106-506: Midnight Oil (known informally as " The Oils ") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by Hirst, Moginie and original bassist Andrew James as Farm : they enlisted Garrett the following year, changed their name in 1976, and hired Rotsey
212-631: A New South Wales seat in the Australian Senate at the federal election . He refused at first, but after consulting his bandmates, he agreed on the condition that he head the ticket. He needed 12.5% of the statewide vote to win a seat in the Senate voting system , but a primary vote of 9.6% proved insufficient when Labor allocated its second preferences to the Democrats ahead of the NDP. After
318-503: A Nuclear Disarmament Party (NDP) candidate for a NSW seat in the Australian Senate during the December 1984 federal election , Garrett obtained 9.6% of votes but was unable to obtain the required quota of 12.5%. In April 1985, Garrett, with some 30 other members, walked out of the national conference and resigned from the NDP claiming it had been infiltrated by a Trotskyist group. Although unsuccessful in that federal election, Garrett
424-663: A 'white' myth about the extinction of Aboriginal Tasmanians . Their Native Title claims hinged upon establishing links with ancestral lands. Morris responded with, "My suggestion to these people is to stop shooting themselves in the foot and let a band like Midnight Oil voice its appeal to White Australia on behalf of Black Australia". Critics contended that Morris disparaged Indigenous Australians' ability to represent themselves and overestimated Midnight Oil's ambassadorial powers while diminishing their errors, while some indigenous activists saw benefit in Midnight Oil's highlighting of
530-550: A 2014 book review, Garrett stated that he was concerned at the growth of private schools, which could lead to "an increasingly segregated school system". He noted that the National School Chaplaincy Program needed to change their guidelines because "the line between chaplains acting to support students in the provision of general pastoral care and proselytising was too easily crossed". Garrett supported Gillard in both 2013 leadership spills . After
636-461: A combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards. Bones Hillman Wayne Stevens (May 1958 – 7 November 2020), known by the stage name Bones Hillman , was a New Zealand musician best known as the bass guitarist for the Australian alternative rock band Midnight Oil , which he joined in 1987 and remained with until his death in 2020. Hillman played bass guitar in his first band
742-648: A court ruling on discovery that would have granted the ABC access to the organisation's financial records. Six months after entering parliament, Garrett was appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Reconciliation and the Arts. It was reported that he had modified some of his earlier views. He expressed support for the U.S.-Australia alliance , and recanted earlier opposition to the Joint U.S.-Australian Defence Facility at Pine Gap . He also stated that, while he would argue
848-511: A fire at the family home when he was in his early twenties. Peter managed to escape the fire, but his mother was asleep upstairs and he was unable to rescue her. In 1973, Garrett became the lead singer for the rock band Midnight Oil , after responding to an advertisement placed by one of the band's founding members, Rob Hirst . In tandem with their musical and commercial success, the band were strongly identified with environmental and Aboriginal rights causes. They were particularly critical of
954-421: A function following the 2004 election. He subsequently retracted his allegations and stated that the envelope in fact contained a cheque, which he returned, and also that the incident "took place before he was elected, which would mean the possible offence of bribery or attempted bribery of a public official would not apply". Clubs NSW subsequently sued the ABC for defamation, but withdrew the suit in 2016 following
1060-555: A loose, raw style with almost a low-key sound. It peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA albums chart, and had Top 40 success in New Zealand and Switzerland. They returned to No. 1 on the ARIA albums charts with the compilation 20,000 Watt R.S.L. in 1997 on Sony Records , which achieved 4×Platinum sales. Later album releases include the electro tinged hard rock Redneck Wonderland in 1998, live album The Real Thing in 2000 and
1166-660: A performer he is known for his signature bald head, his eccentric dance style, and a "mesmerising onstage presence". He served as President of the Australian Conservation Foundation for ten years before being elected for the Labor Party as the Member of the House of Representatives for the seat of Kingsford Smith in the 2004 election . After Labor's victory in the 2007 election , Garrett
SECTION 10
#17327799806091272-603: A reputation as one of the toughest managers and became notorious for banning critics or journalists, who were usually given free admission to concerts, for writing unfavourable reviews. Writer and critic Bruce Elder , in a mid-1980s newspaper review described their music as "narrow and xenophobic" and declared Midnight Oil were: "a kind of antipodean pub rock version of Queen [...] life-denying, sexist, secular and bigoted [...] endless touting of Australia and all things Australian" In retaliation, Morris banned Elder from Oils shows permanently. Elder later recanted, describing them as
1378-567: A side project called Ghostwriters . The name refers to the practice of ghostwriting , wherein famous writers contribute under assumed names in order to remain anonymous. Ghostwriters' line-ups – both live and in the studio – changed considerably through the years, with only founders Hirst and Grossman being mainstays. Between successive album releases Hirst and Grossman returned to active involvement with Oils and Gurus respectively. Ghostwriters have released Ghostwriters (1991), Second Skin (1996), Fibromoon (1999) and Political Animal (2007). At
