Midnight Oil calls it a day!

Leonis · 12-02-2002, 05:17 PM

Midnight Oil
Well, sort of. Peter Garret has left "to take up challenges outside music."

Australian music's 'social conscience' and makers of damn fine rock will be sorely and sadly missed.

They have been inspirations and mentors to many musicians and music lovers and often the lone voice of dissent or reason in an arts community that often has it's blinkered head up it's own @**!

Here's hoping his outside challenges will see him challenging the insiders once again very soon.

Iron_Ranger · 12-02-2002, 05:48 PM

Too bad, the stuff I have heard from them is pretty good. Forgotten years is a great song.

Sazerac · 12-02-2002, 05:50 PM

I think "Jimmy Sharman's Boxers" is one of the best songs they ever did. Both my wife and I are Midnight Oil fans. I know she's going to be sad to hear about the breakup.

-Sazerac

Ladyzekke · 12-02-2002, 06:19 PM

Sad news indeed. I've always loved Midnight Oil, they sound great and give a great performance as well. I guess though "The time has come" [img]smile.gif[/img]

Memnoch · 12-03-2002, 03:36 AM

I guess "outside challenges" mean politics? I know PG is a big supporter of the Greens...

Yorick · 12-03-2002, 04:44 AM

I'll never forget the two dealings I had with Peter Garret.

The first: I was recording my first single in Festival Studios in Pyrmont, Sydney. It was a huge, hall-like live room, with a lot of history. I was 19, and trying to sing a vocal that I wasn't performing well. The pressure captain! I wasn't handling it. I knew it, the engineer and producer knew it. Do you remember it Leonis? You guys were there, either in the control room or hanging out it the side room with the TV etc.

Anyway the live room was dark and I finished a 'take'. Suddenly the lights burst on and in walked Midnight Oil. They wanted to "check the place out" for their next record. Garret is of course, huge. He seemed even larger because of his charisma and personable energy, his success and the 'smallness' I was feeling at the time. I was also shoeless, so felt even shorter. (I'm 6ft tall btw) I suddenly understood the term, "larger than life."

The second time, during the following year, Leonis and I had a gig with our band in the Sydney entertainment centre with a number of other artists getting together for some worthy cause. I've forgotten what exactly it was. Some united Christian event I think.

Anyhow, Garret was there. He would later speak at this event.

So we played our set in that huge venue. As I was hanging around backstage he called me over. He had 'some gig' he wanted me to do, and some person he wanted me to meet.

I couldn't believe it. A million possibilities raced through my head!

He led me over to this 'friend of his'. And then left us to talk!

Well it turned out this guy was a member of "Christian Bikers", and it was their turn to host a combined Sydney bikers festival. He asked if we would play. Well Peter Garret had asked me to do this gig, so I would've agreed to play anywhere for anything....

As it turned out, the gig ended up being a very "Spinal Tap" moment (ala the film..."why are we playing in an airforce base) It was early in the morning, out in the country somewhere. All the bikers would party till late each night, so we basically played to an empty field surrounded by tents (some with feet sticking out) and the odd hungover biker sticking his head out and giving us a "thumbs up".

We ran out of songs, so started playing covers, including "Owner of a Lonely Heart", by Yes. We'd never played it before....

Anyway, we were in the middle of a song.... might have been that one, who knows... who cares? No-one heard it. For as we played it, in rolled the entire Comanchero biker gang - infamous in Australia for participating in the so named "Milperra bikey massacre".

We could tell it was the Comancheros because they had their name emblazoned on the backs of their leather jackets that we could see as they rode in en-masse, right slap dab in front of the stage drowning us out completely. So we stopped playing. That was it. [img]graemlins/laugh2.gif[/img]

"Why are we playing in an airforce base?" Came to mind immediately. I remember the bassist being disgruntled about the whole affair. The rest of us found it rather funny. It certainly made for a good yarn.

All because of Peter Garret.

[ 12-03-2002, 04:48 AM: Message edited by: Yorick ]

Yorick · 12-03-2002, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Memnoch:
I guess "outside challenges" mean politics? I know PG is a big supporter of the Greens...

Mario, over ten years ago he ran for Parliament as a member of the Nuclear Disarmament Party. The NDP.

Davros · 12-03-2002, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ladyzekke:
Sad news indeed. I've always loved Midnight Oil, they sound great and give a great performance as well. I guess though "The time has come" [img]smile.gif[/img]

I waz robbed .......... of the opportunity to say that first

norompanlasolas · 12-03-2002, 06:53 AM

yorick, that is really one cool anecdote. [img]graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Yorick · 12-03-2002, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by norompanlasolas:
yorick, that is really one cool anecdote. [img]graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Thanks maaaate.

