Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] Oils on World Cafe

Kelly Morris km97mo@yahoo.com
Fri, 26 Apr 2002 20:30:12 -0700 (PDT)


I just caught the Oils on an online broadcast of World
Cafe - thanks to whoever mentioned it on the list
earlier this week.  It was a brief acoustic set.  They
played Golden Age, Luritja Way, Tone Poem, and Beds
Are Burning.  For an acoustic show, it was rocking. 
Too bad it wasn't longer.  Between songs, the radio
announcer/deejay interviewed Peter.  Some stuff I
found interesting: 

He asked Pete how important it is for Midnight Oil to
have an impact on the rest of the world instead of
just Australia which has been the band's focus lately.
 Pete said that the Oils have always drawn
"inspiration" from their home and that they prefer to
keep to their roots. Basically said they reach the
rest of the world using their roots as a platform and
that's the way they like it - as opposed to more
actively seeking the glamour of the "northern
hemisphere" as other bands have done.  

He also asked Peter what he learned from running for
senate in the 80s, a position he was close to winning
but didn't because- ? it was implied that opposing
parties worked together to make sure he didn't win. 
(Maybe someone on the list knows the story.)  Pete
said something like  "politics is a hard game. . .
they kicked me out of the senate.  They probably did
me a favor."  

Here's a topic that I believe has been discussed on
the list a few times, or at least mentioned.  When
asked how he feels about bands using their power over
a wide audience as a way of influencing people, Pete
said that an artist's inherent responsibility is not
to address social issues but to be true to art.  "We
don't see ourselves as being this primary political
force.  We see ourselves as a band . . ." 

I hope some other workers were able to catch it too. 
It was pretty cool. I only wish I'd been able to
record it.  Short but sweet.   
Kel

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