1484-908: A spot in Farm, and by 1975 the band had started touring the east coast of Australia. By late 1976 Garrett had moved to Sydney to complete his law degree, and Farm changed its name to Midnight Oil by drawing the name out of a hat. The name was coined by Peter Watson, a short-term keyboard player with Farm. Important to their development was manager Gary Morris, who successfully negotiated favourable contracts with tour promoters and record companies and frustrated rock journalists. Guitarist Martin Rotsey joined in 1977 and Midnight Oil, with Morris, established their own record label, Powderworks, which released their debut eponymous album in November 1978. Their first single "Run by Night" followed in December. Founding bass-guitarist James, forced to leave due to illness in 1980,
1590-629: A studio and live musician with Dave Dobbyn and recorded the album Available Light . Hillman moved with his family to Nashville, Tennessee , in early 2007 to participate in the more active musical scene there. In 2009, Hillman recorded albums for Anne McCue ( Broken Promise Land ) and Elizabeth Cook ( Welder , produced by Don Was ). Two years later he worked on the Musical adaptation of Diner , recording tracks for Sheryl Crow . In 2014, Hillman reunited with Midnight Oil producer Warne Livesey to record songs for his new musical project
1696-431: A year later. Peter Gifford served as bass player from 1980 to 1987, with Bones Hillman then assuming the role until his death in 2020. Midnight Oil have sold over 20 million albums worldwide as of 2021. Midnight Oil issued their self-titled debut album in 1978 and gained a cult following in their homeland despite a lack of mainstream media acceptance. The band achieved greater popularity throughout Australasia with
1802-498: The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) 1988 Awards ceremony, Midnight Oil won " Best Cover Art " for Diesel and Dust and both " Best Single " and " Best Song " for " Beds Are Burning ". A fracas developed between Morris, accepting awards for Midnight Oil, and former Countdown compere Ian Meldrum who was presenting: Meldrum objected to Morris making political commentary from
1908-760: The Essendon Bombers in the Australian Football League , although he has also shown favour to the Melbourne Demons as a secondary team when they faced Essendon rival Carlton in an AFL final . In September 2023, Garrett publicly advocated for the "Yes" campaign in the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum , a vote to change the Australian Constitution to enshrine a Voice to Parliament for Indigenous Australians . He also provided ongoing support of
2014-645: The Exxon Valdez oil spill the previous year. In February 1990, Blue Sky Mining , produced by Livesey , was released by CBS/Columbia. It peaked at No. 1 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) albums charts. It stayed at No. 1 for two weeks in Australia and had Top 5 chart success in Sweden, Switzerland and Norway. It peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and No. 28 on
2120-645: The Mary River cod would be too great and of national environmental significance. In a 2010 reshuffle of his Cabinet, Rudd demoted Garrett to the outer ministry in response to Garrett's administration of the Home Insulation Program (HIP), which was linked to four deaths, over 100 house fires and allegations of fraud. It was subsequently revealed in May 2010 that Garrett had written to Rudd on four occasions raising concerns about safety. Following
2226-726: The Southern Ocean to kill whales in the name of science was most controversial issue, with the Australian Government attempting to negotiate a cessation of "scientific" whaling at the annual meetings of the International Whaling Commission . These negotiations were unsuccessful, culminating in Australia taking Japan to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Although the case was concluded after Garrett had left politics,
SECTION 20
#17327799806092332-743: The Stolen Generations . But he had also said their reconciliation-themed single " Beds Are Burning " was his favourite Midnight Oil song. Midnight Oil performed the song at the ceremony with the word SORRY conspicuously printed on their clothes as a form of apology to Indigenous people for their suffering under white settlement and to highlight the issue to Howard, who was in the audience at the Olympic stadium as an estimated one billion people watched on television. Midnight Oil had consulted with tour mates Yothu Yindi and other Indigenous activists, so that their performance would bring popular protest to
2438-699: The WaveAid concert on 29 January 2005 to raise funds for the victims of the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami . The concert, which took place at the Sydney Cricket Ground , also included performances by Powderfinger , Silverchair , Nick Cave , John Butler Trio , Finn Brothers , and others. On 29 October 2006, Midnight Oil was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame with ARIA chairman Denis Handlin describing them: For 30 years, on their journey from inside Sydney's Royal Antler Hotel to outside
2544-544: The leadership spill in June 2010, which saw Rudd replaced by Julia Gillard , Garrett's colleague Gary Gray revealed most MPs believed Garrett was demoted because "...Rudd had a shocking interview on The 7.30 Report and needed a scapegoat". Gray stated: The majority of caucus felt he had been badly treated. For Rudd and his office to position Garrett as the fall guy was disgraceful, weak, sneaky, unprincipled and just plain wrong. All along, Peter properly put his objections to
2650-565: The " Sound Relief " charity concerts, in honour of the victims of the 2009 "Black Saturday" fires in Victoria and floods in Queensland. In 2010 their album Diesel and Dust ranked no. 1 in the book The 100 Best Australian Albums by Toby Creswell , Craig Mathieson and John O'Donnell . In 1971 drummer Rob Hirst , bass guitarist Andrew James, and keyboard player /lead guitarist Jim Moginie were performing together. They adopted
