Australian Idol winner Wes Carr is back with a tour dedicated to legend George Harrison.
For many, George Harrison was an idol, an icon, a leader for not only his generation but for generations to come. His knowledge and outlook on life inspired many to pursue their dreams and live for a purpose. Australian singer-songwriter Wes Carr was one of these people impacted by George.
George Harrison
After winning Australian Idol in 2008, Wes found himself being whisked away into the world of stardom. This year he has decided to put aside his own music for a while, and pay tribute to the man that inspired him both as a musician and as an individual.
‘Here Comes The Sun’ will showcase Wes’ interpretation of George Harrison’s songbook as he takes on classics like 'My Sweet Lord', 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps', 'Something' and 'What Is Life'. “It's a tour that I've really put together myself for the love of George. I really wanted to tip my hat to someone like George Harrison who has really inspired me a lot along the way as a musician.
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“For me, George is someone who, like everybody, I got to know through The Beatles, but then as you dive down into what he was saying, it’s important to know what he represented and what he said, more than listening to the popular music from the last 50 years.
“This show represents a man who said it all back in the day, but we still haven’t really got our heads around what peace would be like around the world. If we conquered ourselves we could conquer the world, not in a divide and conquer way but in a peaceful way, and that's the intention of the whole show – his spirituality not just his music.
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George has influenced Wes both musically and spiritually, inspiring him to take on transcendental meditation which, in turn, changed his outlook on life. After tackling the intensity of being in the public eye, Wes came to realise it was essential for him to change his mindset about who he was and his purpose in life – just like George had all those years ago – and focus on excellence and peace. “I’m a big advocate of meditation in general,” Wes says.
“I've been doing transcendental meditation, which George did. It changes your mind and your outlook on life. You just do it and all of a sudden you start thinking differently, in a cool, peaceful manner. These days everything's happening really fast and it's easy to get lost in that, so you've got to look through a different lens and that's what meditation does.”
Wes is looking forward to bringing George’s music and lessons to life, and hopes people will come away from the show changed and influenced by the works of George, just like he has. “[The show] is very much George talking, but I believe it. Everything he said, I'll stand up and say I would have said that too. It's something I want to do because I believe what he said and what he stood for. I wouldn't do it otherwise.
“It's fun being the vessel, but it's a lot of pressure! It’s all about the intention of it. When people come, they expect something different. They don't really know what to expect, and a lot of people really love it. It's very different. It's not a standard show, it's quite special and I'm really happy with it. I love doing it.”
Wes will also be releasing 'People Of Peace', a new album inspired by the show. “I’ve got a new album that's coming out and all proceeds get donated to charity … It's a bunch of songs I've written and recorded in the last six months, so I'm really excited about it. I really love it too. The songs were inspired while I was researching for the show, so it really lines up with the show. I hope it does good in the world.”
Wes Carr starts a massive, national tour today in Melbourne that will see him traverse Australia for the next three months. Click here for all the dates.
