Over the course of his career, singer-songwriter Pete Murray said some of his happiest moments have been when listeners have told him how they’ve connected with his music, with lyrics in hit songs like ‘Better Days’ and ‘Opportunity’ sharing relatable and encouraging stories about getting through hard times.
But, he admits a few of these sentimental moments may have been misplaced.
“‘So Beautiful’ is one that a lot of people connect to. It’s a love song, but it’s a love song about someone that’s changed, and maybe you don’t like them so much anymore because of how they’ve changed,” he said.
“A lot of people play that at their weddings, and I remember doing shows and going, ‘Guys, this is not a wedding song! I don’t think you get it!’.”
Murray has been singing and playing guitar since the age of 22, encouraged by his late friend and first child’s namesake, Charlie.
“He came into my room one day and he was really excited, and he said, ‘I’ve always wanted to learn the guitar, and I’m going to go and do it’, and I thought ‘That’s fantastic, maybe I’ll do the same’… I went and had a couple of lessons, and he never did,” he said.
“He didn’t know that I was learning, so years later when he was teaching on the Gold Coast and I was in Brisbane, I got in touch with him and said, ‘We’ve got to catch up, I’ve got a surprise for you’. He came over to my place and I got the guitar out and played some Neil Young songs, because we were big Neil Young fans, and he was blown away.
“Sadly, about 12 months later, he passed away, had an aneurysm. I’m a big believer in fate, so if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Murray has earned himself 17 ARIA nominations and sold over 1.2 million albums in Australia, remaining a constant in the local music scene for over 20 years.
Despite touring consistently through all of this, he hasn’t made a stop in Penrith in more than a decade. All of that is about to change with his upcoming show at Panthers – and Murray can’t wait.
“I’m well overdue to come back and play there,” he said.
“It wasn’t on purpose that we went away from Penrith, because there was such a good following out there and a really hardcore fanbase.
“Every time I would go out there, it would sell out.
“It’s actually hard to believe now that we haven’t been back there for 10 years. I’m really excited to head back just to see what fans are still interested in coming back again!”
Despite this show being a part of Great Southern Nights, Murray said that the setlist is similar to the tour that’s accompanied his greatest hits album, ‘Best of Pete Murray’, meaning fans are guaranteed to hear all the songs they know and love.
“One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be a great show,” he said.
“My shows with the band now are very exciting, playing all the songs people want to hear. There’s also lots of sing-a-longs now, and they’re just incredible, because everyone knows the songs so well.”
Pete Murray will be on at Penrith Panthers on Sunday, March 24 at 6.30pm. Tickets are $65. For more information or to book, visit penrith.panthers.com.au.
Cassidy Pearce
Cassidy Pearce is a news and entertainment journalist with The Western Weekender. A graduate of the University of Technology Sydney, she has previously worked with Good Morning Macarthur and joined the Weekender in 2022.