Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] Oils popularity in OZ? (was American Oils)

Tari, Vince fstariv1@NMHG.com
Mon, 23 Sep 2002 18:35:07 -0500


> Bruce Robertson wrote :
> 
> How popular are the Oils in Australia?

Depends on the definition of popular. If it's in terms of recent record
sales, the answer would be not very popular. If it's in terms of fan
loyalty, quality of live performances, credibility, down to earth-ness,
passion for their country & speaking out for the rights of the less
privilaged, then I'd say they be number one.

A lot of aussie muscians often sight the Oils as an inspiration for them
getting into music themselves. I think the respect they have from their
peers & the music industry is unprecedented.

> Every Aussie I've ever met has heard of them. Most
> were surprised that they're popular here. Even those
> that don't like the band, know who they are and what
> they stand for (eg "PG is a huge Greenie.") 

A lot of ignorant Aussies percieve them as a bunch of tree hugging hippies
who write songs about subjects that most people don't care about anymore (of
course we know this is not true). Some are even surprised to hear that they
are still around, thinking they had broken up during one of their many
"sabbaticals"

> Are they
> as popular there as the Stones or Beatles were in
> England? 

Maybe in the late 1980s/early 1990s, but not any more. Now we've got
Powderfinger, Silverchair, Kylie Minogue, John Farnham to fill the
"superstar" category

> Are they recognized as a cultural icon and do
> they speak for most Australians? 

Sub-consciously i'd say yes. Most aussies believe in giving people a fair go
and have a genuine interest in environmental & political issues. It's just
that they don't openly admit it for fear of being uncool

> Are the Oils a folk
> act underneath it all?

Good question Bruce. With the exception of RW, I think their latest albums
have a folksy kind of feel to them in some parts.

> 
> I can think of dozens of American songwriters who take
> up the same issues as passionately as the Oils, from
> Woody Guthrie to Ani DiFranco, but none who have truly
> mass appeal. Why is that? 

Probably comes back to image and peer pressure. It's cool to follow the most
popular bands because it's number one in the charts & hell everyone else
does so it *must* be cool. Non Oils fans here consider them to be daggy/not
trendy & therefore don't want to associate with their music. I guess a bunch
of 40-somethings singing about things that they believe in just ain't
appealing enough to most younger people. Their loss !!


cheers,

vince
(sydney)