Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] Burned in the memory/Burning the Midnight Oil (longish post)

tfrommer@mindspring.com tfrommer@mindspring.com
Tue, 3 Jun 2003 14:17:28 -0700 (PDT)


Another (very) occasional poster moved to add my two cents' worth of memories. 

First heard: My first term at boarding school, fall '83. A guy who lived upstairs from me gave me a tape to listen to with U2 "War" on one side and "10,9,8..." on the other. (Another positive vote for home taping, no?) I was quickly hooked and was "standing in line" when "Red Sails.." was released. I think I may own that on all three formats.

First saw: Spring '88, Caberet Metro, Chicago, IL USA. First North American leg of the Diesel tour. Back when Rolling Stone paid some passing interest to music, they commented on this show within an article about the Oils. Something along the lines of "pumping out enough wattage to power a city block." BTW, if someone has a copy of this show s/he is willing to barter, please let me know off-list. Thanks.

Other memorable moments: 1.)Lucking into the 6th Ave. Exxon show *AND* having my camera. (Don't ask. Singularly ridiculous serendipity.) I haven't seen the whole "Black Rain Falls" video, but I must be in there somewhere since some of my pix have a video camera pointed in my general direction. Related thrill -- meeting Rob outside the Warfield in San Francisco last year and getting him to have the band sign a photo from that day. 
2.) The pre- (or just post-)ESM release gig at the final resting spot for the Ritz in New York City. If I'm not mistaken, the Oils were the last rock show there. PG had some anti-multi-national rant before they played "Tell Me the Truth." Soon after MO appeared on "Saturday Night Live" broadcast by NBC which is owned by GE. Pity they didn't play "TMtT."
3.) Traveling to Oz last year for the first time. Running through Sydney in City-to-Surf with a mixed Oils tape I made helping me stumble on to Bondi. Later hearing "20,000 Watts RSL" on the speakers in a cafe in Darwin. Didn't get to Warburton. Next time.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane and your indulgence p'workers.