Thomas W. Butt, also known as Lazer Ferrari, is a DJ, double-bassist, producer, teacher and recording artist based in Melbourne, Australia.
Picking up the double bass at high school led to Thomas studying improvisation at Melbourne’s VIctorian College of the Arts from 1998-2001.
Since his early days of high school jazz bands, Thomas has gathered over 25 years experience performing at countless festivals, boats, clubs, beaches, boat houses, skyscrapers, stadiums, arenas, VIP rooms, buses, warehouses, bars, rooftops, and city squares across the globe, from Australia to Singapore to Mauritius to Marseille.
Thomas tours and performs live nationally and internationally as a DJ, double-bassist, beat producer, and Ableton Live performer.
He works as a session musician, records and produces his own music, designs sound for theatre, circus and burlesque, and works as a producer, teacher and mentor with at-risk youth, both inside and out of detention centres.
Thomas has developed a unique DJ style based on his wide and varied musical knowledge and taste. His DJ sets are renowned for blending the best of modern electronic beat music with the finest global sounds from the 50’s to the present.
As a session musician, Thomas is co-founder of Melbourne orchestral hip-hop act ‘True Live,’ and is credited on recordings released through numerous labels, including Ninja Tunes, Tru Thoughts, Illusive, Mushroom, Shock, Elephant Traks and Sakifo Records.
Highlights include:
Touring with Justin Timberlake's Futuresex/Lovesounds National Australian Tour - performed to 200,000 people over 10 shows around the country as the support act with Melbourne vocalist paris Wells
Sole DJ for the Mumm Champagne Marquee in the Birdcage at the 2016, 2017 AND 2018 Spring Racing Carnivals, as well as consultant and pre-production for 2019 and 2020
2015/2016 NYE Ringing in the new year for the City of Melbourne at Federation Square - around 50,000 people, so they said.
Opened and closed the Melbourne Festival 2015
Opened and closed the Melbourne International Fringe Festival 2014 and 2015
Closed the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2015, and open and close the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021 Festivals
Festival DJ for The Dirk Hartog Festival, Shark Bay WA 2016
Played at The Secret Garden Party, Abbots Ripton near Huntingdon outside London, UK, 2011 and 2012
Played at Sakifo Music Festival, St Pierre, Isle De la Reunon (near Mauritius and Madagascar) 2011, 2012
Played Big Day Out Festival in Lorne, Victoria, and Big Day Out Festival in Marion Bay Tasmania, 2013
Played Let Them Eat Cake Festival, Werribee Mansion, Victoria 2013
Festival DJ for the Newman Arts and Music Festival, in Newman, Far Western Australia, 2013.
Festival DJ for Canarvon Arts Festival, Canarvon, Western Australia 2012.
Completed 6 international tours with over 60 shows across Singapore, France, Switzerland, Belgium, The UK, Mauritius, Isle De La Reunion, and New Zealand.
Pitch Festival’s Renegade Jungle Stage, single handedly DJ’ing all night, all festival nights 2017
Recording artist on Speech Debelle’s Mercury Award winning album, ‘Speech Therapy’ 2009
Double Bassist and co-founder of Melbourne orchestral hip hop act, True Live.
Played Bairnsdale’s Nagle College Debutante Ball as a special favour for his mum.
Other events include BBQ Beats NYD with Public Enemy, national tour dates in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane with Moby, national tour dates in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane with The Roots, New Year’s Eve at Birrung Marr in Melbourne, NYE at Woodford Festival in NSW, The Australian Open in Melbourne, The Eclipse Festival in QLD, the opening of the MONA Gallery in Tasmania, many subsequent MONA FOMA shows, Pyramid Rock in Phillip Island, Adelaide Fringe Festival, and hundreds of Festivals and shows in and around Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Fremantle, Busselton, Newman, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay, Cairns, Newcastle, Ballarat, Shepparton, Geelong, Gold Coast, Apollo Bay, Wollongong, Katoomba, Port Macquarie, Sorrento, Bathurst, Canarvon, Orange, Bendigo, Falls Creek, Mt Hotham, Wagga Wagga, Warrnambool, and everywhere in between. Literally.
Lazer Ferrari @ Secret Garden Party, UK