General News
4 July, 2024
One night only
AUSTRALIAN music icon Neil Murray drew a packed house for his one-night-only performance in Terang last Friday.
The acclaimed songwriter, who was originally raised in Lake Bolac, has gone on to pen hits such as ‘My Island Home’ and ‘Blackfella Whitefella’ in a career spanning four decades as a solo musician and founding member of Warumpi Band.
Mr Murray brought his talents to Terang last week, thrilling a capacity crowd at the Commercial Hotel in an intimate gig which quickly filled to capacity.
Speaking with Western District Newspapers prior to taking the stage, he said his arrival in Terang had been little more than Commercial Hotel proprietor Les Cameron’s ability to strike up a connection with just about everyone.
“I heard there was a venue here; Mark Grose knows Les, who asked if I’d be willing to play here. I thought, yeah, why not?” Mr Murray said.
“You don’t often get gigs back in the home country, I had the pleasure of playing at the Lake Bolac Eel Festival this year, but it’s rare to get a small-town gig.
“Sometimes you’ll play in Warrnambool, Ararat or Horsham, the bigger regional centres, but a town this size it’s rare so it’s impressive they’ve been able to show this.”
Mr Murray said he had also been aware of the Commercial Hotel after reading a piece penned by The Age in 2021, covering Mr Cameron’s desire to turn the hotel in to a “creative sanctuary” for artists
“I had a little bit to do with an art group up in Dunkeld; we played up there at an event at the old railroad station,” he said.
“It was a group of artists who came together to create something, which was similar to what is happening here.
“I’ve heard from other musicians who have played that it’s a nice gig, nice room, so I’m impressed.”
Mr Murray has been touring as part of the 2023 release of his 10th studio album ‘The Telling,’ which prominently features themes of injustice, from the failures of the justice system to colonisation and the encroachment onto traditional lands in the name of corporate profit, drawing inspiration from historic and contemporary examples alike.
The record also traverses the beauty of connection through culture, resilience in the face of loss and connection to country.
Mr Murray has never shied away from being forward with the issues he considers pertinent, and the approach wasn’t going to change with a theme of truth telling.
The release has been hailed as some of his strongest work, and he dryly acknowledged he’s “happy with it”.
“When I was recording it all I had it in mind the referendum was going to get up; that didn’t happen and I felt the next thing was truth telling,” he said.
“That was one of the recommendations from the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
“We were sort of onto the next phase, so I thought I’d make my contribution.
“I feel it’s a strong record, I’ve got no regrets about it and never have really, because once you make a record, that’s it – you can’t change it.”
