Peter Garrett under a big blue sky
After nearly ten years serving in the Australian government, including six years as a Cabinet Minister for the Labor Party, Peter Garrett has finally untied the windsor knot and joined civilian life again.
Not that his 'other' life was any less normal. As the lead singer of Midnight Oil he toured the world prolifically, and as a twice serving president of the Australian Conservation Foundation he was a tireless activist. His music and activism often melded into one; environmental campaigns were given added thrust by the band's music.
But all that is behind him now. Since resigning his ministry in 2013 Garrett has been working on his memoir, Big Blue Sky. It was released last month and upon its launch Peter Garrett spoke to Swellnet.
Swellnet: How's the tour promo tour going?
Peter Garrett: It's been excellent. We're just finishing off but we've basically been around the country including Alice Springs to see some of the people that I really wanted to connect with because they were a big part of the book. But yeah, we're just about to put it to bed.
Had much of a chance to get out in the surf ?
No mate I haven't, regrettably. Its been go go go.
I bet you're looking forward to it when you next get a chance.
I am hanging, no question about it. Though the water's gotta be warm for me these days.
Do you still have the cold water allergy?
Yeah I've still go it. Hasn't gone yet. Can you believe it?
Buy a wetsuit Pete.
Ha.
I'd like to chat about the early days of the band. For a band that was so fiercely united, Midnight Oil had an inauspicious start: you were drafted as singer, did a short tour, then went your separate ways. It's an unlikely beginning.
That's right. You know, they went off to find another singer! (laughs)
Midnight Oil almost wasn't.
It's funny isn't it? But look, I think ultimately when we realised that we were going to make a go of it then it was a case of putting our heads down and chewing into what it was that we had musically. And then also thinking our way through a business that is pretty cut throat. Back then it was all about the charts and pop success which just wasn't in our heads at all. And I think after years and years of thinking about it and all the playing and touring it just made us a much stronger, tighter and coherent unit. It happened gradually.
Midnight Oil was really a five headed monster - many players but one body – yet you managed to keep it marching in the same direction.
I think one of the things is leaving...or at least trying to leave, the egos outside the door when you work together. There was also a guy who managed the band during that period and stayed with us a long time, Gary Morris, a surfer from North Narrabeen as it turns out! He was a part of the band and we figured it was us against the world and the only way we could stay alive and keep playing songs was to keep that internal solidarity going so it was a part of us from that point on.
But you're right, we're all different kind of people: different characters, different musical tastes even. It wasn't like one of those bands where everyone sits around listening to ska or house or whatever and says “this is what we want to do”. We brought very different musical tastes into the room. So it took us a while to work out the sound of the band and get the songs to fit. It didn't come that quickly, but once we got settled into it we knew we really had something good and had to keep it going.
I've always split your output into three distinct eras: the pub rock albums up till 'Place Without A Postcard', the 80s 'issue' albums reacting against the decadent decade, and the well crafted 'Akubra' albums from the mid-90s onwards. Is that how I should organise my Oils albums?
Stuart, you organise your albums however you wish (laughs).
Think it's a fair breakdown of your catalogue though?
I think I would split them slightly differently. Certainly we didn't repeat ourselves, and it was an evolution, there's no doubt about it, to do with coming out of the pubs and trying to make a studio work for us. Glyn Johns produced Postcard and that's sort of the end of the pub rock era when were starting to expand the songwriting a little, and then Nick Launay produced 10-1, then Nick Launay again [Red Sails In The Sunset], then Warne Livesey with Diesel and Dust and Blue Sky Mining. After that we were just searching out different points of the compass to see where we'd land.
Which brings us to the time when a little band out of Seattle caused a seismic shift in music.
That certainly happened. We made a slow bluesy, groovy album when everything was all grunge. The thing was we'd decided we didn't want to go to the next level in the States. We didn't want to settle down in condos overlooking the Hollywood Hills. Being here meant so much to us that we decided this is where we were going to base ourselves. After that we sort of morphed into a cottage industry outfit really.
You've been an intensely private person, so why write your memoir? Was it frustration over, for want of a better term, being gagged in parliament?
No, I was never gagged in parliament.
Well you were outspoken in Midnight Oil days and had to reign that in when you joined the team.
I know people see it like that, and certainly the surfing audiences would 'cos they've got no time for pollies, but I didn't find the restrictions of being in a political party anything different to being in a team. I've always been a team player – I was in a team in Midnight Oil. Obviously you cant go out and shout from the rooftops that whoever you're working with has got it all wrong and provoke a political crisis, but you can say what you want in the right places i.e caucus room, the party room, the cabinet. In no way did I feel that I wasn't able to say what I wanted even if they weren't things you read about or saw on tele or whatever.
