There are few music stories which get extensive coverage beyond the music press but there's been some interesting coverage of Peter Garrett's announcement that he is quitting Midnight Oil. The news was announced quietly, on their
official website, and left many people asking questions. Will he never play with Midnight Oil again? Will the band continue under the Oils name? And what exactly does Peter intend doing instead? I suspect that Midnight Oil will play again, perhaps not on proper tours criss-crossing the country but there will probably be occasional performances for specific occasions. They may even record again, doing it for fun and free of the pressures of producing a commercial success. In a formal sense though, this announcement strikes me not as a resignation but as an announcement that the band will no longer exist. Indeed, in the eyes of the general public, Peter
was Midnight Oil (how many can name any of the other band members?) and in live performances, Peter was the focal point, perhaps one of the most striking frontmen in the world. The band cannot and should not continue without him. What next for Peter? It appears that he has made that decision already so we'll just have to wait for the next announcement. There has been some speculation that Peter is about to enter politics which, given his outspoken beliefs, can't be entirely disregarded. For now though, it's time to mourn the loss of a band which not only achieved success on a national and international level, but was always musically inventive, passionately focussed and breathtaking on stage (anyone who has ever seen them live will attest to that). In years to come, I have no doubt that they will be remembered as one of the most important bands this country has ever produced.
Links: ABC Online - The Age - The Sydney Morning Herald: Bernard Zuel,
Lisa Pryor - Billboard
- Rolling Stone - BBC - Austin American-Statesman
- Brisbane Courier Mail
- Chart Attack (Canada)
- Undercover: Peter quits,
Sony boss surprised