2756-477: The 'last' Tasmanian Aboriginal person , the treatment of Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira , the Australian flag debate , and republicanism . Liner notes for the single claimed "Truganini was the sole surviving Tasmanian Aborigine, the last of her race, when she died in 1876." The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, representing over 7000 contemporary Tasmanians, called for the single to be boycotted as it perpetuated
2862-608: The 1991 ARIA Awards ceremony, Midnight Oil won ' Best Group ' and an 'Outstanding Achievement Award' and ' Best Cover Artist ', 'Best Video' and ' Album of the Year ' for Blue Sky Mining . Morris, accepting awards for Midnight Oil, was criticised for a speech lasting 20 minutes. Scream in Blue (Live) , their June 1992 live album produced by Keith Walker, contained material from concerts between 1982 and 1990, including "Progress" from their Exxon Valdez protest gig. It peaked at No. 3 on
2968-602: The 8 May 1993 episode hosted by Christina Applegate . In 1993, the band also participated in the Another Roadside Attraction tour in Canada and collaborated with The Tragically Hip , Crash Vegas , Hothouse Flowers and Daniel Lanois on the one-off single " Land " to protest forest clearing in British Columbia. Breathe was released in 1996. It was produced by Malcolm Burn and had
3074-634: The ARIA albums charts; Top 50 in Austria, Sweden and Switzerland; and appeared on the Billboard 200. Midnight Oil's Earth and Sun and Moon album, produced with Nick Launay, was released in April 1993 and also drew critical acclaim and international success, peaking at No. 2 on the ARIA albums charts, top 20 in Sweden and Switzerland, Top 50 on Billboard 200, and top thirty in the UK albums chart. The single " Truganini " referenced multiple issues, including
3180-543: The Aboriginal nations and the need for Reconciliation in Australia . Peter Gifford left the band before the album's release due to extensive touring schedules, and was replaced by Bones Hillman , formerly of The Swingers . Diesel and Dust peaked at No. 1 on the Australian albums charts for six weeks, No. 21 on the Billboard 200 charts in 1988, and No. 19 on the UK albums charts. " Beds Are Burning "
3286-414: The Australian charts for 171 weeks. It retained their live energy but was more adventurous and radical than previous work. Their ascendancy was signalled by a series of concerts on the release of the album at Sydney's Capitol Theatre, one of which was filmed and recorded and later released on their 2004 Best of Both Worlds DVD. The band also played their first shows outside Australia during this time, with
Midnight Oil - Misplaced Pages Continue
3392-468: The Australian singles charts. One of its four tracks was the surf-instrumental "Wedding Cake Island" named after the rock outcrop in the ocean off Sydney's Coogee Beach . The band's third LP Place without a Postcard , released by CBS Records in November 1981, was recorded in Sussex with English producer Glyn Johns ( The Rolling Stones , The Who ). Creative tensions between the band and Johns plagued
3498-497: The Environment, Heritage and the Arts. Garrett supported Rudd in that month's leadership spill , a decision he would later come to regret, saying years later that it was "certainly the biggest mistake" he made in his political career. During the 2007 election campaign, Garrett caused some controversy after the journalist Steve Price claimed that Garrett had said to him Labor would change their policies if put in power. This
3604-695: The Exxon Building in New York, the Oils have always led from the front. They spoke to us – and to the world – in a uniquely Australian way. [...] Their music speaks first – it's powerful, it's uncompromising, it's unique rock music that inspires, entertains and will last forever. [...] My favourite Oils lyric, which summarises it all is: 'It's better to die on your feet than live on your knees.' Rob Hirst , in his acceptance speech, thanked his family, bandmates, and support from fellow Australians. He also lamented
3710-578: The Government claimed that the program improved indigenous school attendance, it was heavily criticised by some indigenous spokespeople and academics for being excessively punitive rather than implementing other policies that may have been far more effective in improving school attendance. In 2013, Garrett pledged to increase funding to public schools as recommended in the Gonski Report , in order to reduce inequality in educational performance. In
3816-426: The Government on climate change within the House of Representatives, Rudd instead gave that responsibility to Treasurer Wayne Swan . In his first acts in the role, Garrett approved a controversial plan to dredge Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay. This move attracted strong criticism from some environmental groups, who were concerned that the 23 million cubic metres of sand, rock and contaminated silt dredged from
3922-653: The Greens were embroiled in a tight contest. In the letter Garrett urged voters not to vote for the Greens, claiming they were in alliance with the conservative Liberal Party . This incurred the ire of Greens Leader, and former Garrett ally, Bob Brown , who accused Garrett of having "sold out" and of going against the environmental movement since joining the Labor Party. In December 2006, Kevin Rudd appointed Garrett to his Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Climate Change,
4028-538: The ICJ eventually announced its judgement, based on his application, that Japan must stop whaling in the Southern Ocean. In August 2008, Garrett approved a major expansion of South Australia's Beverley uranium mine , saying the mine would demonstrate global best practice for environmental protection. Garrett's decision was praised by the uranium industry , but criticised by the Australian Conservation Foundation ,
4134-496: The June spill, where Rudd defeated Gillard, Garrett immediately announced his resignation as Education Minister, and the following day declared that he would not seek re-election at the 2013 election , ending his career in Parliament after nine years. Garrett is married and has three daughters. He is the uncle of Maude Garrett , formerly of Nickelodeon Australia and SourceFed . Garrett's grandfather, Tom Vernon Garrett,
