Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] more in the news

Erin Oneill Erin.Oneill@newcastle.edu.au
Wed, 04 Dec 2002 15:59:37 +1100


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>From the aunty yesterday:


This is a transcript of The World Today broadcast at 1200 AEST on local =
radio.

Midnight Oil's Garrett takes his final bow=20

The World Today - Tuesday, December  3, 2002 12:13=20

ELEANOR HALL: Well one of the major anti-war protestors in Australia, =
Midnight Oil's Peter Garrett, is now changing his tactics.

After a quarter of a century in the limelight and 14 albums the head of =
Australia's, one of Australia's, most successful rock bands is taking his =
final bow.

Midnight Oil's lead singer has confirmed this morning that he's resigned =
from the band to focus on challenges outside music.=20

So is the iconic figure with the bald head and the individual dancing =
style now heading for a seat in parliament? And if so, which party will he =
be joining?

The speculation in the corridors of power is heated this morning as Jo =
Mazzocchi reports.

[Midnight Oil song]

JO MAZZOCCHI: It's an iconic Oils sound. Passionate and deeply political, =
and now it's emerged the band's lead singer, Peter Garrett, is leaving for =
good. This was the recorded message on the band's phone this morning.

[Phone ringing]

ANSWERING SERVICE: Midnight Oil has issued a statement on their web site =
www.midnightoil.com. The band is unavailable for interview and no further =
comment will be made.

JO MAZZOCCHI: On the band's official website a statement says Peter =
Garrett has resolved to call it a day. The statement says he's resigning =
to take up challenges outside music. It adds: "The last 25 years have been =
incredibly fulfilling and I leave with the greatest respect for the whole =
of Midnight Oil.=20

"The band has brought a lot of pleasure and meaning to people's lives =
including my own. Who could ask for more? But it's time for me to move and =
immerse myself in those things which are of deep concern and which I have =
been unable to fully apply myself."

Does that mean a career in federal politics for instance?=20

Well, according to both the Greens and the Australian Labor Party that's =
unlikely. Although a Labor Party insider did say it was significant he was =
present at Gough Whitlam's weekend tribute dinner. But Peter Garrett is =
today strangely silent.=20

Few dispute he'd be ideally placed for any kind of political career. The =
band is renowned for its fierce independent stance on issues such as =
homeless youth, indigenous people's rights and protection of the environmen=
t.

During the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, the band had "Sorry" =
emblazoned across their black suits, a clear message to an international =
audience that Australia's indigenous people need an apology, despite John =
Howard's reluctance to do so. And he also ran unsuccessfully as a Senate =
candidate for the Nuclear Disarmament Party in 1984.

Arnold Frolows is the Triple J music director and he says he's surprised =
Peter Garrett hasn't left the band sooner.

ARNOLD FROLOWS: Well the band has been around for a long time and he's, =
for certainly the last decade, been very active in a lot of other areas. =
The politics have taken up a lot of his time and music in, in a way =
appears to have become the side issue. Not that I'm suggesting that it =
wasn't, you know, any less important to him, but he was much more than =
just the lead singer of a, you know, of a traditional Aussie rock band.

JO MAZZOCCHI: Have you heard any speculation that he is moving into =
federal politics or a federal political party?

ARNOLD FROLOWS: Not a word. No. One would assume that something like that =
would be on the cards. I mean he's a very active character and I can't =
imagine he'd just be sitting at home, you know, tending the garden.=20

JO MAZZOCCHI: Do you think it would be the next move for him, a natural =
move, if you like, to move into federal politics?

ARNOLD FROLOWS: (Inaudible) whether he goes to the Greens or, I mean, =
there was time which I guess you could have expected that the Democrats =
were even a possibility. But I doubt that. Yeah. But I've heard nothing on =
the grapevine. It's just speculation. But certainly that's what I imagine =
could be on the cards for him.

[Midnight Oil song]

JO MAZZOCCHI: According to the band's web site statement, the other five =
members wish Peter all the best for the future and reinforce the respect, =
good intentions and values they mutually shared. Jim, Rob, Martin and =
Bones plan to continue making music together in another guise at some =
point down the track.