You've been an artist and a politician which places you in a rare position. Who do you believe has the greatest capacity to affect social change, the artist or the politician?
It's a common question, but I think it's looked at the wrong way around. It should be: How much can you, in any role, get done? One role is not better or worse or more effective than the other. It depends very much on whats happening at the time, what the issues are. There are some things that only politicians can do: acts of parliament, taking the Japanese to the International Court of Justice on so-called scientific whaling and stopping them.
However, governments only do those things if there's a whole bunch of people out in the public shouting out that they want it done. Activism is valued greatly. Some of the things that we got done as activists wouldn't have been done by governments, they could only be done by people in civil society. So it's not an either/or proposition, you get stuff done in both places.
When you were in Midnight Oil you were anti-establishment, but then you went and played their game. Do you feel at all like the establishment failed you?
Not at all. I think that people tend to project, if you like, a cartoon-shaped figure on these things. I am a great supporter of Australia and Australia's political institutions and I always speak very strongly against things I disagree with, particularly corporate behaviour and excesses that we've seen. But I'm a regulator as well owing to my legal background, and I know that sometimes you need strong laws to bring companies into line and sometimes you're gonna get involved with your sleeves rolled up behind a desk and it'll be incremental change. It'll be one small step after another, it's not a Hollywood movie that you're in.
What do your consider you biggest win while in government?
Staying sane! (laughs)
Whaling?
Yeah, I think that was incredible and probably still not fully realised for the substantial victory that it was.
I'd agree with that too...
I think it's really gonna take a lot of effort by the new government to keep the pressure up next year but that was something that was really important to me for 30 years. To get it squared away....especially as all the time people thought we weren't doing anything when we were working like hell to get something happening.
I think the school funding system, Gonski, making sure we funded schools so every kid could get a fair crack at an education regardless of whether they were growing up rich or poor. That was really crucial as there was a huge gap between kids only because of their postcode not because of their brainpower.
I think starting the solar revolution in Australia, the roll out of solar that started under us was massive. We put solar panels on schools, we had rebates for solar hot water, we put solar panels on homes, we started solar cities in places like Alice Springs and Western Australia.
The other one was a carbon pollution reduction scheme, a way of reducing greenhouse emissions. Which had a rocky path but was a massive reform and it was what I partly went into politics for. I wanted to get serious about climate change. We started that and then Rudd backed away from it then we got it going with Gillard then Abbott tore it apart and now we're trying to get back on the path again.
What do you think of the current incarnation of the Greens?
I'm really struggling to find a big national environment initiative that they can take credit for. I just don't see the strong set of goals and achievements. People thought I'd join the Greens 'cos I was such a green person – as I still am – yet I'm pretty practical about money, we've gotta keep the economy ticking in the right direction to take care of people who are less well off.
It's an argument you state a few times in the book.
Well I think history backs it up Stu. It's not to say that Labor always delivers, 'cos it doesn't, it sometimes falls short, and sometimes it needs a lot of urging, but Labor has been responsible for most of the big social reforms. The Greens can act as a stimulus, a keep the bastards honest-type thing, but I don't believe in promising the world to everybody if you can't deliver it.
Earlier I asked about your biggest win while now in government now it's time to ask about regrets.
I've got absolutely no regrets and I would do it all again. My attitudes and my sense of what's right and wrong is undiminished, and at the same time I valued the opportunity. It's a privilege to be a cabinet minister in this country, one of the best places on earth. Of course we should hold pollies to account but we run the place down too much and we're too critical of it and we don't realise what it would be like if we didn't have a democracy and you got locked up simply because you didn't think the current president was a particularly cool person.
I feel absolutely vindicated by my decision...and at the same time it's a nice feeling to get the tie off and be out in the free world again.
Speaking of, what's your next move?
Ohhh...we'll just have to wait and see I guess. I know people are asking about the Oils...
And I'm just about to...
Well we're not playing a 'will we, wont we' game, no-one really knows if we will play again or not. We haven't ruled it out, so if everyone was in the same place at the same time and the juices were flowing and the spirit was good..? I think if that's the case it might happen but it also may not. We just don't know.
I'll work on environment issues and I'll hang around with my sweetheart who's hung in with me all this time and who I'm deeply, deeply indebted to.
Big Blue Sky is published by Allen and Unwin and available online now.
Comments
He claims the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme and Gonski?
I'd say the first was an abject failure and the second is under serious threat, very far from being bedded down.
Sorry Pete, but you just come across like a typical politician without a shred of self awareness or historical nuance------just more self serving drivel for the public to wade through.