4240-641: The Masochists, an early New Zealand punk act, formed with Kevin Gray (vocals), Spike Nasty (drums) and Jimmy Sex (guitar), from the Auckland suburb of Avondale . They were alternatively known as The Metal Masochists, MM, Vandals, and The Avondale Spiders. In late 1977 he joined the Suburban Reptiles and appeared on their first single, "Megaton" (Vertigo, 1978). The name Hillman was coined by
4346-464: The Midnight Lamp ", although the word "oil" appears nowhere in the lyrics. The expression "midnight oil" first appeared in a 1635 poem by Francis Quarles (1592-1644): To heaven's high city I direct my journey, Whose spangled suburbs entertain mine eye. We spend our midday sweat, our midnight oil ; We tire the night in thought, the day in toil. After changing its name to Midnight Oil,
Midnight Oil - Misplaced Pages Continue
4452-618: The National Coalition of Aboriginal Organisations. During 1989–1993 and 1998–2002 Garrett was the President of the Australian Conservation Foundation , whilst during 1993–1998 he was on the International Board of Greenpeace . In 1990 Midnight Oil played an impromptu lunchtime set in front of Exxon headquarters in New York with a banner reading, "Midnight Oil Makes You Dance, Exxon Oil Makes Us Sick," protesting
4558-741: The Passion" peaked at No. 8. The album also includes their denunciation of American military interference in foreign affairs in " US Forces " and their critique of imperialist repression in " Short Memory ". 10 to 1 was recorded in London during September and produced by Englishman Nick Launay , who had previously worked with acts including The Jam , XTC , Peter Gabriel , PiL , Gang of Four and The Birthday Party . Launay worked on several other major Australian recordings in this period including INXS ' The Swing , Models ' The Pleasure of Your Company and The Church 's Seance . The album remained in
4664-630: The Passion" was also listed in APRA's Top 30 best Australian songs . Garrett announced his decision to quit Midnight Oil on 2 December 2002, to refocus on his political career. In the 1984 federal election , Garrett had stood for the Australian Senate under the Nuclear Disarmament Party banner and narrowly lost. He won the seat of Kingsford Smith at the 2004 General Election for the Australian Labor Party and
4770-573: The Special Award). The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia . They commenced in 1987. Countdown was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987, it presented music awards from 1979 to 1987, initially in conjunction with magazine TV Week . The TV Week / Countdown Awards were
4876-665: The Sunset in October 1984, which was recorded in Japan, produced by Launay again. It peaked at No. 1 for four weeks on the Australian charts, and charted on the Billboard 200. Singles from the album were released in US and UK but had no chart success. Whilst the album showed an overreliance on technical wizardry, their lyrical stance was positive. The band continued to expand their sound and explore themes of politics, consumerism, militarism,
4982-554: The Top 40 in Australia. Driven largely by commercial pressures to stay with reliable chart-toppers and teenage pop sensations, the Australian music industry in the mid-1970s cast a dismissive eye toward most bands with an alternative outlook. Although consistently championed by Sydney alternative rock station Double Jay and its FM band successor Triple J, Midnight Oil were almost totally ignored by Australia's mainstream commercial radio stations in their early career. Manager Morris developed
5088-781: The Top Ten of the Australian singles chart: Aside from chart success, the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) in 2001 listed both "Power and the Passion" and "Beds Are Burning" in the Top 30 best Australian songs of all time, a chart in which Midnight Oil are the only artists to feature twice. In December 2002 Garrett announced that he would seek to further his political career and Midnight Oil disbanded, but they reformed for two warm-up shows in Canberra leading up to their performance, at one of
5194-522: The UK charts. The album was more defiant and outspoken; the single "Blue Sky Mine" describes asbestos exposure in the Wittenoom mine tragedy . The single peaked at No. 8 on the ARIA singles charts, top 15 in Norway and Switzerland, No. 47 on Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on both their Mainstream and Modern Rock Tracks charts, and appeared on the UK charts. The second single, "Forgotten Years",
5300-577: The Victorian bushfire appeal. In November 2012, Garrett and Paul Kelly inducted Yothu Yindi into the ARIA Hall of Fame and performed with the band their best-known song " Treaty ". On 5 May 2016, after the conclusion of his career in Parliament, Garrett announced that Midnight Oil would be reforming and that they would be touring in 2017, including a trip to the United States. Midnight Oil stated on their Facebook page: "We wanted you to be
5406-509: The Yes campaign in the lead up to the unsuccessful referendum. These annual awards were established by Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) in 1982 to honour the achievements of songwriters and music composers and to recognise their song writing skills, sales and airplay performance, by its members annually. From 1982 to 1990, the best songs were given the Gold Award (also called
SECTION 50
#17327799806095512-495: The administration of the program on the record. How can you have a situation where Rudd executes complete and total influence, micromanages everything, yet not the home insulation program? The shape and execution of the program was certainly designed by the prime minister's office, if not the prime minister himself. Garrett initially retained the portfolio of Environment Minister in the First Gillard Ministry , and
