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international news for you , but have you had an interest in this story ? PG : It looks like a terrible horror show . I think from our perspective ; we have to recognize that simply expressing your view once every couple of years and putting a few likes or dislikes on Facebook or shouting at the television screen isn ’ t enough . The generations that have capacity and resources that have had the benefit of the economic booms that are now starting to peter out … these generations have got an undeniable responsibility not to look for young people to come and provide the engine room of change , but to be the people who make those necessary , historical changes now . That means stepping out and being brave . And there are many people who do it – you saw a lot of it in Black Lives Matter , and we see it in different places in different parts of the world . But it ' s only by us reclaiming our world from the greedy , from the nasty , from the violent , from the corrupted , that we can bequeath something of value to all of those kids and those members of our extended families who ' ve gotta come along and be here as well . It ' s rediscovering that political tradition of participatory , non-violent , direct action and really strong “ wherever it is and whatever it takes ” engagement .
IE : Some bands can become trapped by a massive hit , but 35 years later , “ Beds are
Burning ” still seems to be a pretty good calling card . It ' s got interesting sonics and intertwining guitars , a bass and drum groove that you can ' t shake , and an urgently sung message that reflects your local experience but remains relevant worldwide . How do you feel about having moved the needle on such an important human rights issue ? Are you still happy to sing that song ? PG : You never really know when you ' re going to get a song like that . No band really knows that a song is going to jump across bridges and span generations . When you ' ve got one , it ' s very precious , and I ' m certainly not tired of singing it in any way . We think it has moved the needle to some extent here in Australia , at least . Certainly , it ' s provided some soundtrack and some solace for those people involved . That campaign has a long way to go in Australia for us to have our First Nations people dealt with fairly and compassionately . So , the song still has a great deal of relevance , but it also is the kind of song that is both celebration as well as commiseration and reflection . It ’ s defiant , but it also has some expectations because it ' s asking the question . The only people who can answer the question are the people that we ' re playing to , so we ' ll keep on playing it as long as we ' re standing up . Midnight Oil performs on June 10 at the Riviera Theatre .
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the rest of the time has been spent just setting up the album , and it ’ s just been happening . So it ’ s a bit like working in an office , without the possibility that there might be a gig at the end of it , which is really frustrating . I realized within a couple of months of lockdown that by April , maybe May , it was the longest I ’ d ever spent not being on a stage since I was 15 . And I ’ m 56 , so you really miss that — you miss that adrenaline thing .
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IE : Ironically , Fatal Mistakes is almost the perfect soundtrack for these times . And it ’ s certainly conscious of mortality , with death being mentioned in two song titles alone . JC : Yes , it is . Death rears its ugly head , and in the most obvious of ways . And I was saying this just yesterday — the songs that tend to cement your reputation most as a writer are , well , songwriters write their best stuff when they ’ re young ; they write their best things before they ’ re 23 . And those songs tend to be better because they ’ re about all the things you ’ re discovering , like sex and falling in love and falling out of love . And when you ’ re this age , you know as much as you ’ re ever gonna know about that stuff , so you can ’ t write songs about those things anymore . So you end up writing about people getting ill , or people getting better , or people dying . That subject matter is in your head , so it ’ s gonna come out . And you lose a few friends along the way . But I mean , more people that I know have died in my 50 ’ s than have died during all the preceding decades of my life . It ’ s weird !
IE : I ’ m amazed this record didn ’ t turn out even darker . JC : Ha ! Well , we kind of selected the songs for
their pop appeal . So there were quite a few things that didn ’ t make it onto the record because it was just too fucking grim ! There was one called “ The Risks of Rome ,” which is about rich people on a yacht , just sort of fiddling while Rome burns . And there ’ s one called “ Picking up Lots that Drowned ,” about death . It ’ s really weirdAnd there ’ s one called “ Stillborn ,” about people marching into the future with optimism , but to their certain slaughter . Heh-heh . They all might end up on a solo record one day !
Del Amitri appears 4 / 11 at The Vic Theatre , Chicago
Tom Lanham
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