When you're first decision as Environment Minister is to approve the Gunns Woodchip mill in SW Tasmania without a whimper you deserve to be pilloried by history. Garrett's chief talent was as one of the greatest users of weasel words in history, great windbag.
Shit Steve, get your facts right and your nuance in order. Bell Bay is in northern Tasmania and was first approved by Malcolm Turnbull before Garrett was even a Minister, he craftily split the project into modules meaning once the project got going - the first module - it'd be damn hard to stop.
Garrett didn't initially approve the project, and when he did (acqueised 'cause Gunns would've taken the Commonwealth to court and likely won. Lawyers For Forests had already lost a suit) he applied hefty conditions that limited who could run the operation.
One company in Sweden had the capacity but even they demured.
Me, I see it as the power of having someone 'inside the tent'.
Yeah sorry, north-west Tas.
No Steve, northern Tas, not north-west. It's near Launceston.
Your nuance is still lacking.
Jeezus Stu, you're worse than bloody Garrett.
Northern Tas.
I know the mill was approved by the previous govt but that was a chance for Garrett to draw a line in the sand.
He might have wheeled and dealed behind the scenes but publicly he was seen as , and was, a damp squib.
Not to mention he fcuked up royally on the pink batts and was pretty fcuking hopeless at explaining and selling the Gonski reforms.
One of the major criticisms of the Rudd/Gillard years was that they couldn't sell a message. And Garrett was front and centre in terms of that failure. He was a singularly terrible political communicator, despite the amazing cut through message of the Oils music.
No, just getting it right.
And again, the insulation scheme wasn't his plan but Rudd's, part of the stimulus counter to the GFC - surely you can't argue against its efficacy? There were four deaths, no doubt regrettable, but each involved criminal negiligence with the operators being taken to court. And not just ordinary negligence, one death was from a sparky using metal fasteners(!) The guidelines provided by Garrett RE installation were more stringent then previously existed for installers.
Even after admitting he did wheel and deal behind the scenes you're buying into the public perception of him as readily as a Murdoch reader. The mesage was there for those who sought it out.
Thats a stretch, comparing me to a Murdoch reader because I'm criticising his record.
He was the minister in charge of the insulation policy, he owned it. Thats the way politics works. I don't doubt it wasn't a good idea but the implementation was pretty shoddy.
That doesn't change the essential charge that he was a terrible political communicator, couldn't sell a policy, and thus, was a big part of the tremendous failure of the Rudd/Gillard era. Australia should have been on a very different direction now, ala Hawke/Keating if not for the failure of the Rudd/Gillard policy implementation. Garrett was bought in as a star candidate by Rudd to sell that message and he failed, spectacularly, at that mission.
That failure led to the rise of Abbott and the mess were in now.
I'm a parent of two school age kids, passionately interested in education and I had no fucking idea what the Gonski reforms were about in terms of the actual policy.
For about 6 months beginning late 2012 the Fairfax and independent press - Crikey, ABC, New Matilda, Conversation etc, covered it in detail. It beggars belief anyone genuinely interested in education could've missed it. Don't blame the town crier if you were out of earshot.
Oh I read it all, and in particular listened to Garrett many times on ABC RN.
I think and the polls backed me up on this, that he did a very poor job of explaining just what Gonski was and what it meant in terms of actual policy outcome.
The govt, and he as the Govt spokesman on Education, couldn't explain in simple terms how important the Gonski reforms were.
Compare and contrast that to the way the Hawke/Keating govts managed to bring the public along in terms of explaining and selling the reforms of the 80's/90's. Which laid the bedrock of the prosperity of the 2000's.
Our education system is flailing badly and Garrett couldn't bed down and sell those Gonski reforms.
The insulation scheme, though it had some serious admin deficiencies, was a big success. Over 1.1 houses insulated. The rate of fires per new insulation was minuscule and less than the rate per insulation that existed before the scheme.
And as the SMH observed,
"As for the four deaths of installers, one of them through heat exhaustion and another using foil insulation that Garrett had barred from the program months earlier, they are subject to coronial inquiries. The fact is, however, that the program introduced the first national training program for installers. Remember, this is a field in which foolhardy householders have a long DIY tradition and the insulation industry had been largely unregulated. Where was the concern about safety then?"
True story. I used to see them at The Antler and knew Gary Morris because he was part of the North Narrabeen scene. I had been doing a lot of writing for surf magazines so after their gig one night he asked me if I wanted to write some lyrics for them. I said no, I wasn't interested! But some years later I did write a song about them.
Are you Peter, are you Judas when you're turning back the boats?
Are you being honest or just buying some cheap votes?
