By Luke Voogt
The young Melbourne man who amazed television audiences around Australia will pay homage to the King of Vegas in Geelong next weekend.
Harrison Craig, the 2013 winner of The Voice, looked forward to relaxing with family friends in Ocean Grove, and fellow ex-contestant Imogen Brough.
“I’ve got some great friends down there,” he said. “They’ve been really big supporters of mine.”
The 22-year-old will perform the music of his childhood from his latest album, in tribute to “old Vegas”.
“I grew up with a lot of Nat King Cole, Sinatra, Elvis and Tom Jones,” he told The Indy during rehearsals last Friday.
“These guys created a style and turned it into a timeless genre. The way the songs were written, directed and orchestrated … Nothing was done in a small way.”
But there will be no big band for this concert – just a piano and the voice that stunned the nation.
“It’s very raw and acoustic,” he said.
Craig has had hits of his own since winning the reality TV contest.
His debut album ‘More Than A Dream’ went platinum, while second record ‘L.O.V.E’ remained in the top 10 charts on the ARIA charts for six consecutive weeks.
“The Voice was a great launch pad for me. But a career is a lot bigger than that.”
His TV mentor Seal went the extra yard following the show, taking Craig to perform at the wedding of a billionaire in the Caribbean.
“He’s family orientated,” he said.“He’s given me a lot of experience in terms of travelling and performing.”
Craig has had a mild stutter since he was a child, but it never affected his singing.
“I started to sing when I was about four or five,” he said. “It just flowed from me from that first moment.”
Singing at cafes taught Craig to manage the stage at a “grassroots level“ and “escape” the torment of bullies.
“With the spotlight comes confidence, and you get to know more of who you are and what you can do,” he said.
The two-hour concert will be his first at Geelong Performing Arts Centre.
Craig hoped to squeeze in some song-writing on his latest tour, which was scheduled to start at Crown Casino Friday.
“I’m writing a lot now,” he said. “I’m thrilled to be coming up with new music in the not too distance future.”
