Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] More in the news:

Erin Oneill Erin.Oneill@newcastle.edu.au
Tue, 03 Dec 2002 10:00:09 +1100


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More in the news:


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,5605462%255E1=
702,00.html

There are also a few lines in the herald (smh.com.au).

This past year of gigs have been a case of hello, and and more recently, =
goodbye.  Think about the nature of the gigs, particularly in the last few =
months (the 'requests', playing the songs in choronological order etc) =
have all been about farewells - quiet gestures by the band to the fans, =
and an acknowledgment by the band of all they have done.  It was one of =
the few times that Midnight Oils did not beat us around the ears! =20

The timing of Peter's withdrawl from the band coincides with a couple of =
events.  25 years of making music, the dissolution of the Democrats as the =
alternative party (to keep the bastards honest) in Australian politics, =
and the concomitant rise of the Greens as a viable third force.  This last =
weekend saw the Greens get about 25% of the primary vote in the State =
election in Victoria.  I suspect these events may be related.  Someone =
with as high a profile as Peter, and his credentials of putting his money =
(and blood, sweat and tears) where his mouth is could well end up being a =
viable candidate for the house of reps - and a lightening rod for a =
parliamentary party. The 'third party' in australian politics has =
traditionally been a negotiator, not a third force in and of itself.  The =
greens (in the absence of of a viable left wing in the labor party - or in =
fact a viable labor party) have shown themselves to be the only group =
willing to stand on principle and hang the consequences.  But they are yet =
to get anywhere in the house of reps.  That might be about to change.

I first became aware of their work when as a kid in north queensland.  I =
was at school (in the library) when another kid asked me what this poem =
meant.  It was US forces - the teacher had given it as a piece of =
literature to study.  I asked where it came from and got a copy of the =
tape off the teacher.  I made a copy of the copy in the audio room in =
library, listened to part of the song scream in blue, wound the tape back, =
locked myself into the room, opened the internal louvre windows to the =
quiet part of the libray and then cranked up the volume - didn't come out =
until after power and the passion (despite the librarian yelling at me to =
turn the voume down and me going 'eh, eh, eh? I can't hear you!') and =
promptly got suspended (again) - god I kept the schoolgrounds clean of =
litter that week.  I went home and anoyed the rest of the family with the =
tape, and sent the dog mental.  I watched the goat island gig on the ABC =
late one night, and wondered if there were drugs that could fix that big =
blokes uncoordination, if the drummer already had arthritis, and how the =
bass player managed to get jeans so tight, but still breathe in them.  The =
little puddle of stillnes that was jim in the midst of the chaos, and =
rotsey on eternal peter alert.  The whole was always greater than the sum =
of the parts.
My mum and dad were with me at the Bowery Ballroom (NY) gig, my workmates =
and boss at the Newcastle gig, and my last gig was at the ANU bar.

It's been a wonderful gig people. =20

Erin.

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<BODY style=3D"MARGIN-TOP: 2px; FONT: 8pt Microsoft Sans Serif; MARGIN-LEFT=
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<DIV><FONT size=3D3>More in the news:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><A=20
href=3D"http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,56054=
62%255E1702,00.html">http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page=
/0,5744,5605462%255E1702,00.html</A></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3>There are also a few lines in the herald=20
(smh.com.au).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3>This past year of gigs have been a case of hello, and =
and more=20
recently, goodbye.&nbsp; Think about the nature of the gigs, particularly =
in the=20
last few months (the 'requests', playing the songs in choronological order =
etc)=20
have all been about farewells - quiet gestures by the band to the fans, =
and an=20
acknowledgment by the band of all they have done.&nbsp; It was one of the =
few=20
times that Midnight Oils did not beat us around the ears! &nbsp;</FONT></DI=
V>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3>The timing of Peter's withdrawl from the band =
coincides with a=20
couple of events.&nbsp; 25 years of making music, the dissolution of =
the=20
Democrats as the alternative party (to keep the bastards honest) in =
Australian=20
politics, and the concomitant rise of the Greens as&nbsp;a viable third=20
force.&nbsp; This last weekend saw the Greens get about 25% of the primary =
vote=20
in the State election in Victoria.&nbsp; I suspect these events&nbsp;may =
be=20
related.&nbsp; Someone with as high a profile as Peter, and his credentials=
 of=20
putting his money (and blood, sweat and tears) where his mouth is could =
well end=20
up being a viable candidate for the house of reps -&nbsp;and a lightening =
rod=20
for a parliamentary party. The 'third party' in australian politics has=20
traditionally been a negotiator, not a third force in and of itself.&nbsp; =
The=20
greens (in the absence of of a viable left wing in the labor party - or in =
fact=20
a viable labor party) have shown themselves to be the only group willing =
to=20
stand on principle and hang the consequences.&nbsp; But they are yet to =
get=20
anywhere in the house of reps.&nbsp; That might be about to change.</FONT><=
/DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3>I first became aware of their work when as a kid in =
north=20
queensland.&nbsp; I was at school (in the library) when another kid asked =
me=20
what this poem meant.&nbsp; It was US forces - the teacher had given it as =
a=20
piece of literature to study.&nbsp; I asked where it came from and got a =
copy of=20
the tape off the teacher.&nbsp; I made a copy of the copy in the audio =
room in=20
library, listened to part of the song scream in blue, wound the tape =
back,=20
locked myself into the room, opened the internal louvre windows&nbsp;to =
the=20
quiet part of the libray and then cranked up the volume - didn't come out =
until=20
after power and the passion (despite the librarian yelling at me to turn =
the=20
voume down and me going 'eh, eh, eh? I can't hear you!') and promptly =
got=20
suspended (again)&nbsp;- god I kept the schoolgrounds clean of litter =
that=20
week.&nbsp; I went home and anoyed the rest of the family with the tape, =
and=20
sent the dog mental.&nbsp; I watched the goat island gig on the ABC late =
one=20
night, and wondered if there were drugs that could fix that big blokes=20
uncoordination, if the drummer already had arthritis, and how the bass =
player=20
managed to get&nbsp;jeans so tight, but still breathe in them.&nbsp; The =
little=20
puddle of stillnes that was jim in the midst of the chaos, and rotsey on =
eternal=20
peter alert.&nbsp; The whole was always greater than the sum of the=20
parts.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3>My mum and dad were with me at the Bowery Ballroom =
(NY) gig,=20
my workmates and boss at the Newcastle gig, and my last gig was at the =
ANU=20
bar.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3>It's been a wonderful gig people.&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3>Erin.</FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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