Pete Murray has been a staple of the Australian music industry for some 20+ years now with over a dozen ARIA award nominations and three albums reaching number one on the charts. His songs have dominated radio airwaves, summer music festival lineups and he’s toured both domestically and internationally. With a new song out titled “Home To Me” he’s opted to head out on an epic 50+ date tour of our big southern land. Now almost halfway through the enormous run he makes a stop at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre for a sold out performance.
If you had been a regular to Murray’s tours over the years you might recognise the opening act. Brett Wood has been performing alongside Murray as his left-handed, predominantly electric, guitar slinger and backing vocalist. ‘Real Piece of Work’ opens the evening’s proceedings and we are immediately treated to a confident blues rock jam that immediately ensnares the attention of the audience. Jokingly he admits after so many years to finally deciding to branch out on his own and play his own music and “being left unsupervised like an adult”. ‘Finders Keepers’ drips of a Stevie Ray Vaughn influence whilst his very fresh new single all of three days old ‘Eyes’ is full of soul even if he momentarily forgets his own lyrics. Wood is no slouch though, his songs are executed and polished with just enough grit and tone that they feel earthy and from the heart. Straddling anywhere between melodic rock, blues, and soul, those attending the remaining dates on Murray’s tour should do themselves a favour and arrive early for his set.
Rachael Fahim is a self described city girl who can also be country. Exuding a sassy charm her songs are young and fresh but also steeped in country tone. She jokes that her opener track ‘Darts In The Dark’ is very “lovey-dovey and that it’s all downhill from here”. Fahim recounts a story of going to a songwriting camp and writing a song about a fellow muso who was there who decided to get back with his ex and out of it came the song ‘Good Luck’ a relatable country ditty with some bittersweet undertones. For a young performer Fahim manages to deliver songs that feel more wiser than her years. She closes out her set with ‘Brake Lights’ because breakups are always good fodder for country pop lamentations.
The stage is peppered with candles and some stands draped with curtains for the ambience. Pete Murray strolls out on stage and commences with back to back ‘Lines’ and ‘Bail Me Out’ from his first album Feeler (2003) on an acoustic guitar and with a harmonia. For a musician to have been around as long as he has, even he admits to being surprised that this was his first ever solo acoustic tour. He then proceeds to tell us a story about how seemingly “luck or fate was what drew him to music and becoming a performer”.
Before launching into ‘Saving Grace’ Murray recounts meeting one of his best friends Charlie, and how Charlie inspired him to learn guitar. Sadly his friend passed away at 32 from an aneurysm before Murray had a chance to show him his new talent. But was it luck or fate that brought them together, and set Murray on the path to music away from his earlier sporting career in rugby? He’ll never know.
Unlike Murray’s full band rock shows, tonight is a more intimate affair. Between songs he takes the time to tell the audience stories about his life, his music, playing the ARIAs with John Mayer or how the song ‘So Beautiful’ is probably not an appropriate tune for a wedding and that they definitely should not sing it to their wives. Even so, it does make for a perfect sing-a-long with people holding their phone torches aloft and the insides of the Enmore Theatre twinkling with all these little lights.
Murray takes a moment to thank his support acts Rachael Fahim, and Brett Wood, and introduces Wood to join him for the back half of the show and for the pair to duet the remaining songs. Murray takes a moment to advise the audience that he’s “pulled a Swiftie” and become a fully independent artist after re-recording some of his original Feeler tracks; promptly leading into ‘Feeler’. The album that introduced many in the crowd to his work and that many have since stuck with him since after 22 years.
‘I Am Fire’ is a gentle and soulful touch with Murray and Wood’s vocals harmonising so warmly and sweetly. This is then counter-balanced by the more energetic ‘Always A Winner’ and ‘Free’ that gives Wood the opportunity to unleash his masterful work on his Grestch electric guitar. The show closes out with one of Murray’s biggest hits ‘Better Days’ with a rousing sing-a-long and standing ovation from the crowd. A song full of hope and looking toward a better, more promising future that maybe luck or fate will deliver.
For more information or tickets to Pete Murray’s remaining shows go to his website – petemurray.com