Some of
this is true for me, some of it is
exaggerated, but I think maybe some
of you might also relate. All these
things just hit me yesterday, for
some reason. Maybe some of you have
something else to add. (and for the
record, although I'm more than a
casual fan, I don't go as far as to
be a psycho-fanatic).
16.
You meet somebody from Australia.
When you bring up the subject, you
are disappointed that they don't
share the passion for the Oils
that you have.
15. You are annoyed
that you are only likely to hear
"Beds are Burning" played anywhere,
but at least its better than
nothing.
14.People you've known
only for a short while don't
understand your sudden interest in
this Australian Surf Band, but
people who know you well enough
don't even need to ask why.
13.You
are annoyed when you hear the
"Crocodile Dundee" jokes about the
fad in the 1980s in America for
Australian Pop Culture, but you're a
little ashamed to admit you thought
they were funny before you were an
Oils fan.
12.Your
interest in movies like "Rabbit
Proof Fence" and "Walkabout" stem
from being an Oils fan, but you
won't admit it to your friends when
they rib you about it.
11.You
wish more friends of yours shared
your love of Midnight Oil, and more
people appreciated them around you,
but at the same time you feel you
are exclusively receptive to
something that makes you cooler than
everybody else.
10.Other
than other fans at whatever Midnight
Oil show(s) you've been lucky enough
to attend in the past, you are the
only person you ever see wearing a
Midnight Oil T-shirt. (Where did
they all go?)
9.You
put aside $200 for when or if the
Holy Grail of a Midnight Oil
boxed-set comes out, and you won't
use it for anything else, even when
you need it to pay the rent.
8. You
assume that other Oils fans must
think like you do, and you are
shocked when you see on
"Powderworks" that many don't. (But
you get used to it).
7.Your
encounter with Bones Hillman was as
big a deal for you (if not bigger)
than meeting Paul McCartney, but
only two or three of your Facebook
friends bother to comment or click
the "like" button when you post
there about it.
6.You
know a lot about Peter Garrett, and
also Rob, Martin, Jim, all three
bassists AND Gary Morris, but if
you're lucky, you're most likely to
meet somebody else who remembers
that "big bald guy" once in a great
while.
5. You
actually shell out $50 for the books
"Willie's Bar and Grill" and "Beds
Are Burning" to be shipped to your
home from Dymock's, because you want
it as soon as possible, and you
don't care of some third-party
seller on amazon can sell it to you
at a cheaper price later.
4. You
scour ebay, amazon, musicstack.com
and elsewhere for those "maxi-single
CDs", EPs, and records with those
songs on them not on the regular
album. Your quest to find them costs
you about $200 over a period of
time, when you probably could have
found a place to download them
somehow for nothing.
3. You
berate yourself for not being
familiar with Yothu Yindi BEFORE the
news of their front man's death,
then you start with their "Tribal
Voice" album.
2. You
burn a "mix tape" CD for some a
guy/girl you've met on OkCupid or
some other dating site. You include
at least three under-appreciated
gems by the Oils, such as
"Kosociusko," and "Luritja Way".
You're mentally holding your breath
that s/he will notice, and mention
those songs without your asking.
1. It is
on your "Bucket List" to see the
Oils again once they (hopefully)
perform again, which is most likely
to be in Australia, not here. But
you are so pissed and jealous
because you doubt you'll be able to
make the trip to Oz on short notice,
and other fans who live Down Under
will be more likely to.