5618-411: The album being released in the US on Columbia Records , where it charted in 1984 on the Billboard 200 ; in the UK it was released on CBS . Midnight Oil undertook more politically motivated benefit concerts, including organising the Stop The Drop nuclear disarmament concert in 1983, which received a United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Prize . 10 to 1 was followed by Red Sails in
5724-436: The band disintegrated in 1983. He appeared in the 1982 film Starstruck , as one of the Swingers. He was credited as Dwayne Hillman. Moving to Australia as part of The Swingers in 1980 and living there until 2002, Hillman was a member of internationally known Australian rock band Midnight Oil , replacing Peter Gifford in 1987 as bass player. During the hiatus of Midnight Oil, Hillman returned to New Zealand, working as
5830-459: The band was something of a new concept for the Australian music scene, and Peter Garrett quickly earned a reputation as one of the most charismatic and outspoken musicians in the country. He recalled that there were dangers in playing the pub scene: You get booked into a pub or hotel, say in the western suburbs of Sydney. Halfway through your set, two large, drunk truck drivers decide to have a fight. They're beating each other up and careening towards
5936-675: The band would reach a wider audience within the predominantly Caucasian urban centres. Midnight Oil requested that all royalties from the song go to indigenous communities . In addition, two indigenous groups, Warumpi Band and Gondwanaland, toured with them. Following the 1988 American tour in support of Diesel and Dust with Australian band Yothu Yindi , Midnight Oil launched the Building Bridges – Australia Has A Black History album with various artists contributing, including Paul Kelly , Scrap Metal , Coloured Stone, Hunters & Collectors , James Reyne , The Saints , Crowded House , INXS and Yothu Yindi. All sales proceeds were donated to
6042-467: The band, Garrett performed several times with Midnight Oil in the following years. After the Asian tsunami on 26 December 2004, Garrett joined the other members of Midnight Oil to perform as part of the fund-raising event WaveAid . On 7 July 2007, Garrett presented Crowded House at the Australian leg of Live Earth . On 14 March 2009, Garrett performed live at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with Midnight Oil for Sound Relief , in order to raise money for
6148-451: The bay's shipping channels would affect fishing and tourism in the area. Garrett also refused federal funding that would have enabled a remount of Elke Neidhardt 's acclaimed Adelaide production of Der Ring des Nibelungen in 2008. As Environment Minister, Garrett was responsible for implementing the Government's whaling conservation policy, which included the cessation of commercial and "scientific" whaling. Japan 's annual trips to
6254-420: The case for environmentalism inside the Labor Party, he would observe the ultimate decision of the party caucus , including accepting any decision on the "no new uranium mines" policy. Garrett's change of stance drew criticism from both journalists and Midnight Oil fans, who contrasted Garrett's former pronouncements on environmental and political issues he had made before joining the Labor Party. While some in
6360-412: The conclusion of Garrett's term as President of the Australian Conservation Foundation ended, in June 2004 Labor Leader Mark Latham announced that Garrett would become an Australian Labor Party candidate for the House of Representatives at that year's federal election , in the safe New South Wales seat of Kingsford Smith which was being vacated by the former Cabinet Minister Laurie Brereton . There
6466-463: The corner where the band is set up. Meanwhile, everyone else is going, 'Aaah, turn it down, I'm trying to watch TV.' Try to contemplate that as an environment to play music in every night for three years. Their Australian breakthrough and first international recognition came in 1982, with the release of 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 , which included the singles " Power and the Passion " and " Read about It ". The album peaked at No. 3 and "Power and
SECTION 60
#17327799806096572-419: The day of the show they were "bumped" from the line-up. Countdown required artists to mime their songs during 'live' performances, Midnight Oil and Morris insisted they perform completely live and have their sound engineer supervising – neither side backed down. According to Countdown producer Michael Shrimpton, the band had arrived late for rehearsal and, due to the show's very tight schedule and budget, there
6678-411: The fact that unlike the Vietnam war, which had inspired some of the best protest songs ever written, very few had been written in reaction to the invasion of Iraq. Peter Garrett Peter Robert Garrett AM (born 16 April 1953) is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and former politician. In 1973, Garrett became the lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil . As
6784-448: The first to know that the five of us are planning to do some gigs in Australia and overseas during 2017." Days later, Garrett also announced his first solo album, A Version of Now , which was released on 15 July. His second solo album, The True North , was released in March 2024. Garrett's first attempt to enter the Australian Parliament came in December 1984, when the Nuclear Disarmament Party (NDP) invited him to stand for
6890-447: The former policy of removing Aboriginal children from their families . During his time with Midnight Oil, Garrett served two terms as President of the Australian Conservation Foundation (from 1989 to 1993 and 1998 to 2004). He was also invited to join the international board of Greenpeace in 1993 for a two-year term. He served as an adviser and patron to various cultural and community organisations, including Jubilee Debt Relief, and