12-02-2002, 05:48 PM	#2
Iron_Ranger Symbol of Cyric Join Date: August 18, 2002 Location: Where Eagles Dare Age: 37 Posts: 1,391	Too bad, the stuff I have heard from them is pretty good. Forgotten years is a great song. __________________ <br />[url]\"http://www.bratgirlcentral.com/cgi-bin/ouapforum/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi\" target=\"_blank\">Once Upon A Paper</a><br />Living on a razors edge<br />Balancing on ledge<br />Living on a razors edge

12-02-2002, 05:50 PM	#3
Sazerac Ironworks Moderator Join Date: January 7, 2001 Location: Monroe, LA Age: 61 Posts: 7,387	I think "Jimmy Sharman's Boxers" is one of the best songs they ever did. Both my wife and I are Midnight Oil fans. I know she's going to be sad to hear about the breakup. -Sazerac __________________ "And all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams, Are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams, In what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams..."

12-02-2002, 06:19 PM	#4
Ladyzekke Ironworks Atomic Moderator Join Date: January 7, 2001 Location: Virginia, U.S.A. Age: 58 Posts: 9,005	Sad news indeed. I've always loved Midnight Oil, they sound great and give a great performance as well. I guess though "The time has come" [img]smile.gif[/img] __________________ Reality Show Recaps

12-03-2002, 03:36 AM	#5
Memnoch Ironworks Moderator Join Date: February 28, 2001 Location: Boston/Sydney Posts: 11,771	I guess "outside challenges" mean politics? I know PG is a big supporter of the Greens... __________________

12-03-2002, 04:44 AM	#6
Yorick Very Mad Bird Join Date: January 7, 2001 Location: Breukelen (over the river from New Amsterdam) Age: 53 Posts: 9,246	I'll never forget the two dealings I had with Peter Garret. The first: I was recording my first single in Festival Studios in Pyrmont, Sydney. It was a huge, hall-like live room, with a lot of history. I was 19, and trying to sing a vocal that I wasn't performing well. The pressure captain! I wasn't handling it. I knew it, the engineer and producer knew it. Do you remember it Leonis? You guys were there, either in the control room or hanging out it the side room with the TV etc. Anyway the live room was dark and I finished a 'take'. Suddenly the lights burst on and in walked Midnight Oil. They wanted to "check the place out" for their next record. Garret is of course, huge. He seemed even larger because of his charisma and personable energy, his success and the 'smallness' I was feeling at the time. I was also shoeless, so felt even shorter. (I'm 6ft tall btw) I suddenly understood the term, "larger than life." The second time, during the following year, Leonis and I had a gig with our band in the Sydney entertainment centre with a number of other artists getting together for some worthy cause. I've forgotten what exactly it was. Some united Christian event I think. Anyhow, Garret was there. He would later speak at this event. So we played our set in that huge venue. As I was hanging around backstage he called me over. He had 'some gig' he wanted me to do, and some person he wanted me to meet. I couldn't believe it. A million possibilities raced through my head! He led me over to this 'friend of his'. And then left us to talk! Well it turned out this guy was a member of "Christian Bikers", and it was their turn to host a combined Sydney bikers festival. He asked if we would play. Well Peter Garret had asked me to do this gig, so I would've agreed to play anywhere for anything.... As it turned out, the gig ended up being a very "Spinal Tap" moment (ala the film..."why are we playing in an airforce base) It was early in the morning, out in the country somewhere. All the bikers would party till late each night, so we basically played to an empty field surrounded by tents (some with feet sticking out) and the odd hungover biker sticking his head out and giving us a "thumbs up". We ran out of songs, so started playing covers, including "Owner of a Lonely Heart", by Yes. We'd never played it before.... Anyway, we were in the middle of a song.... might have been that one, who knows... who cares? No-one heard it. For as we played it, in rolled the entire Comanchero biker gang - infamous in Australia for participating in the so named "Milperra bikey massacre". We could tell it was the Comancheros because they had their name emblazoned on the backs of their leather jackets that we could see as they rode in en-masse, right slap dab in front of the stage drowning us out completely. So we stopped playing. That was it. [img]graemlins/laugh2.gif[/img] "Why are we playing in an airforce base?" Came to mind immediately. I remember the bassist being disgruntled about the whole affair. The rest of us found it rather funny. It certainly made for a good yarn. All because of Peter Garret. [ 12-03-2002, 04:48 AM: Message edited by: Yorick ] __________________ http://www.hughwilson.com

12-02-2002, 05:17 PM	#1
Leonis Join Date: March 6, 2001 Location: Somewhere on Earth - it changes often Posts: 1,292	Midnight Oil Well, sort of. Peter Garret has left "to take up challenges outside music." Australian music's 'social conscience' and makers of damn fine rock will be sorely and sadly missed. They have been inspirations and mentors to many musicians and music lovers and often the lone voice of dissent or reason in an arts community that often has it's blinkered head up it's own @**! Here's hoping his outside challenges will see him challenging the insiders once again very soon.

12-03-2002, 06:53 AM	#9
norompanlasolas Avatar Join Date: November 13, 2001 Location: madrid, spain... made in argentina Age: 48 Posts: 569	yorick, that is really one cool anecdote. [img]graemlins/cool.gif[/img] __________________ no

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