Now he votes with the party, he's come in from the cold
He votes for US forces and does just what he's told
The passion and the power burnt out long ago
Now he's sitting in the big house putting on his show
Not completely fair but near enough!
I'll admit to going either way with Garrett. Like most I was initially disaappointed but then I dont know how he voted in the party room, no-one outside the party does. For someone who had absolutely no need to go into politics I can only assume he voted the way we all thought he would because his entering politics was the biggest example of self-inflicted character assasination ever. Half thought he want too far, half thought he didn't go far enough, everyone was unhappy.
Good post I think you summed it up pretty good.
Excellent work Indo, and I think we all like to see ourselves as so pure in our motives. Someone else mentioned the NDP. How many of you voted for us back then ?. How many of you got off your arses to go out in the streets & give out voting cards,or the desert (Olympic Dam) to make your feelings as honest as Pete?. Don't criticise if you didn't have the cojones to put your money where your mouth is !.
See above.
Im sure this comment thread is going to be filled with calls of sell out blah blah blah…
For me i see it differently i see someone that instead of just talking the talk actually had a go and got involved in a party that had power, the fact he didn't achieve much shows more to me of how hard it can be in politics and how much power an individual lacks.
I think we can assume he went in with best intentions and he sure wasn't looking for fame and don't expect short of money.
Sadly though i guess he didn't really achieve much and basically got chewed up and spat out but at least he had a go.
BTW this was is second attempt he did actually have a go at politics in the 80,s for a small party, some anti nuclear party or something.
End of the day its so easy to criticise but we all have to remember there is not many people if any who has brought more awareness to many issues in Australia be it environmental or Aboriginal etc
Spot on indo-dreaming.
My personal opinion is that Pete's foray into politics (as a Labor MP) reflects more poorly on the party and the Australian politic system at large than on Pete. My only real issue was him being 'parachuted' into my electorate (chew on that one sheepdog) but again this was probably more to do with the party than him. After all woulda been pointless having him run in his own electorate!
BTW his first go at it was with the NDP (Nuclear Disarmament Party) and was for the senate, if memory serves he only just missed out.
Stu, woulda been nice to get his thoughts on the nuclear energy/climate change issues.
I really wish I did ask him that Braudulio, but then there were many things I'd have like to spoken to him about.
Fair enough Stu, wasn't a criticism. I thought it was a good interview.
Nah, didn't take it as a criticism. Think I know you well enough to understand how it was intended.
When I was writing the questions I thought long and hard about structure, ways to warm up his engine, so to speak. You know, breezy questions first and then slowly get into the fat. Yet he was engaged and firing from the get go, a formidable mind (and mouth!).
Real shame we had a time limit on it.
Maybe a bit out of line but did you ask the question - 'Did you receive cash from Clubs Australia ?' I must admit I was a bit surprised at his retraction but he really put his foot in that one. Regardless, he had a go and a fair one at that. Lets hope he is on top of his health issues and can strut around again - great music.
Yeah it's an odd little note that you get with the book. "Peter would like to clarify the information on page 409..." The envelope apparently contained a cheque and not money - meaning paper money - as stated.
Even if it didn't have a satisfactory explanation, I figured it was covered elsewhere so didn't consider asking it.
Totally agree ID.
And the cretins come out of the woodwork to display their naivety of the political process. Would those who criticise PG prefer right-leaning pollies hold all the levers of power? That way anyone who gives a damn about the environment or justice can keep their record clean, listing only good intentions and have not one iota of real change against their name.
Freeride, not sure what your problem is with the CPRS and Gonski.
The first was the best, most practical way to achieve carbon reduction. It worked!
Great, now we can have a debate about whether it worked or not, but it did. Are you claiming it as a failure because it is gone now? That's how politics works. Consider just how many things had to go wrong for us to end up with that bunch of neanderthals with Abbott as their leader. The biggest problem with the carbon tax was Gillard's promise not to introduce one while two days out from the election (while saying she would introduce an emissions trading scheme)
Abbott took that, and the gullible public, to its logical conclusion.
Gonski is also a great reform. Yes, the libs will try to tear it down because it breaks down entrenched privilege, but it's there. That one is still to play out.
You're a hard marker Steve. Frankly, the punk batts was also a great initiative, handled by incompetent state governments and an idiot in Rudd rolling it out before they were ready, but it achieved huge and ongoing benefits. Some kids died because of shonky operators, not because it was a bad scheme.
Sure, overall I was disappointed that Garrett couldn't achieve more, but I couldn't fault his effort. Politics is a mug's game. Those that do go in with genuinely well considered good intent are quite few. I would put Garrett in that group.
He got more done than I did.
Batfink, are you confusing the CPRS which was never implemented with Gillards Carbon Tax?
