Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] What got you started? & Peters Voice

Richard Thompson thompsonrichard@optusnet.com.au
Mon, 2 Jun 2003 12:09:54 +1000


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Now this thread is definitely going to bring me out of lurker mode cos =
it covers a lot of subjects that I have been meaning to get around to =
for a long time.=20
I am constantly amazed by makeup of people on this list. From reading =
all the posts and emailing different people, I am astounded at the =
diversity of the powderworkers,  in terms of their ages, Oils =
experiences and variation of opinions on all the different subject =
matters that get discussed. You are an amazing group of people who in =
many ways deserve far greater respect from the band you revere.
For my own part, I can remember truly back to the beginning, to a time =
when there were no albums to go home and listen to. It was a time when =
the only Oils fix you could get was the type that Michael Lippold wrote =
about in his introduction to "Scream in Blue" and I quote:_
"I remember them alright. Prospect Hill Hotel, Melbourne, a hot summer's =
night in 1980. The crew weren't saying much but the three-inch nails =
being used to secure the equipment to the stage should have alerted me =
to the forthcoming onslaught. I watched with fascination as the monitor =
engineer tuned the lead singer's wedges whilst standing on top of a box. =
On questioning him he replied with a smug "you'll see." An ominous =
warning but what the heck, it was only a "one off" job for the day, just =
another band, it couldn't be that bad. Custer probably made the same =
observation.
That night a gargantuan figure cavorted recklessly across the stage =
ducking and weaving around three manic guitarists as some lunatic at the =
rear was trying his hardest to destroy the drum kit I had laboriously =
assembled in the afternoon. Two hours later I stood among the ruins, =
soaked in sweat, and still unsure of what I had just witnessed. I =
collected my day's pay and contemplated a safer career as a mercenary in =
a war zone somewhere".

Make no mistake and understand completely, when this band started out =
Peter Garrett could not sing a note to save his life - in the recent =
Denton interview Rob commented that when they auditioned him, he sang a =
falsetto version of Sweet Georgia Brown - probably in pretty much the =
same way he sang "Powderworks" on the demo version which is floating =
around. PG made his own way in Midnight Oil and pretty much paved the =
way for the bands survival during the early times with his incredible on =
stage presence/performance. Remember success really only came for the =
Oils with the release of 10-1. Before that they had only had very =
moderate success with "I don't wanna be the one " as a reasonably good =
selling single and they were rarely ever given air play by any other =
radio station than 2JJJ who at that time only broadcast in Sydney. Of =
course it be entirely unfair if I did not say that Peter's voice =
improved immesureably as time went on and the band developed all the =
other attributes which made them so popular but my opinion is that it =
was PG's powerful performances that got this group going in the first =
place.

There are so many amazing shows from the early days, which I can =
remember as if they were yesterday and perhaps I should share some of =
those moments with you. Without doubt one of them was at a three day =
festival called "Tanelorn" in Oct 1981. The Oils were one of the =
headlining bands on the Saturday night. During one song PG climbed the =
PA stack in usual form and sang a verse of a song. When he had finished =
the verse he stuck the microphone in his back pocket (in those days PG =
usually ended up stripped to the waist after a couple of songs) and =
climbed out along the rigging for the lighting - monkey fashion - =
hanging on with his arms only - until he was hanging right above the =
band some 30 feet up in the air. Then holding on with only one hand/arm, =
he pulled out the mic and sang another verse. The audience thought this =
was just fucking amazing and then when he finished he let go and just =
dropped back down onto the stage  and started dancing again as the band =
ripped into the next number. It was a very cold evening as well and with =
PG being so hot and sweaty, there was steam rising from his half naked =
body as if he had a smoke machine tied to his back. The Oils were =
followed on stage that night by Split Enz and when they came on stage =
the audience just stood there stunned by the Oils waiting for the Enz to =
do something. It was not until they played about their fourth song, =
"Hard act to follow" and dedicated it to the Oils that they got any =
reaction from the audience whatsoever.=20

