch material using drum machines but until last summer, but never really had the opportunity to have my music in a professional studio.

Last summer the guys and I went down and recorded at Jay’s Place on music row. Hopefully, some of that material will make it on to the release later this year. There’s talk that the label head Jeremy Golden will be producing it. He’s mentioned taking us to a studio in North Carolina he likes and bringing in a few big names. Should be a lot of fun!

Instead of the geek culture question that we always ask, I’m a bit more curious as to why the album didn’t seem to hit its mark during the golden age of the genre. What did you think was the issue (or issues) that prevented the band from becoming a major commercial success? There was a little something for everyone here, from doom to traditional/power metal to synth rock, thrash, punk and then some. You just don’t find this sort of variation in records anymore.

M. Matney: This is probably easy to explain.

Jeremy often describes the band and the album as a “square-peg, saying that it oddly fits in everywhere, but doesn’t fit in anywhere. I suppose that is the perfect description. He often comments to me about how very few bands and these are his words, “can walk in so many different worlds like metal, punk rock, southern rock”.

On the fridge rock n’ roll fans dig this stuff. We played it on southern rock circuits and people dug it. This recent tour had us in punk rock dives all over the country, metalheads are digging us and we are gearing up to play the Legions of Metal Festival in Chicago. It seems the appeal of the band spans far and who am I to question that? Why would I question that?

However, I think the same blessing that allows the band to have appeal to some many different subgenres is also the curse that may always hold the band back from being able to achieve a greater mass appeal. There is an irony in there that is kind of tragically sad. Then again it is somewhat bittersweet I suppose; I just create music I hear and feel and I have always done it this way. I have never set out with one sound in m9ind, it just comes out has it does. This is why the debut is what it is.

But to try to get back to your question; not only was the album to different in one regard, it wasn’t consistent enough I guess? Hell, I don’t know.

What was certain were the circumstances that would hinder it from reaching a larger audience. Bear in mind that there was no internet, people tend to forget how difficult things were back then or they just can’t imagine because they weren’t even alive at the time. The album was a DIY effort in every way and only 300 were pressed, which 50 were lost right off, so only 250 records got out. So really it is amazing that anyone heard this, certainly folks around the world.

Thanks for answering my questions and I’m definitely curious as to what you have in store for the next one! Even if it has been a rather long time coming.

M. Matney: Hey man thanks for giving us this opportunity! Thanks for the interview! Sorry it took so long to get this interview happening, we have been on the road since November and that has been a little time consuming. We are just now getting some downtime.

We hope everybody will check us out on Facebook and watch out for more live dates throughout 2018 as well as a new album. But for now the next thing is Legions of Metal Festival in Chicago on May 19th, hope to see everyone there.


Purchase HERE (Bandcamp)