6996-518: The four-track EP Species Deceases produced with Francois Kevorkian was released by CBS/Columbia; it peaked at No. 1 on the Australian singles charts for six weeks. Species Deceases , featuring the track "Hercules", featured a return to their pub rock sound with hard hitting firepower. Midnight Oil spent several months in 1986 on the Blackfella/Whitefella tour of outback Australia with indigenous groups Warumpi Band and Gondwanaland , playing to remote Aboriginal communities and seeing first hand
7102-415: The group began to develop an aggressive, punk-hard rock sound for their pub rock audiences. Guitarist Martin Rotsey joined in 1977 and Midnight Oil, with their manager Gary Morris, established their own record label Powderworks. In June 1978 they entered the Alberts Studio in Sydney with producer Keith Walker, from local radio station 2JJ , to record their debut eponymous album, Midnight Oil , which
7208-443: The issues. Nevertheless, "Truganini" released in March peaked at No. 10 on the ARIA singles charts, No. 10 on Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks and No. 4 on their Modern Rock Tracks charts, and top thirty for the UK charts. Peter Garrett issued an apology for the mistake in the liner notes. The band performed the song along with "My Country" from the album on the American sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live during
7314-482: The late 1970s, with the outfit being cited as an influence, and their songs covered , by numerous popular artists. Aside from their studio output, the group are celebrated for their energetic live performances, which showcase the frenetic dancing of Garrett. Guardian writer Andrew Street described Midnight Oil as "one of Australia's most beloved bands". While studying at Australian National University in Canberra, vocalist Peter Garrett answered an advertisement for
7420-409: The make of car he drove. He left the band in early 1978 and joined the former Masochists in the Rednecks, a mainstay of the legendary Zwines punk scene in Auckland. In late 1979, Hillman joined the New Zealand band the Swingers with Phil Judd (ex- Split Enz ) and Mark Hough (a.k.a. Buster Stiggs, ex-Suburban Reptiles). Their single " Counting the Beat " was a trans-Tasman number one hit before
7526-420: The media labelled him a "turncoat", some, such as Eureka Street and the Canberra Times columnist and ANU academic John Warhurst, defended his need to be a "team player" if he was going to succeed in the political game "from the inside". Garrett campaigned for Labor in the 2006 Victorian state election , causing some controversy when he sent a letter to voters in the seat of Melbourne , where Labor and
7632-639: The military and foreign policy of the United States during the 1980s. On and off stage, Midnight Oil often made political statements. At the closing ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the group performed before then-Prime Minister, John Howard , and a television audience of hundreds of millions, wearing black overalls bearing the word "sorry". This referred to the Howard Government's refusal to apologise to Aboriginal Australians for
7738-530: The more stripped back Capricornia in 2002 again renuniting with producer Warne Livesey , all charted into the ARIA Top Ten. Midnight Oil again brought the politics of Reconciliation to the fore during their performance at the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics . Then Prime Minister John Howard had triggered controversy that year with his refusal to embrace symbolic reconciliation and apologise to Indigenous Australians and members of
7844-580: The name "Farm" in 1972, and played covers of Cream , Creedence Clearwater Revival and Led Zeppelin songs. They placed an advert for a band member; Peter Garrett (ex-Rock Island Line) became their new vocalist and synthesizer player and began introducing progressive rock elements of Focus , Jethro Tull and Yes , as well as their own material. Garrett was studying at the Australian National University in Canberra , so Farm
7950-432: The only Australian band to have developed a truly Australian sound. The frostiness of Midnight Oil's relationship with the traditional music media quickly saw the band develop a strong "street cred" and a reputation for making no compromises with the music industry. In the early 1980s the band was scheduled to appear on an episode of the all-powerful Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) TV pop show Countdown but on
8056-680: The opportunity to employ, instead of "a religious support worker" (chaplain), a "secular student well-being officer". In February 2012, Garrett, alongside Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin , announced an expansion of the Improving School Enrollment and Attendance through Welfare Reform Measure (SEAM), a program through which parents of indigenous students in the Northern Territory can have their Centrelink payments suspended for three months if their children are not attending or enrolled in school. Though
8162-599: The organisation Garrett previously led, which said the decision would result in the mine spreading acid and radioactive pollution over 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi). Later that year, Garrett announced the withdrawing of all A$ 2.6 million funding from the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM). In 2009, Garrett chose not to give the proposed A$ 2 billion Tamar Valley mill approval until more studies were undertaken on its potential impact on marine environments. A new condition
8268-447: The plight of Indigenous Australians , with the latter charting at number one in multiple countries. Midnight Oil had continued global success with Blue Sky Mining (1990) and Earth and Sun and Moon (1993) – each buoyed by an international hit single in " Blue Sky Mine " and " Truganini ", respectively – and remained a formidable album chart presence in Australia until their 2002 disbandment. The group held concerts sporadically during
8374-401: The podium. There were concerns about Diesel and Dust and Midnight Oil's attempts to express indigenous issues to white urban audiences – namely, the question "who holds the power to tell whose history?" The lyrics of "The Dead Heart" tell the story of colonisation from an indigenous point of view but some critics felt they reinforced the "primitive" stereotype . Use of the bullroarer
8480-461: The recording and the group were not totally happy with the outcome. Johns had an arrangement with A&M Records and they asked Midnight Oil to return to the studio to record material suitable for an American single release – they refused and returned to Australia. Place without a Postcard peaked at No. 12 on the albums charts and related singles "Don't Wanna be the One" and "Armistice Day" reached
8586-606: The release of 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (1982) – which spawned the singles " Power and the Passion " and " US Forces " – and also began to attract an audience in the United States. They achieved their first Australian number one album in 1984 with Red Sails in the Sunset , and topped their native country's singles chart for six weeks with the EP Species Deceases (1985). The group garnered worldwide attention with 1987 album Diesel and Dust . Its singles " The Dead Heart " and " Beds Are Burning " illuminated
8692-434: The remainder of the 2000s and announced a full-scale reformation in 2016. The band released their 15th and final studio album, Resist , on 18 February 2022, and announced an accompanying tour. The band's music often broaches political subjects, and they have lent their support to multiple causes. They have won eleven ARIA Awards and were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006. Midnight Oil's legacy has grown since
8798-435: The seriousness of the issues in health and living standards. The tour was criticised by some journalists for being a one-off event instead of a long-term attempt to build bridges between communities. The band was galvanised by the experiences and made them the basis of Diesel and Dust , released in 1987 and produced by Warne Livesey . The album focused on the need for recognition by white Australia of past injustices involving
8904-467: The show. Fans of the group were drawn to the band's "us and them" mindset, and fan loyalty to the Oils' ideas and music was fierce. Two venues at which they built significant fan bases from their early live performances were the Sydney northern beaches pub The Royal Antler at Narrabeen and the Bondi Lifesaver club near Sydney's Bondi Beach . Politically oriented rock of the style produced by
9010-506: The threat of nuclear war and environmental issues. The album cover by Japanese artist Tsunehisa Kimura featured a photomontage of Sydney – both city and harbour – cratered and devastated after a hypothetical nuclear attack. Live concert footage of "Short Memory" was used in the Australian independent anti-nuclear war movie One Night Stand . A promotional video for "Best of Both Worlds", later on Best of Both Worlds , received airplay worldwide on cable music TV station MTV. Garrett ran as
9116-503: The two guitarists Moginie and Rotsey, the drumming and vocals of Hirst and the presence of the towering, bald Garrett as lead singer. The Midnight Oil LP disappointed some critics as it did not capture their powerful live performances, with undemanding playing and Garrett's vocals sounding stilted. Their second album Head Injuries , released on Powderworks in October 1979, was produced by former Supercharge member Leszek Karski. It mixed solid guitar rock with progressive flourishes and
9222-491: The world arena. In 2001, when Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) surveyed 100 music industry people for their Top 10 Best Australian songs of all time, "Beds Are Burning" was voted No. 3 behind The Easybeats ' " Friday on My Mind " and Daddy Cool 's " Eagle Rock ". At the 2001 APRA Awards ceremony "Beds are Burning" was shown on video and introduced by Australian Democrats Senator Aden Ridgeway as an Indigenous spokesperson on Reconciliation. "Power and
9328-659: Was a founding member of the Surfrider Foundation . In 2000, Garrett was awarded the Australian Humanitarian Foundation Award in the environment category and in 2001 he received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of New South Wales . Garrett announced his departure from Midnight Oil in 2002, saying he wished to concentrate more fully on his environmental and social activism. Although no longer part of
9434-406: Was a strict policy that latecomers were not allowed to appear; and, as such, they were told they could not perform that day. In response, the group declared that they would never appear on the show, a promise they faithfully kept. Countdown presenter Molly Meldrum shaved his head bald, imitating Garrett, for its final show on 19 July 1987 and expressed regret that Midnight Oil had never appeared on
9540-422: Was an improvement by highlighting the group's strengths and growth. It peaked at No. 36 and by mid-1980 had achieved gold status. In April 1980 founding bass guitarist Andrew James left because of ill-health and was replaced by Peter Gifford (ex-Huntress, Ross Ryan Band). Further interest in Midnight Oil was generated by the popular Bird Noises EP , also produced by Karski, which peaked at No. 28 on
9646-469: Was appointed Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd . Following the 2010 election , he was made Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth by Prime Minister Julia Gillard . In the aftermath of the 2013 leadership spill , Garrett resigned from the Ministry and announced he would retire from politics at the 2013 election . In 2003, Garrett
9752-680: Was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia , "for service to the community as a prominent advocate for environmental conservation and protection, and to the music industry." In 2009, the French Government appointed Garrett an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters . In 2010, the World Wide Fund for Nature presented him with their Leaders for a Living Planet Award. Born on 16 April 1953, in Wahroonga , Sydney , Garrett