The next and probably the most amazing thing I saw the Oils do was a =
show at the Antler Hotel around the time they released Bird noises. In =
those days they used to have huge fans at the side of the stage to try =
and keep the band cool. For the final song of their encore and about =
half way through the song they dumped a huge amount of down (fluffy =
white feathers) onto the band  and put all white light onto the stage. =
The band completely dissapeared in this swirling mass of white feathers. =
I can only describe it a a complete whiteout like there was snow flying =
everywhere. This effect lasted about 30-45 seconds as the feathers =
settled out and covered the audience, you could see the stage again - to =
see PG still cavorting around out of control, naked to the waist (as =
usual) but with all these feathers stuck to him as if he was a plucked =
parrot - (see the cover to the Bird Noises EP). Such is / was the =
showmanship of the Oils.=20

I cannot count the number of Oils shows I saw over the years. I grew up =
with this band and a great deal of my own thinking has been shaped by =
thier music and their politics. I cannot claim to have followed them =
around the world as some workers have but I once drove for 12 hours to =
see them play at a Skyhooks reunion show at Noosa Heads and I took my =
son to see them at the State theatre when he was nine years old. I =
remember the first time I saw them play as a support band to Sports in =
1978 and the last show at the Reevesby Workers a few weeks before the =
end. Throughout all those years the best thing was always looking =
forward to the next live show or the release of of a new album but one =
thing is for sure - I would never ever have been captivated as a fan if =
it had been any one else but PG standing up front and doing his thing =
regardless if he could sing or not.. In my own mind I cannot ever =
beleive that the Oils will never ever play again but I will look forward =
to seeing what becomes of the remainder men without their great showman.

Back to lurking.

Cheers,

Richard








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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Now this thread is definitely going to =
bring me out=20
of lurker mode cos it covers a lot of subjects that I have been meaning =
to get=20
around to for a long time. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I am constantly amazed by makeup of =
people on this=20
list. From reading all the posts and emailing different people, I am =
astounded=20
at the diversity of the powderworkers,&nbsp; in terms of their ages, =
Oils=20
experiences and variation of opinions on all the different subject =
matters=20
that&nbsp;get discussed. You are an amazing group of people who in many =
ways=20
deserve far greater respect from the band you revere.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>For my own part, I can remember truly =
back to the=20
beginning, to a time when there were no albums to go home and listen to. =
It was=20
a time when the only Oils fix you could get was the type that Michael =
Lippold=20
wrote about in his introduction to "Scream in Blue" and I =
quote:_</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"I remember them alright. Prospect Hill =
Hotel,=20
Melbourne, a hot summer's night in 1980. The crew weren't saying much =
but the=20
three-inch nails being used to secure the equipment to the stage should =
have=20
alerted me to the forthcoming onslaught. I watched with fascination as =
the=20
monitor engineer tuned the lead singer's wedges whilst standing on top =
of a box.=20
On questioning him he replied with a smug "you'll see." An ominous =
warning but=20
what the heck, it was only a "one off" job for the day, just another =
band, it=20
couldn't be that bad. Custer probably made the same =
observation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>That=20
night a gargantuan figure cavorted recklessly across the stage ducking =
and=20
weaving around three manic guitarists as some lunatic at the rear was =
trying his=20
hardest to destroy the drum kit I had laboriously assembled in the =
afternoon.=20
Two hours later I stood among the ruins, soaked in sweat, and still =
unsure of=20
what I had just witnessed. I collected my day's pay and contemplated a =
safer=20
career as a mercenary in a war zone somewhere".</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>Make no=20
mistake and understand completely, when this band started out Peter =
Garrett=20
could not sing a note to save his life - in the recent Denton interview =
Rob=20
commented that when they auditioned him, he sang a falsetto version of =
Sweet=20
Georgia Brown - probably in pretty much the same way he sang =
"Powderworks" on=20
the demo version which is floating around. PG made his own way in =
Midnight Oil=20
<FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>and =
pretty much=20
paved the way for the bands survival during the early times with his =
incredible=20
on stage presence/performance</FONT>. <FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>Remember success=20
really only came for the Oils with the release of 10-1. Before that they =
had=20
only had very moderate success with "I don't wanna be the one " as a =
reasonably=20
good selling single and they were rarely ever given air play by any =
other radio=20
station than 2JJJ who at that time only broadcast in Sydney. Of course =
it be=20
entirely unfair if I did not say that Peter's voice improved =
immesureably as=20
time went on and the band developed all the other attributes which made =
them so=20
popular but my opinion is that it was PG's powerful performances that =
got this=20
group going in the first place.</FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>There are=20
so many amazing shows from the early days, which I can remember as if =
they were=20
yesterday and perhaps I should share some of those moments with you. =
Without=20
doubt one of them was at a three day festival called "Tanelorn" in Oct =
1981. The=20
Oils were one of the headlining bands on the Saturday night. During one =
song PG=20
climbed the PA stack in usual form and sang a verse of&nbsp;a =
song.&nbsp;When he=20
had finished&nbsp;the verse he stuck the microphone in his back pocket =
(in those=20
days PG usually ended up stripped to the waist after a couple of songs) =
and=20
climbed out along the rigging for the lighting - monkey fashion - =
hanging on=20
with his arms only - until he was hanging right above the band some 30 =
feet up=20
in the air. Then holding on with only one hand/arm, he pulled out the =
mic and=20
sang another verse. The audience thought this was just fucking amazing =
and then=20
when he&nbsp;finished he let go and just dropped&nbsp;back down onto the =
stage=20
&nbsp;and started dancing again as the band ripped into the next number. =
It was=20
a very cold evening as well and with PG being so hot and sweaty, there =
was steam=20
rising from his half naked body as if he had a smoke machine tied to his =
back.=20
The Oils were followed on stage that night by Split Enz and when they =
came on=20
stage the audience just stood there stunned by the Oils waiting for the =
Enz to=20
do something. It was not until they played about their fourth song, =
"Hard act to=20
follow" and dedicated it to the Oils that they got any reaction from the =