TagsHeaven and Hell RecordsWhite Boy and The Average Rat Band



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But for all the times it’s been burned, blogged, and mp3’d, White Boy & the Average Rat Band’s 1980 self-titled debut LP would be a late (and possibly the last) entry in the Greatest Post-Punk Albums Nobody’s Ever Heard. Supposedly a) recorded by early 80s Baltimore punks nobody in Baltimore remembers, b) part of the pact of a late 70s Toledo death cult whose members obligingly killed each other off or c) left by sportive aliens at a roadside Piggly Wiggly near Bluefield, WV, this slab was actually done by a staggeringly talented friend of mine from high school. Richlands, Virginia’s own Roky Erickson, Mike Matney was making the Appalachian hollows roar with his Gibson while I was scribbling my first obscenities in the school paper. We both partook heavily of what passed for rock ‘n’ roll subculture in a town with few teenagers and several thousand heads of Baptist standing between you and the next good time. Mike now lives on a farm Back Home where he dabbles in painting and tinkers in his home recording studio, but the original “White Boy” and a reformed Rat Band will be onstage at the fabulous Whisky a Go Go this Saturday night. Here, for the first time ever, is the singular weird story of the deepest of all deep-underground rock albums. This interview by Ron Garmon.
Since I was living in a literary hallucination even then and used to see big stacks of punk shit at Record World, I always assumed yawl’s band name was a riff off ‘White Man at Hammersmith’ or suchlike. And that naked-lady AWB record everyone was still playing back then, of course.
What happened was, when I first got out of high school, I was 18 and had been playing in a lot of bands in high school. I wanted more than anything to go to Nashville. My parents helped me and I went to Nashville, and within a couple of weeks down there I got involved in a band called Taboo. Taboo was an all-black band. So I was the only white guy in the band. That’s how I got the name White Boy, playing in an all-black band in Nashville. The guitar player’s place that I took in Taboo—he was a white guy too—his name was Ron Keel. When I took Ron’s place, Ron went out to Hollywood and got with Gene Simmons and had several hits on MTV, was a singer for Yngwie Malmsteen, he did really good. I got hungry after six months and went back to Richlands and got a job at Record World.
Holy crow. How did you get into music as a kid?
My mom was the piano player, organ player in church. I started taking piano lessons in the first grade. I can remember walking across the street by myself to see the piano teacher. I switched to guitar at 6 years old. The piano teacher’s sister taught guitar. Then I stole my Uncle Bill’s electric guitar when I was 7 or 8 years old, never gave it back. I just sort of took to it from there.
Who were your influences?
I can remember Billy Gibbons, that Tres Hombres album, used to learn it and practice on it. You know what I’m talking about—ZZ Top, right? It was great. Mahogany Rush. Of course Judas Priest. I was a huge Judas Priest fan.
Your voice gets compared to Rob Halford’s.
He’s great, Rob Halford is my hero.
There was a Judas Priest cult from the git-go in Richlands, I recall. Tell us what you remember about Ebb, the guy who ran Record World.
He was an old war vet, he was a tank commander. He ran the record store in town and had the little studio next door. He said he always wanted to be into it. He was an old guy, way older than us, but he just loved music. He made his tapes. He would put together mix tapes of the latest hits on cassette and give them to us out the back door.
I remember that! People would drive miles from the hills for his shit.
Work was hard to find and Ebb let me work for him in exchange for recording time in his little studio next room over. You literally pulled a curtain back to go into it and the control room set in the store front. He had an old TEAC 4-track reel-to-reel and a reverb unit. Ebb would come record me some nights but he had a lot of health issues being a one-legged tank commander from the war and all. Recording sessions consisted of me laying the riff down on guitar first backed by a drummer then I would go back and add tracks.
How long did it take to make this record?
It was over a pretty good period of time. I think it was probably about six months or so over the course of 1980. I worked there, Ebb let me record off and on. He got progressively worse; he got less and less involved toward the end. It was six months, for sure. Really it was only me and two other drummers. I’m often asked about how I got that guitar sound. It was an old Osborne tube amp I overdrove and constantly played around with different mic settings. I used my old Les Paul Custom on the whole thing.
What was the reaction?
Nobody noticed. If I could describe this I would call it the ultimate underground album. You have underground rock, underground metal, and this is nowhere near the surface. We only played out a few times as White Boy and the Average Rat Band. We had 300 copies and we were giving these things away.
At what point did you hear your record had this sort of independent life you’re talking about?
Well, my friend John Allison lives in Richlands. I grew up with his boys. John is from England and was and is an avid collector of blues and metal. John once suprised us while we were jamming in the basement by bringing Henry Vestine from Canned Heat over to the house in Richlands mind you. I was jammin’ in Mom’s basement with someone who played at Woodstock! OK, I get a call in Nashville in the mid-90s from John saying, ‘Hey Mike, do any of your friends have copies of your old album? I’ll give you 50 dollars apiece for them.’ Well sir, I gathered some up and took them to him. He showed me a collectors list from all over the world where people were selling my album for $150 a copy. I hadn’t made the first dime. Not too long back I started to notice fan sites—online sites with thousands of hits—and no idea who we really were, but they liked the album. I found out then the album had been bootlegged by Roach Records. I started calling around to different record stores. They knew who I was at Concrete Records in New York. They knew who I was in Chicago. The record store I called in North Carolina, the guy quoted words back to me off the album cover. Copies now sell for as much as $500.
Where did yawl press the actual non-bootlegged record?
We saved up money and took it to Nashville. I remember my car broke down on the way back from Nashville. We had to go to the Marion, Virginia, bus station to pick them up. They supposedly printed 300, but we got 250, and we came back over the mountain with them and we were just talking and I said to Tommy, ‘If you run over the hill, these things will still be around,’ and he just looked at me. A few weeks later Tommy got hit by a car outside Chasers in Princeton, West Virginia, and died.
Didn’t anyone ever tell you the kind of music on this record will send your soul to Hell?
(Laughs) You know, that’s a very good question, Ron, and I’m glad you asked that. I’m very much a Christian and a lot of that stuff can be interpreted a couple of different ways. And that’s the way I intended it. I intended for it to cross over. Mr. Allison—that fellow I told you about from England—he’s kind of on the dark side. I wrote stuff to appeal to both sides. I’m a Christian and that’s where it comes from and ultimately what it gets back to, but it takes you the long way around to get there.
In your case, this type of music did not in fact lead your individual soul to ruin, so such would be an incorrect interpretation of Scripture.
Not at all, there’s a positive message in my lyrics, it’s just you have to find it. It’s not trying to hit you over the head. I am trying to get to those people that would listen to the darker side and would think about what I’m saying. The music had to be something that I could express my rebellion in, yet at the same time I had to let my parents hear. Of course, people thought playing that kinda music around here was, well, wrong, and yes some of my lyrics were a little edgy but that was me rebelling against my situation. Rattling my cage so to speak.
That’s the basic primal impulse for rock ‘n’ roll art.
There’s no outlet for it around here. Even though you are making the music, you realize there’s no way it’s going to go anywhere. If you want to play country music, you go to Nashville. If you want to play rock, you go to L.A., you go to New York. Here in Tazewell County, for the kind of music I was doing, you’re just hitting your head against the wall. We sold to a couple of record stores. We got as far out as Beckley, West Virginia, for a radio interview. That was the big time for us.
I think that one of the reasons people like this record is its isolated, alienated quality. It’s not an expression of anybody trying to get anywhere. Rather, it’s a raw power urge to make rock ‘n’ roll—a pure thing.
That’s right, that’s like right out of my head. Thank you!
It’s rock ‘n’ roll cut loose from any megabuck impulse. Just the will to do it and nothing else. I think that makes it punk as well as metal—an impossibly early hybrid of both.
When I set out my whole intention was, and my whole intention and philosophy is, I’m not making any money anytime, but if I can make a mark … If I can just make a mark, if I can just squeeze by, if I can just feel a little, know what I’m saying?
What was your post-White Boy career like?
Flash forward a few years, my friend Chris Famous got me a job with David Allan Coe. He was his keyboard player at the time and called me a week before and I had a week to learn Coe’s songs. Like 23 albums at that time! Our first show was opening for Waylon Jennings. I remember meeting him backstage. Long story short, Coe gig was over in two weeks.
How did you get to play the Whisky?
So, what we’ve been doing is we’ve got a little blues band, we went out and played some restaurants, some shows, and we’ve gathered up money to come out there. We call ourselves the Coyotes back home, but we’re coming out there as White Boy and the Original Rat Band. We’ve been rehearsing really hard doing the original stuff, the rock stuff.
One last thing, and quite important—do you still have the master tapes of your one album?
Yes.
Awesome.
WHITE BOY & THE AVERAGE RAT BAND WITH HERALDS OF THE SWORD, SWEET MOJO AND ARMY OF THE SUN, ECLIPTIC FALL AND NOAH BENARDOUT ON SAT., FEB. 4, AT THE WHISKY, 8901 W. SUNSET BLVD., WEST HOLLYWOOD. 7 PM . CONTACT CLUB FOR COVER / ALL AGES. VISIT WHITE BOY & THE AVERAGE RAT BAND AT MYSPACE.COM/WHITEBOYANDTHEAVERAGERATBAND. - L A Record

Als Mike Matney anno 2011 noch einmnal in die Vergangenheit blickte und dabei realisierte, dass er mit WHITE BOY AND THE AVERAGE RAT BAND auf gar keinem schlechten Kurs unterwegs war, entschied der Sänger und Gitarrist der einst '79 in Virginia gegründeten Combo, dass es vielleicht doch noch mal an der Zeit wäre, die Instrumente auszupacken und sich zu reformieren. Kurzerhand läutete Matney das Comeback jener Truppe ein, die 1980 ihr erstes und einziges Album veröffentlichte und seither vom Vermächtnis der darauf befindlichen Songs zehrt. Und auch sieben Jahre später sind die 13 Stücke des gleichnamigen Erstlings immer noch der einzige Stoff, den die Truppe in ihrem Repertoire vorweisen kann. Der Gitarrist kündigte zwar mehrfach an, genügend Inspiration für einen neuen Silberling aufgeschnappt zu haben, doch den bleibt Matney bis heute schuldig.

Damit WHITE BOY AND THE AVERAGE RAT BAND aber weiterhin in Erinnerung bleibt, hat sich der feine Herr dann doch zu einem neuen Release durchgerungen. Und wenig überraschend handelt es sich dabei um eine Neuauflage des Debüts, die soundtechnisch minimal angepasst wurde, aber eben auch noch einmal demonstriert, wie viel Potenzial seinerzeit in dieser Band steckte. "White Boy And The Average Rat Band" bietet eine Mischung aus bluesigem Hardrock und ruppigem Stoff im Stile der ersten MOTÖRHEAD-Gehversuche, Reminiszenzen an BLACK SABBATH und die ersten beiden JUDAS PRIEST-Alben und zuletzt auch ein bisschen Soul und Funk, um den Bezug zur heimischen R&B-Szene aufrechtzuerhalten, von der die Band nachhaltig geprägt wurde. Die Scheibe fördert hierbei zwar keine echten Hits zutage, doch das Feeling und die Performance sind in dieser Sache feinste Kompensatoren, ebenso Matneys Gitarrenarbeit, die in allen stilistischen Kehrtwendungen wirklich vorzüglich ist.

Warum bekommt die Band es also nicht hin, endlich eine weitere Scheibe einzuspielen? Knapp 40 Jahre lang stützt sich WHITE BOY AND THE AVERAGE RAT BAND schon auf diesen Klassiker, der bei entsprechenden Ambitionen durchaus verdient hätte, endlich mal Geschwister zu bekommen. Warten wir's ab - und genießen bis dahin das tolle, neu aufgelegte Debüt der Amis! - Power metal.de

The press release said: “American Rock ‘n Roll band, WHITE BOY AND THE AVERAGE RAT BAND, have announced the release of their first full-length album in over 39-years.” Sadly I’m afraid a pre-teen me missed their last one. So having only released only a single self-titled album in 1980, here is the follow-up (though there was an unofficial release entitled ‘II’ back in 2012 that includes 5 of the 12 tracks here, including the first three).

The band do seem to mean business though, as the press release states: “guitarist/singer Mike Matney, bassist Daryl “Rambo” Gibson and drummer Joby Barker will soon be heading out on the Back in the Rat Race Tour, that is scheduled to kick off on August 10th in Montana on the ‘Rockin’ the River Festival’ alongside artists such as Zakk Wylde, Cheap Trick, Dokken, Warrant, Lou Graham, Asia and more.

So what do they sound like? Chunky, dirty old school rock with lots of guitar in the mix and a vocal that on opener ‘Love My Ride’ is half-spoken and extols a love of the motor vehicle. ‘Mirage’ that follows it starts with a guitar that sounds like that ‘little old band from Texas’ and a vocal that kinda underlines the comparison, it’s again about cars and almost sounds like ZZ Top doing Circus of Power.

As you’ve probably have guessed by now the album lyrically does rather veer towards the motor vehicle and the, again, half-spoken ‘You Gotta Pay’ has more of a thrust. It’s Bluesy hard Rock and we’ve heard it before, but it’s one of those albums I’m still not sure about – I love its earthiness and its simplicity but in truth I’m not huge on the mix. And whilst tracks like ‘light ‘Em Up’ have plenty to recommend them the slow groove and half-sung-half-spoken template works at times and gets a little old at others. Then you hear the guitar at the start of ‘Cold Springs Hill’ and the more Hendrix-like spoken-word and you think “Nah, this IS great.” And the more you play it the more you love it’s almost willing defiance of the last 39 years! You imagine this album was made by a group of guys who just turned up, plugged in and played then went for a beer and to talk about cars…

Check it out, let us know what you think! - The Rock Pit

Founded over 40 years ago by founding member Mike Matney, the White Boy and the Average Rant Band has lasted the test of time since the release of their debut self-titled album. Several hiatuses and breaks later, the band is back on the scene with “Holy Cow,” a single and video that was released on February 3, 2022.

This comeback is the latest in a long list of breaks in “transmission” for the band who saw itself disappear from the mainstream after their debut album. They would reappear in 2017 with a record deal with Heaven and Hell Records to reissue their first album. The next two years saw the band make strategic partnerships, tours, and projects, which culminated in the band’s sophomore effort, titled “Love my Ride.”

The band was well on its way to embarking on a series of tours when the pandemic struck, which shattered their plans.
Directly from Mike Matney, founder of the band:

“Being stuck on the farm and getting to spend time in my home studio was not necessarily a bad thing for me. However, I could not have anticipated the devastating personal loss of my mother. That loss, combined with the bombardment of images on the nightly news of the pandemic, riots in the streets, chaos and political unrest forced me to do some real soul searching. Raised a Southern Baptist in a small town, many a Sunday was spent listening to my mom playing the piano in church. It was comforting. Growing up a musician in the ’70s and ’80s I was greatly influenced by the hard rock music of the day. My Christian upbringing, the gospel music, my faith and my love of hard rock are all things I lean on during the lowest of times. These things were an inspiration to me and when I’m inspired I write. Writing and recording can be both catharsis and an obsession. Each song was painstakingly crafted over the course of the last two years. ‘Holy Cow’ represents 52 years of faith, musicianship and two years of total bs!!”

“While I am a Christian, my dad said it best, ‘Ya gotta live in this world.’ That philosophy impressed me greatly and shows upon my song-writing, from walking that fine line to fighting the demons we all face. I have always been one to hold my peace, so to speak, but ‘Holy Cow’ allows me to speak both artistically and spiritually, from my soul. And now, I’m praying for a louder voice.”

“The title track ‘Holy Cow’ was recorded at my home studio in Southwest Virginia. I built it after I graduated from MTSU’s recording industry program in ’97. I was searching for a raw and bare-bones sound that is the band’s trademark. I also like that slight element of funk in it. I laid down the guitar riff first and the lyrics came over the next couple of weeks. After it all came together, I decided to try something new. Instead of mixing the songs myself or sending them off to one of my buddies in Nashville, I got on Fiverr and found a guy. After a lot of research, I landed on Oliver Wagner…in Taiwan of all places. I threw the stuff up on DropBox and Oliver worked his magic. I was impressed.”

“I brought Rambo (Darrell Gibson, Bass Player) and Hog (Jerry Hogeston, drummer) in on the video. Jerry was one of the original drummers for the band and Darrell has been with the band since 2017.”

“For the video, I decided I would get on Fiverr again (I love Fiverr) and see what some of those guys could come up with. I would tell each one what I wanted and got video after video, then combined them. Afterwards, I brought in the guys and we did our parts. As for the main character (White Boy) well…I’d always toyed with the idea. It just seemed like the right time. I admit, having grown up in the shadow of Kiss and Alice Cooper, it was kind of fun doing the grease-paint thing. Lastly, I went looking for Cody Reid. This guy is a great filmmaker and editor. Cody and I became friends when Bluesdog, a harmonica player from the Canadian band Zed Head (which we both played in), introduced us. Bluesdog and Cody had worked on the set of the television show “Nashville” together. He and I had lost touch, so it was awesome that we were able to reconnect over this project. Cody was able to take what I had done and refine it even more.”
“Forty years building up to this point. Locked and loaded. Here we come!” - NY Weekly

Sensational underground band White Boy and the Average Rat Band have announced the release of their new song and video “Holy Cow.” “Holy Cow” is the three-man rock band’s comeback single and video that was released on February 3rd, 2022.

This is not the first time the band has tried to make their way back to the music scene. Due to the pandemic, the band has not been able to tour, but that is nothing compared to the over forty years of anonymity since the release of their self-titled debut in 1980. That 1980 debut has now become a high-valued collectible, with original copies fetching as much as $1,000 and more on the secondary market.

The band signed a deal with Heaven and Hell Records in 2017 to reissue their first album, re-introducing them to their old fans and getting them new fans. This also connected with an underground cult audience that had been waiting for their return to the rock world. In 2019, about four decades after their debut, the label released their sophomore project Love My Ride. They went on two national tours just before the pandemic struck and were unable to achieve their biggest live effort.

Directly from Mike Matney, founder of the band:

“Being stuck on the farm and getting to spend time in my home studio was not necessarily a bad thing for me. However, I could not have anticipated the devastating personal loss of my mother. That loss, combined with the bombardment of images on the nightly news of the pandemic, riots in the streets, chaos and political unrest forced me to do some real soul searching. Raised a Southern Baptist in a small town, many a Sunday was spent listening to my mom playing the piano in church. It was comforting. Growing up a musician in the ’70s and ’80s I was greatly influenced by the hard rock music of the day. My Christian upbringing, the gospel music, my faith and my love of hard rock are all things I lean on during the lowest of times. These things were an inspiration to me and when I’m inspired I write. Writing and recording can be both catharsis and an obsession. Each song was painstakingly crafted over the course of the last two years. ‘Holy Cow’ represents 52 years of faith, musicianship and two years of total bs!!”

“While I am a Christian, my dad said it best, ‘Ya gotta live in this world.’ That philosophy impressed me greatly and shows upon my song-writing, from walking that fine line to fighting the demons we all face. I have always been one to hold my peace, so to speak, but ‘Holy Cow’ allows me to speak both artistically and spiritually, from my soul. And now, I’m praying for a louder voice.”

“The title track ‘Holy Cow’ was recorded at my home studio in Southwest Virginia. I built it after I graduated from MTSU’s recording industry program in ’97. I was searching for a raw and bare-bones sound that is the band’s trademark. I also like that slight element of funk in it. I laid down the guitar riff first and the lyrics came over the next couple of weeks. After it all came together, I decided to try something new. Instead of mixing the songs myself or sending them off to one of my buddies in Nashville, I got on Fiverr and found a guy. After a lot of research, I landed on Oliver Wagner…in Taiwan of all places. I threw the stuff up on DropBox and Oliver worked his magic. I was impressed.”

“I brought Rambo (Darrell Gibson, Bass Player) and Hog (Jerry Hogeston, drummer) in on the video. Jerry was one of the original drummers for the band and Darrell has been with the band since 2017.”

“For the video, I decided I would get on Fiverr again (I love Fiverr) and see what some of those guys could come up with. I would tell each one what I wanted and got video after video, then combined them. Afterwards, I brought in the guys and we did our parts. As for the main character (White Boy) well…I’d always toyed with the idea. It just seemed like the right time. I admit, having grown up in the shadow of Kiss and Alice Cooper, it was kind of fun doing the grease-paint thing. Lastly, I went looking for Cody Reid. This guy is a great filmmaker and editor. Cody and I became friends when Bluesdog, a harmonica player from the Canadian band Zed Head (which we both played in), introduced us. Bluesdog and Cody had worked on the set of the television show “Nashville” together. He and I had lost touch, so it was awesome that we were able to reconnect over this project. Cody was able to take what I had done and refine it even more. After some debate, this is the version we decided on.”

“Forty years building up to this point. Locked and loaded. Here we come!” - Music Observer

It’s been a roller coaster since the world was grounded to a halt as a result of the pandemic. However, even with the emergence of new variants of the raging virus, in the “post-pandemic” period, the self-proclaimed kings of the underground music scene, White Boy and the Average Rat Band, are back with the announcement of their single “Holy Cow” and video to accompany the latest project. The trio-rock band founded by Mike Matney released their comeback single on 3rd February 2022.

The single, “Holy Cow,” came to life during the heart of the pandemic and the series of social and political unrest throughout the country. The song and video face these issues artistically while also highlighting spirituality.

The dynamic trio who make up the White Boy and the Average Rat Band had stood the test of time in a competitive rock music industry, and their efforts culminated in 2017 when the band signed a deal with Heaven and Hell Records to reissue their first album. The release at the time was targeted at re-introducing the band to old fans and new ones. Subsequently, the band re-established its dominance and stake over the rock genre, and their sophomore album Love My Ride was released in 2019.

After a successful reintroduction of the band, they embarked on two national tours, and while anticipating an expansive list of events, shows, and tours, the pandemic struck, causing an unexpected hiatus for the band.

Directly from Matney:

“Being stuck on the farm and getting to spend time in my home studio was not necessarily a bad thing for me. However, I could not have anticipated the devastating personal loss of my mother. That loss, combined with the bombardment of images on the nightly news of the pandemic, riots in the streets, chaos and political unrest forced me to do some real soul searching. Raised a Southern Baptist in a small town, many a Sunday was spent listening to my mom playing the piano in church. It was comforting. Growing up a musician in the ’70s and ’80s I was greatly influenced by the hard rock music of the day. My Christian upbringing, the gospel music, my faith and my love of hard rock are all things I lean on during the lowest of times. These things were an inspiration to me and when I’m inspired I write. Writing and recording can be both catharsis and an obsession. Each song was painstakingly crafted over the course of the last two years. ‘Holy Cow’ represents 52 years of faith, musicianship and two years of total bs!!”

“While I am a Christian, my dad said it best, ‘Ya gotta live in this world.’ That philosophy impressed me greatly and shows upon my song-writing, from walking that fine line to fighting the demons we all face. I have always been one to hold my peace, so to speak, but ‘Holy Cow’ allows me to speak both artistically and spiritually, from my soul. And now, I’m praying for a louder voice.”

“The title track ‘Holy Cow’ was recorded at my home studio in Southwest Virginia. I built it after I graduated from MTSU’s recording industry program in ’97. I was searching for a raw and bare-bones sound that is the band’s trademark. I also like that slight element of funk in it. I laid down the guitar riff first and the lyrics came over the next couple of weeks. After it all came together, I decided to try something new. Instead of mixing the songs myself or sending them off to one of my buddies in Nashville, I got on Fiverr and found a guy. After a lot of research, I landed on Oliver Wagner…in Taiwan of all places. I threw the stuff up on DropBox and Oliver worked his magic. I was impressed.”

“I brought Rambo (Darrell Gibson, Bass Player) and Hog (Jerry Hogeston, drummer) in on the video. Jerry was one of the original drummers for the band and Darrell has been with the band since 2017.”

“For the video, I decided I would get on Fiverr again (I love Fiverr) and see what some of those guys could come up with. I would tell each one what I wanted and got video after video, then combined them. Afterwards, I brought in the guys and we did our parts. As for the main character (White Boy) well…I’d always toyed with the idea. It just seemed like the right time. I admit, having grown up in the shadow of Kiss and Alice Cooper, it was kind of fun doing the grease-paint thing. Lastly, I went looking for Cody Reid. This guy is a great filmmaker and editor. Cody and I became friends when Bluesdog, a harmonica player from the Canadian band Zed Head (which we both played in), introduced us. Bluesdog and Cody had worked on the set of the television show “Nashville” together. He and I had lost touch, so it was awesome that we were able to reconnect over this project. Cody was able to take what I had done and refine it even more.”

“Forty years building up to this point. Locked and loaded. Here we come!” - Entertainment Monthly News

Self-proclaimed Kings of the underground music scene WHITE BOY AND THE AVERAGE RAT BAND, the dynamic power-trio rock band founded by Mike Matney, is excited to announce the upcoming release of their new single and video “Holy Cow.”

(https://youtu.be/0LlsZi-ZS_s)

Their comeback single, which will be released on February 3rd, 2022, came to life during the heart of the pandemic and the nation’s social and political unrest. The message of the song and the content of the band’s video faces these issues artistically head-on while highlighting spirituality.

