To a generation of Australians, Murray Cook will forever be the Red Wiggle. As a founding member of the Wiggles, arguably the country’s most successful children’s entertainers ever, Cook spent over 20 years playing shows for pint-sized punters.
Since hanging up his skivvy in 2012, Cook has continued making music – this time for adults. Today he’s part of soul-rock band the Soul Movers alongside the likes of frontwoman Lizzie Mack and Radio Birdman guitarist Deniz Tek. Their live touring schedule may be on pause for now, but there’s still one place you can see Cook in 2021: on telly. From Saturday 28 August at 8.30pm, he’ll be part of the star-studded cast facing-off on SBS quiz show Celebrity Mastermind.
When Cook can eventually get back on the road with the Soul Movers it’ll be in his Volkswagen Multivan, the people-mover he rates as his most useful object. Here, Cook tells us why that van is perfect for getting between gigs, as well as the story of two other important belongings.
What I’d save from my house in a fire
Probably my main electric guitar. The one I use the most on stage is a 1964 Fender Stratocaster and even though I have other similar ones, I know the Fender fairly intimately. I know what it does and I know how it feels to play. I’d be a little bit lost without it. It’s my go-to guitar.
I’ve got quite a collection of guitars – 40, maybe, but this was the first one I bought. My son moved out, so I’ve taken over his room with the guitars and put shelving in there for them. And I’ve got some in storage as well.
My most useful object
It’s to do with music but it’s actually my van. About two years ago, I got a Volkswagen Multivan and Lizzie from the Soul Movers, which is the band I’m playing in now, named it “Vanny”. It’s got its own personality, I guess.
It’s great because it can fit five of us in the van and all the gear can fit in the back. It’s very useful when we’re touring, which pre-Covid, we were doing quite a lot.
I’ve spent a lot of time in bands over the years – with the Wiggles we used to travel in Taragos and various other vans. And this one is particularly comfortable.
The item I most regret losing
Last year or the year before, we were travelling up to Brisbane and staying in Byron overnight. We stopped at this great menswear shop that I always like going to, called Phoenix. It’s a mixture of new and second-hand clothes.
I found this great vintage jacket there – it was a maroon velvet-y material and it fit me perfectly. It was one of those finds where you just go, “Oh my God! This is fabulous!” But I had it for maybe just a few hours because we moved on and I couldn’t find it. I have no idea what happened to it. I suspect I left it in the hotel room or something, but it never reappeared.
I bought it to wear on stage. I’m always on the lookout for unusual items – I’m not a jeans and T-shirt guy, particularly on stage. I have quite a collection of clothes. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m a clotheshorse, but I do like unusual clothes.