They were separate pieces of legislation.
btw, Punk batts would make a great name for a Midnight Oil tribute band.
Yes had to laugh at that one, Pink Batts, pisser. My only criticism of Pete from looking from the outside is he takes himself way too seriously and never seemed to be able to laugh at himself. Maybe it was just the way the media portrayed him. He put himself on a pedestal with his fierce proclamations prior to Labor which came across as self righteousness where the only way to fall was down once he hit mainstream politics.
An interesting political career to say the least with more than an average amount of controversy. Lets hope his goes back to music and dance away the past.
I wish all the effort would be taken off saving the whales, and transferred into making cats in Australia extinct, instead of all our beloved native species preyed upon by cats
It's a blood bath every day/night for native species, yet no enviro groups or politician have the balls to step up and do it, more concerned about Facebook likes when one horse breaks a leg
What about the 60,000 native Australian critters being killed every day of the week by cats????
Admire the sentiment uncle, but there's not a snowflakes chance in hell of being able to determine how many native critters are are being killed by feral cats every day. The number of feral cats isn't even known.
most of the comments above are pretty spot on. Garrett had a go with the big party and got chewed up by the big end system. but seriously how much can one person be expected to do? and how far can a big party go to accomidate a celebrity recruit? after all Garrett joined the labor party, not labor joining the Garrett party.
Garrett just looks particularly bad because the labor party looked particularly bad, as they were/are going through a particularly bad period. plenty of good ideas and policies (well maybe mediocre ideas) implemented poorly. ets, cardon tax, mining tax 1 & 2, education revolution, pink bats, gonski. pink bats was a great initiative, and dodgy builders are to blame for deaths, not Garrett, but like most things it wss rushed out.
I think Garrett did alright in a stifling system, but I've got to agree with freeride, he did a poor job communicating gonski. I work in education and I have no idea what the reforms are. I bet few could describe them, like gillards supposed 'education revelution' it's probably just shuffling money around with a catchy title rather than real reform. seriously what is revolutionary about building overpriced gyms and libraries? can you describe any of the changes from gonski batfink?
Anyway, Head Injuries is still one the greatest Aus rock records ever made.
Again I've gotta disagree! I'm noticing a pattern here...
10-1>Red Sails> Head Injuries>Diesel and Dust>self titled>Place Wihout A Postcard>Blue Sky Mining>everything else.
Head Injuries>Place without a postcard> 10-1> Diesel & Dust> Red Sails> Self titled> Blue Sky Mining> everything else.(kinda lost me after that)
Not sure where to fit the Eps, Bird noises and Species deceases…they have some of my fav oil songs yes like Hercules and No time for games, but a few not so fav songs also.
No Species Deceases?
put your head in the dunny and flush it Stu.
Bloody hell! What an oversight, and Hercules is my favourite song of theirs.
Never mind the dunny I'm going for a surf.
One of my great memories of seeing the Oils live, my missus got called onto the stage, had to spin the "song wheel" & our dream was answered. The clicker landed on "Hercules". Fucking awesome!!!
Hell yeah!
BTW cheers for arranging that interview. Here's hoping the Oils comeback is on the cards. The sight of Pete's "juices flowing" is a sight to behold for sure. Reckon he's probably still got it too......
I'm with freeride, Head Injuries all the way!!!
Head Injuries>10-1>Red Sails>Blue Meanie>Place Without A Postcard>Bird Noises>Species Deceases>everything else.
Yep, that's my list too.
Close enough .
Just gave head injuries a burl yesterday, first time in ages.
Have to agree with Garrett's opinion on the Green's. Big on rhetoric but what have they actually achieved?
Who was it that said "only the impotent are pure"? That's the Greens in a nutshell. Still I hold out hope for Richard Di Natalie.
Best album ever for me was the 'self titled' album. 'Surfing With a Spoon' is my favourite Oil's song.
Well it's a bit rich for Garrett to claim the CPRS scheme as a win when that was voted down twice in the senate and never made legislation.
It was the Greens who forced Gillards hand and introduced a price on carbon into this country.
Wasn't Rudd's original CPRS scheme voted down in the senate by the Greens who sided with The Coalition? That was the beginning of the end for Rudd's prime ministership as he was forced to back down on his carbon reduction policy or be forced to go to an early double-dissolution election.
Then after Rudd's downfall and Gillard's hung election result she compromised with the Greens on a Carbon Tax which gave all the ammunition that Abbott needed to destroy Labor and win the election.
Want to know who to thank for handing the Prime Ministership to Abbott? Thank the Greens.
Got to agree with that.
