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9 unusual facts about Midnight Oil


Australian Blue Asbestos

Company disregard for asbestos miners' health and lack of compensation was commented on in the song Blue Sky Mine on the album Blue Sky Mining by Midnight Oil.

Jo Vallentine

At her first election campaign in 1984, media interest was focused on the NDP Senate candidate for New South Wales, Midnight Oil's singer Peter Garrett.

Kintore, Northern Territory

Kintore is mentioned in the Midnight Oil song "Beds are Burning" (from the Diesel and Dust album): "Four wheels scare the cockatoos/From Kintore East to Yuendumu".

Oil Rag

The Oil Rags were promotional newspapers issued by the Australian rock band Midnight Oil along with releases of some of their studio albums.

Peter Gammons

Gammons has a penchant for indie rock and the blues, and is active in the Boston indie rock scene when his other commitments allow him the time; he has been sighted at several Midnight Oil shows, and has mentioned the band in several columns.

The Narcs

The band worked in both in NZ and Australia, recording a total of four albums and playing alongside such acts as Midnight Oil, Split Enz, Elton John and Queen.

Tom Garrett

Tom Garrett's great-grandson is the former Midnight Oil lead singer and now Australian federal politician and government minister, Peter Garrett.

Vales Point Power Station

Vales Point Power Station is recognisable in the background of the music video for the 1982 Midnight Oil track "U.S. Forces".

Yuendumu, Northern Territory

The town is mentioned in the Midnight Oil song "Beds are Burning" (from the Diesel and Dust album): Four wheels scare the cockatoos/From Kintore East to Yuendumu.


Australian pub

Many significant Australian groups of the 1970s and 1980s – including AC/DC, Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil, The Choirboys and INXS – spent their formative years playing on the pub circuit.

Chris Abrahams

Abrahams has also been a session musician on albums for artists such as The Church, The Whitlams, Midnight Oil, Wendy Matthews, Skunkhour and Silverchair.

David Twohill

Twohill, with his wife Sue, was in the national news on Christmas Day 2001 when their house was lost in bushfires—a benefit gig, Bird's Big Burnout, occurred at Revesby in early 2002 and a four piece Midnight Oil minus Peter Garrett performed.

Luke Munns

He then toured around Australia on a support solo tour with Australian/NZ folk artist Brooke Fraser and then went back into the studio to record the You & Me EP with producer Brendan Anthony (INXS, Midnight Oil, Jimmy Barnes, Brianna Carpenter (Australian Idol) in Studios 301, Sydney.

Suzie Dickinson

During her time with the band, Dickinson was included in the recording of "Let the Franklin Flow", a song about the ecological damage to be caused by damming Tasmania's Franklin River for hydroelectricity, and performed at the Stop the Drop concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl with Midnight Oil and Redgum.

Tablewaiters

Several tours and important support spots included playing with Simple Minds, The Psychedelic Furs, Split Enz, INXS, Midnight Oil, Machinations (band), Laughing Clowns, Models (band), Hunters and Collectors, Eurogliders & The Birthday Party (band).

Tim Hopkins

Other credits include You Am I, Kate Ceberano, Ed Kuepper, Doug Williams, Midnight Oil, Jackie Orszaczky, and many others, not to mention a brief jam with Sting.


see also

Greg Arnold

In 2006 Arnold wrote the song "Close My Eyes" for the Australian Red Cross and recorded the song with former Midnight Oil drummer, Rob Hirst, and Paul Greene.