Insightful musicans provide Drouin treat
Music fans are in for a treat when home grown talent Todd Cook joins one of Australia’s finest songwriters Neil Murray at the iconic Old Drouin Butter Factory on Saturday, November 10.
Todd Cook, originally from Athlone, combines intricate folk/finger picking guitar with passionate singing, Irish Bouzouki and didgeridoo to portray vast landscapes and vivid storytelling.
Todd has created a new EP, “The Silent Boat”, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first Australian cricket team – also the first international sporting team – to tour England in 1868.
His music conveys this epic and relatively untold part of Australian history.
The team, predominately made up of indigenous players from Western Victoria, displayed outstanding sportsmanship and skill. Todd described their story as “a beacon of hope in a dark page of Australian history”.
Todd has performed across Australia and overseas, receiving rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. All of his previous releases – “So Long”, “Hunting Ground” and “Brilliant Green” - have had wide airplay nationally on Triple J and internationally through Cross Blues (France) and Vilafant (Spain).
Todd said the Old Drouin Butter Factory holds a special place, having released all his CDs at the venue.
Todd will be joined at the Drouin gig by Neil Murray and says, “I guess he has been a bit of a hero of mine”.
Named 2017 Port Fairy Folk Festival Artist of the Year, Neil Murray is an original and respected singer/songwriter. Having enjoyed a solo career since 1989, he is described as singing “from the heart of the country”.
Neil first emerged in the early 1980s as a founding member of the ground-breaking “Warumpi Band” which helped bring contemporary indigenous music to be heard in mainstream Australia.
In 1995, he received the APRA Song of the Year Award for his composition “My Island Home”, originally written for the “Warumpi Band” and later recorded by Christine Anu.
Having featured at the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, “My Island Home” was named 25th on APRA’s list of the top 30 Australian songs.
“Blackfella Whitefella”, “Good Light in Broome”, “Native Born” and “Burrumbeep Hill” are just some of the iconic songs Neil Murray has penned. His songs have been recorded by Mary Black, Jimmy Little, Missy Higgins, Christine Anu, Peter Denahy, Amy Saunders and Powderfinger.
Tickets are $25 per person with doors opening at 7pm.
For bookings, visit trybooking.com/VSWR or for further information, email info@toddcook.com.au.