Legendary Aussie songman Neil Murray adds WA dates to national tour

One of Australia’s finest songmen, Neil Murray, has added a run of Western Australian dates to his national The Telling Tour.

Hitting the west coast for four shows, Neil Murray will play Stirling Arms, Guildford, on Saturday, November 18; Lyric’s Underground, Maylands, on Sunday, November 19; Duke of George, East Fremantle, on Thursday, November 23; and The River, Margaret River, on Friday, November 24. Fremantle singer-songwriter Dave Johnson will support Murray for the Guildford and Maylands shows, while Noongar musician Phil Walleystack joins Murray at Duke of George.

Murray also added some additional shows in Victoria, plus released a new single, The Murrumbidgee, from his March 2023 album The Telling.

After three albums with the Warumpi Band and one with Sammy Butcher, The Telling is Murray’s 10th original solo album and marks a recording career of four decades since the Warumpi Band released their debut single – Jailanguru Pakarnu (Out from Jail) in 1983.

The Telling – recorded in Melbourne by Roger Bergodaz and mixed in Sydney by Ted Howard – contains some of Murray’s strongest songs ever. The opening tracks Broken Land, No Justice, and Tears of Wybalenn present a powerful and moving reckoning. Rainbow Serpent and a Mine (co- written with traditional owner Jack Green) brings graphic detail to the devastation wrought by the McArthur River mine near Borrooloola. Murray’s most recent single from the album, The Murrumbidgee, is an affirmation of perseverance and hope despite environmental setbacks.

The Telling features instrumental contributions from Bill Heckenberg (drums), Craig Kelly (bass), Stephen “Stretch” Teakle (keys, accordion, clavietta), Damien Neil (mandolin, guitar), Jack Howard (trumpet), and Shane Reilly (pedal steel), with vocal harmonies from Grace Robinson and Damien Neil.

Neil Murray plays Stirling Arms on Saturday, November 18; Lyric’s Underground on Sunday, November 19; Duke of George on Thursday, November 23; and The River on Friday November 24, 2023. For more info and to buy tickets, head to neilmurray.com.au