[Midnight Oil The Power and the Passion]

ELEANOR HALL: The power and the passion indeed. Jo Mazzocchi with our =
report.=20

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<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT size=3D3>From the aunty yesterday:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dcenter><FONT size=3D3></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Dcenter><FONT size=3D3></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Dcenter><FONT size=3D3>This is a transcript of The World Today =
broadcast=20
at 1200 AEST on local radio.</FONT></DIV><BR><FONT size=3D3><B>Midnight =
Oil's=20
Garrett takes his final bow</B> <BR><BR><B>The World Today</B> - =
Tuesday,=20
December&nbsp; 3, 2002 12:13 <BR><BR>ELEANOR HALL: Well one of the =
major=20
anti-war protestors in Australia, Midnight Oil's Peter Garrett, is now =
changing=20
his tactics.<BR><BR>After a quarter of a century in the limelight and 14 =
albums=20
the head of Australia's, one of Australia's, most successful rock bands =
is=20
taking his final bow.<BR><BR>Midnight Oil's lead singer has confirmed =
this=20
morning that he's resigned from the band to focus on challenges outside =
music.=20
<BR><BR>So is the iconic figure with the bald head and the individual =
dancing=20
style now heading for a seat in parliament? And if so, which party will he =
be=20
joining?<BR><BR>The speculation in the corridors of power is heated this =
morning=20
as Jo Mazzocchi reports.<BR><BR>[Midnight Oil song]<BR><BR>JO MAZZOCCHI: =
It's an=20
iconic Oils sound. Passionate and deeply political, and now it's emerged =
the=20
band's lead singer, Peter Garrett, is leaving for good. This was the =
recorded=20
message on the band's phone this morning.<BR><BR>[Phone=20
ringing]<BR><BR>ANSWERING SERVICE: Midnight Oil has issued a statement on =
their=20
web site www.midnightoil.com. The band is unavailable for interview and =
no=20
further comment will be made.<BR><BR>JO MAZZOCCHI: On the band's =
official=20
website a statement says Peter Garrett has resolved to call it a day. =
The=20
statement says he's resigning to take up challenges outside music. It =
adds: "The=20
last 25 years have been incredibly fulfilling and I leave with the =
greatest=20
respect for the whole of Midnight Oil. <BR><BR>"The band has brought a lot =
of=20
pleasure and meaning to people's lives including my own. Who could ask for =
more?=20
But it's time for me to move and immerse myself in those things which are =
of=20
deep concern and which I have been unable to fully apply myself."<BR><BR>Do=
es=20
that mean a career in federal politics for instance? <BR><BR>Well, =
according to=20
both the Greens and the Australian Labor Party that's unlikely. Although a =
Labor=20
Party insider did say it was significant he was present at Gough =
Whitlam's=20
weekend tribute dinner. But Peter Garrett is today strangely silent. =
<BR><BR>Few=20
dispute he'd be ideally placed for any kind of political career. The band =
is=20
renowned for its fierce independent stance on issues such as homeless =
youth,=20
indigenous people's rights and protection of the environment.<BR><BR>During=
 the=20
opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, the band had "Sorry" emblazoned =
across=20
their black suits, a clear message to an international audience that =
Australia's=20
indigenous people need an apology, despite John Howard's reluctance to do =
so.=20
And he also ran unsuccessfully as a Senate candidate for the Nuclear =
Disarmament=20
Party in 1984.<BR><BR>Arnold Frolows is the Triple J music director and he =
says=20
he's surprised Peter Garrett hasn't left the band sooner.<BR><BR>ARNOLD =
FROLOWS:=20
Well the band has been around for a long time and he's, for certainly the =
last=20
decade, been very active in a lot of other areas. The politics have taken =
up a=20
lot of his time and music in, in a way appears to have become the side =
issue.=20
Not that I'm suggesting that it wasn't, you know, any less important to =
him, but=20
he was much more than just the lead singer of a, you know, of a traditional=
=20
Aussie rock band.<BR><BR>JO MAZZOCCHI: Have you heard any speculation that =
he is=20
moving into federal politics or a federal political party?<BR><BR>ARNOLD=20=

FROLOWS: Not a word. No. One would assume that something like that would =
be on=20
the cards. I mean he's a very active character and I can't imagine he'd =
just be=20
sitting at home, you know, tending the garden. <BR><BR>JO MAZZOCCHI: Do =
you=20
think it would be the next move for him, a natural move, if you like, to =
move=20
into federal politics?<BR><BR>ARNOLD FROLOWS: (Inaudible) whether he goes =
to the=20
Greens or, I mean, there was time which I guess you could have expected =
that the=20
Democrats were even a possibility. But I doubt that. Yeah. But I've =
heard=20
nothing on the grapevine. It's just speculation. But certainly that's what =
I=20
imagine could be on the cards for him.<BR><BR>[Midnight Oil song]<BR><BR>JO=
=20
MAZZOCCHI: According to the band's web site statement, the other five =
members=20
wish Peter all the best for the future and reinforce the respect, good=20
intentions and values they mutually shared. Jim, Rob, Martin and Bones =
plan to=20
continue making music together in another guise at some point down the=20
track.<BR><BR>[Midnight Oil <I>The Power and the Passion</I>]<BR><BR>ELEANO=
R=20
HALL: The power and the passion indeed. Jo Mazzocchi with our report. <!-- =
transcript ends --><BR></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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