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Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil are one of the most ‘Australian’ rock band this country has produced. Born from the Australian pub rock scene that gave us AC/DC, Cold Chisel and INXS, the Oils were able to break out of that scene without compromising themselves in any way. Indeed, their breakthrough overseas
record was the most Australian album they made.
But it wasn’t just the subject matter that made them fiercely Australian; it was their stubborn independence, and their refusal to play the rock‘n’roll game and respect its rules and masters. But more than any of this is the adrenalin rush of an Oils show. Performances so intense that witnesses swore they had seen the greatest Oils gig ever! Such was the belief that something so powerful could surely not take place regularly. When they took this overseas, audiences could often not understand a word they were saying, but musically they recognised a common language: powerful, unadulterated live performances.
record was the most Australian album they made.
But it wasn’t just the subject matter that made them fiercely Australian; it was their stubborn independence, and their refusal to play the rock‘n’roll game and respect its rules and masters. But more than any of this is the adrenalin rush of an Oils show. Performances so intense that witnesses swore they had seen the greatest Oils gig ever! Such was the belief that something so powerful could surely not take place regularly. When they took this overseas, audiences could often not understand a word they were saying, but musically they recognised a common language: powerful, unadulterated live performances.
Hardcover
Published January 1, 2016
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230 people want to read
About the author
Michael Lawrence
257 books40 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 14, 2017
This hefty tome has some great poster images and archival shots as well as a full road-diary of every gig the Oils played...there's some good oral-history-type stuff here, but there's no real analysis. So it's for the fans rather than for anyone hoping for new insight. A fine-enough celebration of a great, great band though...
November 18, 2018
Midnight Oil spent more than two decades roaming the world delivering incredible rock and roll shows to packed houses. They gave their all every night and their fans left the venues sweaty, exhausted and desperate to see them again.
I was one of those fans and saw them whenever I had a chance. I stood in a crowd shouting "Ooooilllls" while I waited for the band to come out and then leaped about for the next two hours shouting along and desperately hoping for a Best of Both Worlds encore.
The twenty or so shows I saw have tended to blur into one and I've often wondered exactly where I saw them and which of their constantly changing setlists I saw. Which is why I'm giving this book four stars.
Lawrence has put in a staggering amount of research and managed to piece together pretty much every setlist the band played. He's created an invaluable reference work that lets someone like me get their memory and bootleg collection in order and create my own personal Midnight Oil history. He's also thrown in a lot of posters, images, interviews and reviews which serve as a comprehensive timeline of the band and their work.
There are some books which give you a deeper understanding of a group's music or the personalities involved. This isn't that book. There are no new insights from the band members or their inner circle and not enough of a narrative to keep the casual reader from ploughing through it from one cover to another. It lacks the drama of a lot of rock books but then that's the fault of the band as much as the writer. Midnight Oil were all about the music and the message. They didn't have epic falling outs, drug binges or sleep with each other's wives. They never courted celebrity or wild parties. They were basically a bunch of nice family guys who played rock and roll. Any book about the Oils is right to keep the focus on the shows first and foremost.
If you want to know the inside scoop on Peter Garrett's sex life then there is nothing for you here. But if you want to know when they played the Myer Music Bowl and what songs made up the setlist, then Lawrence has you covered, and he might even have transcribed a Garret Rant for posterity.
Lawrence is a huge fan and he's written a book for others like him. I've probably stood in the same audience at an Oils show and if I ever get a chance to meet him then I'd like to thank him for his work.
I was one of those fans and saw them whenever I had a chance. I stood in a crowd shouting "Ooooilllls" while I waited for the band to come out and then leaped about for the next two hours shouting along and desperately hoping for a Best of Both Worlds encore.
The twenty or so shows I saw have tended to blur into one and I've often wondered exactly where I saw them and which of their constantly changing setlists I saw. Which is why I'm giving this book four stars.
Lawrence has put in a staggering amount of research and managed to piece together pretty much every setlist the band played. He's created an invaluable reference work that lets someone like me get their memory and bootleg collection in order and create my own personal Midnight Oil history. He's also thrown in a lot of posters, images, interviews and reviews which serve as a comprehensive timeline of the band and their work.
There are some books which give you a deeper understanding of a group's music or the personalities involved. This isn't that book. There are no new insights from the band members or their inner circle and not enough of a narrative to keep the casual reader from ploughing through it from one cover to another. It lacks the drama of a lot of rock books but then that's the fault of the band as much as the writer. Midnight Oil were all about the music and the message. They didn't have epic falling outs, drug binges or sleep with each other's wives. They never courted celebrity or wild parties. They were basically a bunch of nice family guys who played rock and roll. Any book about the Oils is right to keep the focus on the shows first and foremost.
If you want to know the inside scoop on Peter Garrett's sex life then there is nothing for you here. But if you want to know when they played the Myer Music Bowl and what songs made up the setlist, then Lawrence has you covered, and he might even have transcribed a Garret Rant for posterity.
Lawrence is a huge fan and he's written a book for others like him. I've probably stood in the same audience at an Oils show and if I ever get a chance to meet him then I'd like to thank him for his work.
July 11, 2020
Michael Lawrence has captured a unique view of Midnight Oil through a detailed record and description of their concerts from the member's various experiences in music in the mid to late 70s and their eventual coalescing into the band we know as Midnight Oil. Uniquely Australian but with messages of global importance their music has influenced and guided many throughout the years including me. The book contains a lot of quotes from band members and provides great insight into their backgrounds and personalities. Probably a book for the fans, I really enjoyed reading this. The copy I have is a lovely large format hard copy akin to a coffee table publication. Lovely quality with glossy pages and images of Oils and their media coverage. A great way to transit the history of the band and runs through to 2017 on the verge of their reforming and extensive touring.
February 1, 2021
hi mr Lawrence you are a good lad!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews