Swamp Thing deliver the goods in Gisborne

SWAMP THING: For a two-man act, drummer Michael Barker (left) and guitarist-singer Grant Haua of blues/roots juggernaut Swamp Thing generate a lot of sound.

WITH Michael Barker’s pneumatic percussion and complex rhythms mashed with Grant Haua’s axe-work guitar-style and vocals that bring to mind Joe Cocker’s gravelly timbre, Swamp Thing deliver a set that is lively and upbeat one minute, swampy and dirty the next.

The duo’s Gisborne gig on Saturday night follows their 2017 release Rumors & Lies, in which Haua and Barker explore new beats and textures without strolling too far from their roots. Swamp Thing blow Smash Palace’s roof off on Saturday, 9pm. $25. Book at Eventfinda online or phone 0800 289 849.