9858-414: Was criticised as belonging to sacred rituals and therefore not appropriate for rock songs. "The Dead Heart" had been written in response to a request by organisers of the 1985 ceremony to return control of Uluru to its indigenous caretakers ; Midnight Oil had originally resisted, arguing it would be more appropriate for an indigenous band to release the single. However, the organisers insisted, arguing that
9964-539: Was disputed by Garrett as a "short jocular conversation". Garrett was comfortably re-elected for Kingsford Smith in the election, with a 4.56% swing towards him. After Labor's victory in the 2007 election, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appointed Garrett as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts in the Cabinet , although responsibility for climate change was separated from the portfolio and handed to Senator Penny Wong . Although Garrett requested to represent
10070-584: Was more moderately successful, reaching No. 26 on the ARIA singles chart, No. 97 in the UK, No. 11 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks, and No. 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks. In Sydney in 1990, while Midnight Oil were taking a break, Hirst joined up with guitarist Andrew Dickson, drummer Dorland Bray of Do-Ré-Mi , guitarist Leszek Karski (Midnight Oil producer) and bass guitarist Rick Grossman of Hoodoo Gurus to form
10176-542: Was now a recognised public figure. In January 1985, Midnight Oil performed Oils on the Water , a concert on Goat Island in Sydney Harbour to celebrate Triple J 's tenth birthday, before a select audience of fans who had won tickets in a radio competition. The concert was filmed, simulcast on ABC-TV and Triple J, and released on video, which was remastered for their 2004 Best of Both Worlds DVD. In December 1985
10282-586: Was one of many prisoners of war who died in the sinking of Montevideo Maru . That sinking is considered the worst maritime disaster in Australia's history. He refers to this event in the opening line of the Earth and Sun and Moon track "In the Valley". In 2007, artist Michael Mucci entered a portrait of Garrett in the Archibald Prize , while in 2022 Anh Do 's portrait was a finalist. Garrett supports
10388-494: Was only a part-time band. They played for the northern-Sydney surfing community and, by 1975, were touring the east coast. In late 1976 Garrett moved to Sydney to complete his law degree. Farm then became a full-time group and changed its name to "Midnight Oil" by drawing a name out of a hat, leaving behind "Television", "Sparta", and "Southern Cross". The name "Midnight Oil" was inspired by the Jimi Hendrix song " Burning of
10494-567: Was put on the mill, meaning Gunns could be liable for criminal and civil penalties if the mill was approved and broke defined "environmental limits". That same year saw Garrett also rejected proposals to impound the Mary River through the construction of the Traveston Crossing Dam . Garrett determined that the impacts of the proposed dam on the threatened species of Australian lungfish , the Mary River Turtle and
10600-491: Was re-elected at the 2010 election , albeit with a substantially reduced majority, suffering a two-party preferred negative swing against him of 8.1%. After the election, Gillard promoted him back to the full Cabinet as Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth . In September 2011, Garrett announced an alteration of the National School Chaplaincy Program by offering schools
10706-510: Was released by Powderworks in November 1978 and peaked at No. 43 on the Australian albums charts. Midnight Oil's first single "Run by Night" followed in December, but had very little chart success, peaking at No. 100 on the singles charts. The band built a dedicated fan base, initially restricted to Sydney, which was extended to other Australian cities through constant touring – performing some 200 gigs in their first year. They became known for their furious live performances, which featured
10812-510: Was replaced by Peter Gifford . Gifford was himself replaced by Bones Hillman in 1987. Through a long and distinguished career, the band became known for its driving hard-rock sound, intense live performances and political activism, particularly in aid of anti-nuclear , environmentalist and indigenous causes. The following Midnight Oil albums peaked in the Australian Top Ten: The following Midnight Oil releases peaked in
10918-532: Was selected as Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment, Heritage and the Arts. On Thursday, 29 November 2007, Prime Minister elect Kevin Rudd named Garrett as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. The other members of the band continued to work together, but not under the Midnight Oil name. After a warm up gig the previous evening at the Manly-Warringah Leagues Club, the band, including Garrett, reunited to perform at
11024-406: Was some initial criticism from Labor members within the electorate, as the local branch had wished to select their own candidate; in the end, Garrett was comfortably elected for the seat in October 2004. In 2015, Garrett alleged in his autobiography and an ABC documentary that he had been handed an envelope containing "hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars" in cash by a representative of Clubs NSW at
11130-473: Was the eldest of three siblings. He suffered from severe asthma as a child. He attended Gordon West Public School and then Barker College in Hornsby before studying politics at the Australian National University (ANU), where he was a resident at Burgmann College , and later law at the University of New South Wales . His father died from an asthma attack while Peter was in his teens, and his mother died in
11236-538: Was their biggest international hit single, peaking at No. 6 in Australia, and No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 , No. 6 on the UK singles charts. "The Dead Heart" peaked at No. 6 in Australia, and charted on the Hot 100 and in the UK. "Put Down that Weapon" also charted in Australia, while "Dreamworld" charted on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock Tracks and at No. 16 on its Modern Rock Tracks . At
#608391