Clawing their way back is a crucible that this band knows all too well and has overcome before. It has now been close to two years since their last tour was cancelled due to the tribulations that faced us all. Yet two years is nothing compared to the forty-plus years of anonymity since the release of their 1980 self-titled debut. A debut that is now highly collectable, seeing original copies fetching prices of $1,000.00 and higher on the secondary market. This has led to several bootleg pressings over the years showing up on the black market.

In 2017 WHITE BOY AND THE AVERAGE RAT BAND signed a deal with Heaven and Hell Records for a reissue of their first album. The release would re-introduce the band to old fans as well as new ones, meanwhile discovering an underground cult audience that had been laying in wait for the band’s return to the rock world. Close to four decades after the band’s debut in 2019 the label would also release the band’s sophomore effort “Love My Ride”.

After touring nationally twice, the band was gearing up for what would have been their biggest live effort yet when the pandemic struck.

Directly from Matney:

“Being stuck on the farm and getting to spend time in my home studio was not necessarily a bad thing for me. However, I could not have anticipated the devastating personal loss of my mother. That loss, combined with the bombardment of images on the nightly news of the pandemic, riots in the streets, chaos and political unrest forced me to do some real soul searching. Raised a Southern Baptist in a small town, many a Sunday was spent listening to my mom playing the piano in church. It was comforting. Growing up a musician in the ’70s and ’80s I was greatly influenced by the hard rock music of the day. My Christian upbringing, the gospel music, my faith and my love of hard rock are all things I lean on during the lowest of times. These things were an inspiration to me and when I’m inspired I write. Writing and recording can be both catharsis and an obsession. Each song was painstakingly crafted over the course of the last two years. ‘Holy Cow’ represents 52 years of faith, musicianship and two years of total bs!!”

“While I am a Christian, my dad said it best, ‘Ya gotta live in this world.’ That philosophy impressed me greatly and shows upon my song-writing, from walking that fine line to fighting the demons we all face. I have always been one to hold my peace, so to speak, but ‘Holy Cow’ allows me to speak both artistically and spiritually, from my soul. And now, I’m praying for a louder voice.”

“The title track ‘Holy Cow’ was recorded at my home studio in Southwest Virginia. I built it after I graduated from MTSU’s recording industry program in ’97. I was searching for a raw and bare-bones sound that is the band’s trademark. I also like that slight element of funk in it. I laid down the guitar riff first and the lyrics came over the next couple of weeks. After it all came together, I decided to try something new. Instead of mixing the songs myself or sending them off to one of my buddies in Nashville, I got on Fiverr and found a guy. After a lot of research, I landed on Oliver Wagner…in Taiwan of all places. I threw the stuff up on DropBox and Oliver worked his magic. I was impressed.”

“I brought Rambo (Darrell Gibson, Bass Player) and Hog (Jerry Hogeston, drummer) in on the video. Jerry was one of the original drummers for the band and Darrell has been with the band since 2017.”

“For the video, I decided I would get on Fiverr again (I love Fiverr) and see what some of those guys could come up with. I would tell each one what I wanted and got video after video, then combined them. Afterwards, I brought in the guys and we did our parts. As for the main character (White Boy) well…I’d always toyed with the idea. It just seemed like the right time. I admit, having grown up in the shadow of Kiss and Alice Cooper, it was kind of fun doing the grease-paint thing. Lastly, I went looking for Cody Reid. This guy is a great filmmaker and editor. Cody and I became friends when Bluesdog, a harmonica player from the Canadian band Zed Head (which we both played in), introduced us. Bluesdog and Cody had worked on the set of the television show “Nashville” together. He and I had lost touch, so it was awesome that we were able to reconnect over this project. Cody was able to take what I had done and refine it even more. After some debate, this is the version we decided on.”

“Forty years building up to this point. Locked and loaded. Here we come!”

To know more about the band’s music, you can visit their website.

YouTube Link to “Holy Cow”: https://youtu.be/0LlsZi-ZS_s

Release Date: 2/3/22

Media Contact
Company Name: White Boy and The Average Rat Band
Contact Person: Yvonne Wolf
Email: Send Email
Phone: 1-541-999-4713
Country: United States
Website: www.whiteboyandtheaverageratband.com - Daily Herald