audience whatsoever. </FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>The next=20
and probably the most amazing thing I saw the Oils do was a show at the =
Antler=20
Hotel around the time they released Bird noises. In those days they used =
to have=20
huge fans at the side of the stage to try and keep the band cool. For =
the final=20
song of their encore&nbsp;and about half way through the song they =
dumped a huge=20
amount of down (fluffy white feathers) onto the band </FONT>&nbsp;<FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2>and put all white light onto the stage. The band =
completely=20
dissapeared in this swirling mass of white feathers. I can only describe =
it a a=20
complete whiteout like there was snow flying everywhere. This effect =
lasted=20
about 30-45 seconds as the feathers settled out and covered the =
audience, you=20
could see the stage again - to see PG still cavorting&nbsp;around out of =

control, naked to the waist (as usual) but with all these feathers stuck =
to him=20
as if he was a plucked parrot - (see the cover to the Bird Noises EP). =
Such is /=20
was the showmanship of the Oils. </FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>I cannot=20
count the number of Oils shows I saw over the years. I grew up with this =
band=20
and a great deal of my own thinking has been shaped by thier music and =
their=20
politics. I cannot claim to have followed them around the world as some =
workers=20
have but I once drove for 12 hours to see them play at a Skyhooks =
reunion show=20
at Noosa Heads and I took my son to see them at the State theatre when =
he was=20
nine years old. I remember the first time I saw them play as a support =
band to=20
Sports in 1978 and the last show at the Reevesby Workers a few weeks =
before the=20
end. Throughout all those years the best thing was always looking =
forward to the=20
next live show or the release of of a new album but one thing is for =
sure - I=20
would never ever have been captivated as a fan if it had been any one =
else but=20
PG standing up front and doing his thing regardless if he could sing or =
not.. In=20
my own mind I cannot ever beleive that the Oils will never ever play =
again but I=20
will look forward to seeing what becomes of the remainder men without =
their=20
great showman.</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>Back to=20
lurking.</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>Cheers,</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>Richard</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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