And Bob Brown has received zero scrutiny from the press or green groups for scuttling the CPRS, not once, but twice.
no. thank the electorate. voters can't be absolved from our shared responsibility as well in choosing policies and leaders that improve the nation. we played our part in that godawful mess.
Species Deceases!
loven it , havent listened to for years
well he or the Rudd government at the time stopped Traveston dam from going ahead and for that I'll always be thankful despite the complete cock up by the then state labor. Maybe it was pressure from Rudd being a QLD'r - either way.. It was stopped.
Great interview. Legendary lyricist and a rare conviction politician." Its the system that's out to get us now. " - crass. What up with the whingeing keyboard kooks? What have you contributed? Be very afraid of conservative voting surfers. Be very afraid of conservatives period!
Which period of conservatives do you mean?
Agree Jr. Hulk,
Great read because I had always wondered how Garrett justified muting his own convictions in the interests of the party.
Interesting to see someone genuinely try all angles to drive the change that they want to see in the world, even though he would have been fully aware of the potential to undermine the credibility of his activist stance on issues.
I probably saw them a dozen or so times. First at Narrabeen then, much later, I had a mate who was in a band that supported them so we would get to the warm up gigs before they toured They were a great live band, never saw a show that was less than great.
My main disappointment is that they reached a point and then just did not push the envelope artistically. If they had maintained their passion Garrett could have been a much more effective agent for change on the stage than in parliament. There was always this thought in my mind watching him that, while the show was great, it was a show, that he was acting, not because he didn't believe in the issues, but because he didn't believe in the power of the artistic process to create change.
Peter, these lyrics...what do they mean now? To you, especially?
Better to...what??
The hardest line? What's that mean, now??
Things have changed irrevocably, haven't they Pete?
Shoulda plumbed for Indigenous affairs...shoulda gone the senate...shoulda joined the Greens...shoulda kept up your art (or artifice?)
Bugger about the legacy, hey comrade?
“No legacy is so rich as honesty.” William Shakespeare
Any period of conservative reign is a bad period, some admittedly may be slightly less so than others, eg Turnbull not as scary as Abbott or Howard, but conservatives are conservatives right? Conservative surfing is boring right? Conservative politicians are ... well conservative. Garrett wasn't conservative, he was progressive. He was for the environment, the arts, multicultarilsm, anti war and so it goes.
and then he joined Latham's labor and sat on Rudd's front bench
Sorry Hulk, I was having a dig at your use of the Americanism "period", as in, a full stop.
Seemed appropriate in the circumstances.
Oops went over my head. All cool, misinterpreted as a conservative attack, so launched a pre emptive strike against all conservatives. Can't be a bad thing right?
Love a pre-emptive strike on conservatives, one of my favourite things!
Don't like creeping Americanisms - "period", "touching base", saying "the letter zee" - it's amazing what's rapidly creeping into daily usage in this country.
Considering that Peter Garrett is one of the few Australian singers who sang with an Australian accent, sang about Australia (Koala Sprint anyone?!), and was/is patriotic before the term got hijacked by guess which country, it seems vaguely relevant in this thread.
Fair enough yáll... just kidding. No but on a more serious note, wouldn't it be great if someone could produce a nerve gas like agent that would clear the line up of any conservative voters? I think surfing would be a lot more enjoyable and more mellow again. It is always annoying when a bunch of conservatives paddle out and start comparing real estate prices, share prices etc.
On another tangent I also get really confused when conservative voting surfers play so called punk rock music pre surf in the carparks to look/sound/seem cool. Nothing more confusing than witnessing a conservative voter singing along to anti establishment lyrics when you just know they're redneck voting nationalists.
Proud sons of Johnny Howard: "I listen to Bob Dylan for the music not the lyrics."
Hah! For me, this is John Winston's most quotable quote. What a fucking muppet!
What did you do? Vote for a conservative that took us to war?
2007? I was living overseas - and thanks to the (non-advertised OS) electoral law changes the previous year - I had dropped off the electoral roll, and (thanks to the changes again) had fuck all time to remedy this once the desiccated coconut called the election date.
Only time I haven't voted federally. I guess it saved me from holding my nose and voting for Rudd. ANYONE BUT FUCKEN HOWARD. Jeez, he's half the reason I bailed overseas early 2002.
Oh yeah, I didn't vote for Blair either.
I give him all rhe credit in the world for entering politics because how was he ever going to have a hope of change unless he did? I would imagine he soon realised that he had no hope fighting the deeply entrenched political system we all have to suffer through, peter garret has done more for the environment and raising awareness of political issues than most of us would proabably do in 5 lifetimes! But politics aside listen to oils on water could possibly be the best concert ever and makes you proud to be an aussie
IMO PG is a legend, listened to his music as well lyrics many a time cruising in the HK68, to a many of surf trip around my home country, cassette style.
