After four years of playing moderately anonymously with his soul, rock and pop outfit The Soul Movers, Murray Cook has brought his new brand of rockin’ pop to his OG Wiggles fans…
Back in the spotlight after having made a music clip and rocked out mates DZ Deathrays at Splendour last year, with his song selection of AC/DC’s “Highway To Hell”, Murray’s OG Wigs kidz have finally tracked him down in his current musical line-up – The Soul Movers.
“They are smart kids who are pretty good at searching stuff up” Murray says with a laugh. “Once they found out I was playing guitar with The Soul Movers they started turning up to our shows – in droves…!”
The Soul Movers started out playing smaller venues like pubs and clubs but things changed after they started hangin with younger acts like the DZ’s (also looking forward to a collaboration with Trials and A.B. Original next year) with their cameo in clip ‘You Better Believe it!’ (DZ’s at 1:55min mark).
“We started getting emails requesting shows from hip clubs like Cherry Bar in Melbourne, Leftys in Brissie, Lucy’s Love Shack in Perth… they’d tracked us down” laughs Murray. “Our Cherry Bar show last week was packed out with Wigs “kidz” who just love to join in and burn off some steam in a fun and wiggly way. Monkey see monkey do I guess…” Murray continues.
The Monkey, the Swim, the Twist and the Wahtoozie are just some of the 1960’s style dances that fans are going to be shaking out on the dance floor at The Soul Movers Milk Factory show on Sunday August 25. Half price at only $10, Murray invites the stress-out HSC kidz in particular to come and bust a move between 4-6pm – giving them something to study towards – plus dancing for mental sanity is a bloody good idea! Kidz gotta move!
Having had fans shoot footage of themselves dancing to new track (releasing Nov 1 as part of ABC Music’s Oz Music Month) “Shake It Loose!” is a compilation of this first generation of Wiggles fans doing what they love to do best – having FUN, laughing and being silly because it’s they know what they need and they know how to do it.
“We were mobbed last Cherry bar show by the OG Wigs fans. There is so much love in the room it’s bloody wonderful…” says Murray see live footage here. “The best part for me, Lizzie and the band is the fact that this younger generation initially might come to ‘play guitar with Murray’ but we hear the same comment over and over after the shows. They say they came to see me initially but that they LOVED the music… saying things like “You guys are freakin’ brilliant”. It’s really very satisfying that our current music is loved by my first fans – and that I can combine those two passions – I get to share making a more grown-up kind of rockin’ funky pop that has a massive appeal to an all ages spectrum. So Splendour 2020 – watch out!”.
With the return in popularity of bands like The B52’s – who have a 1960’s aesthetic but were big in the 1980’s – there is also a visual recognition and currency for The Soul Movers with not just their sound and themes but the bright stage colours and a retro garage pop look planned for this new clip.
So, the call to Shake It is out there – charge your cameras and grab your tix soon cuz they are gonna fly out the door once the OG’s Wigs kidz find out!
WHERE & WHEN:
Friday 23rd August – Miami Marketta, 23 Hillcrest Parade, Miami QLD 4220
Saturday 24th August – As part of Horizon Festival, the early show at The Bison Bar, C-Square Courtyard, 52-64 Currie St, Nambour
Sunday 25th August – A family friendly show at The Milk Factory, 48 Montague Road, South Brisbane – from 4-6pm
Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th October: Byron Bay Guitarfest, Byron Bay Brewery, 1 Skinners Shoot Rd, Byron Bay NSW