His lyrics were forcefully heard into saving this Australian land and culture, which is a credit to him.
I've Never been into politics as most comments are about, so I try not to comment on them, but hey at least he was with the Green!
"His lyrics were forcefully heard into saving this Australian land and culture, which is a credit to him."
To no avail Welly, I fear. The U.S cultural tsunami pushes on.
Jeez I hope someone can point out where I'm wrong.
"The Great South Land can be as great as the one it could have been" was inspirational when I was younger.....
Now, no end in sight to strip malls, Justin Bieber-inspired fashion, kids named after U.S. states their parents have never been to and of course, the cars - Colorado, Santa Fe, Tribeca.........
outside and in...
"The Americans have colonized our subconscious" - Wim Wenders.
Dear Stu,
I understand whilst you interviewed this man as he spanned the spectrum from purist to complete sell-out.
However as someone who was very deeply involved in opposing the Victorian Desalination Plant I have to say I was absolutely disgusted in this guy's performance.
Many, many, many, many emails and letter were sent to this man as when he was minster he had responsibility to review the project.
HE ABSOLUTELY AT NO TIME ENGAGED IN ANY WAY WITH ANYONE FROM THE COMMUNITY IN RELATION TO THIS PROJECT.
After he had signed off (approving it) on it there was a risk of a high court challenge due to him failing to adequately consider the number of whales in the area he sent an advisor down to check out whether there would be a challenge.
Whilst his advisor was down (when it was too late) the advisor on seeing the area and listening to our concerns (for the first time in two years mind you) appeared shocked and upset at what she saw.
When asked why she was so upset she replied, " We didn't really understand we just trusted what the Victorian (Labor) government told us because there on our side.
THAT IS THE KIND OF MINISTRY HE RAN!
PS. Used to love his music but now I just feel traumatised and want to vomit whenever I hear his "music with lies in it"!
Oh well we did pretty good it took one whole page really until the hatter's turned out.
Dear Johnny & boyz .See my reply to Indo Dreaming.
Surprise surprise this topic has prompted the deluded left to eulogise Garrett, Labor and the Fairfax/ABC press. Horror of horrors stu has revealed that there are Murdoch readers in our midst too! Thankfully men like John Howard and Peter Costello were around to salvage the messes inflicted by Labor. Our way of life is only possible with the wealth generated by a capitalist system supported and nurtured by conservatives.
Mate I'm surprised you didn't manage to slot GWSs into this thread. Or have I gone too early?
Surely the conservatives you speak of would be "shark huggers" wouldn't they?!?
Bring on an Oils comeback I say........
No, no, not the superannuation tour! And definitely not with Garrett as lead singer. He couldn't sing those songs after being in a government which ignored every principle he stood for
BB, your posts and articles show you to be middle age, so how is it you're struggling with the realities of the political process so much? A little bit of good beats zero amount of great.
PG stood outside the halls and shouted to little effect, then he got inside and made as many changes as the system would allow him too.
Cmon BB, even cynical ol you couldn't resist a comeback show surely. Just for old times sake :)
....can't see that happening rabbits, nostalgia is a terrible disease, it rots the brain and causes you to lose sight of the present. Been there, done that, time to do something new!
Haha!! Classic. I reckon nostalgia is all good so long as one is aware of the fact.....
Nostalgia is not what it used to be...
Mr Garrett being someone who speaks for social and environmental justice I would have been interested to hear his views on exorbitant parliamentary benefits and retirement pensions.
He should of just kicked the front speaker out of his chair jumped on the table and said ' how do we sleep while our beds are burning'...politics suck..
another tall poppy
Peter Garrett's political career was a lot like Red Sails in the Sunset, lots of hype with not a lot of substance.
EP and first 4 albums great...after that a sprinkling of ok songs IMHO.
Best song? Jimmy Sharmans Boxers?
Loved Midnight oil but after his stint in politics I'm left disillusioned with what he achieved while there, be it his fault or the partys . As for a comeback by the oils, I'll keep my memories of them from back in the day and leave it as that.
Head injuries, 10-1,Red sails in the sunset...Southport spit, power and the passion, full horn section, mayhem...good times
I always thought Red Sails sounded over produced for me although i still love it, but to my ears its the album that has aged the most sounds very 80,s, still has some great songs though.
Im surprised people don't seem to rate Diesel and Dust for me even though it could be called more commercial its a perfect album just in how its packaged and well balanced and captures the spirit and feel of central Australia perfectly and to my ears remains timeless..
Maybe it has a lot to do with at what point people get into a band hence how you perceive a band, i guess if you got in to the oils early you would feel at that Red sails to Diesel period that they have changed or got more commercial which can often be off putting…i guess for me in the oils case i came in at Diesel and dust so i got to that point after Blue sky mine where it just sounded to me like what they were doing was nowhere as good as all the early albums…plus music at that stage had changed so much post Nevermind that anything that wasn't drowned in fuzz kinda sounded boring.
ppphhht... what a boring ass-suck substitute for an interview.
Thankfully the comments exposed some reality on the situation, and exposed the card carrying pinkos and those blinded by stardom.
Conclusion, good musos rarely make for good polys.
Musos are aloof and too cool to mix with punters.
A good poly is a great communicator and always open to consultation.
So Garrett claimed stopping whaling and Gonski as well as the still born Carbon Pollution Reduction scheme as his greatest achievements.
Japan has announced it will ignore the court ruling, the last two years of Gonski when the majority of the funding is delivered is in limbo and likely to be further kicked down the road and Australia remains without a carbon price.
Fuckin hell, thats some propaganda to claim those as wins.
Midnight Oil are reforming for a tour:
We know it’s been a while but we wanted to tell you that the five of us are finally making plans to get together again for some gigs next year. We’re looking forward to hopefully playing overseas and touring our homeland for the first time since 2002.
We won’t know exactly when, where and what we’ll be doing before next January at the earliest so in the meantime please just ignore any rumours. Unless and until you hear about something from us you can safely assume that it’s not yet confirmed.
If you’d like us to send you an email when we do have specific news to announce then you can sign up for our mailing list here.
Meanwhile, we’re still busy with other projects outside the band.
For starters Peter Garrett can confirm reports that he will finally return to music by releasing his first solo album. When writing his memoir ‘Big Blue Sky’ Peter revealed that ‘a surprising byproduct of writing words all day was to suddenly find music coming back…’ This news sparked some speculation that a new Oils album might be in the making. However the songs that he wrote alongside his memoir are more personal in nature – hence the decision to record them for a solo release. Expect more news on his album over coming months.
Drummer/songwriter Rob Hirst has maintained his work with acclaimed Australian blues outfit – and festival favorites – ‘The Backsliders’, with a new album just recorded. Last year, he released ‘Hirst and Sennett’, a garage pop/rock collaboration with Brisbane musician/writer Sean Sennett. Most recently Rob co-wrote ‘The Truth Walks Slowly In The Countryside’ with Nashville based duo Jay and Mark O’Shea – a musical tribute to the late farmer/ CSG activist George Bender.
Composer/producer/guitarist Jim Moginie continues to push the musical envelope with the development of his ‘Electric Guitar Orchestra’ for whom his composition ‘The Colour Wheel’ explores the boundaries between music and colour. Jim has produced records for artists including Sarah Blasko. He also works as a screen composer and tours internationally with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, as well as pursuing his passion for Irish music with The Tinkers and Shameless Seamus.
Guitarist Martin Rotsey teamed up again with Jim and Rob to form instrumental surf combo ‘The Break’, and joined in to play guitar on Peter’s new record. Whilst bass player Bones Hillman moved to the US in 2007 and has since been active on the North American live scene, working out of Nashville and with Canadian artist Matthew Good, and long tme Oils producer Warne Livesey.
Lastly as a thanks to all of you for your continued patience here’s a free download of a live recording. It’s from one of the most recent gigs we did together – a warm up show in Canberra before the big “Sound Relief” benefit concert at the MCG back in 2009. Next year we want to make a racket just like this and we hope to see you there.
Cheers
Bones, Jim, Martin, Peter & Rob
From their website.
that takes some kind of front to show up and play MIdnight Oil songs after the capitulation of everything they stood for during his political "career".
I hope he gets pelted with rotten tomatoes.
Not sure about pelting rotten tomatoes but I tend agree FR. Hard to imagine they will be able to sing those songs with the same passion. That said I will be looking forward to seeing the reality first hand if it unfolds. No ones perfect, second chance & all.......
I missed, overlooked, the comments on this first time round, but have had a read now. The thing that stands out to me (driven by personal interest) is how the essentially simple premise of the Gonski review cannot be understood by some. It was sold very effectively and if you bother to look now, still is. Despite it's potential abandonment by our traditionally pro private school government, it is a much needed plan for education reform in this country.
The batts scheme was also a very good scheme the problem was never in the idea, but more the fact anybody could start up a business and the lack of regulation.
It's really a pity because instead of almost everyone having well insulated houses more energy efficient houses, we still have a large number of old houses that are poorly insulated and most likely will remain like that.