Violent Femmes bass player Brian Ritchie has teamed up Midnight Oil`s Rob Hirst, Martin Rotsey and Jim Moginie to form a new band.
The band is yet to settle on a name but has been recording for a 2009 release. Last night, they played live in Sydney for the Amnesty International - 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights celebration dinner.“I was always a fan of the Oils, especially live,” Ritchie tells undercover.com.au. “Rob Hirst is one of the most powerful drummers anywhere. Just to be playing with those guys is a buzz. I really class them very highly amongst rock bands as being one of the most classic bands”.
Last night’s show at the Randwick Pavilion featured vocals from Dallas Frasca and Holly Throsby. Peter Garrett is now a Member of Parliament in Australia and cannot participate in the band, not that he has any interest in doing so.
“It’s not called Midnight Oil,” Brian says. “We aren’t sure what we are going to call it but it is all the musicians from Midnight Oil”.
Brian has replaced Bones Hillman who now lives in Nashville. Brian moved to Australia two years ago and lives in Hobart. “I thought I should play with some local musicians so why not the best?” he said.
Last night, the Oils rolled out the classics including ‘Dreamworld’, “Put Down That Weapon’, ‘Truganini’, ‘When The Generals Talk’ and the rarely played ‘Wedding Cake Island’.
Brian’s “other gig” is acting as curator for the upcoming Mona Foma music and arts festival in Tasmania from January 9-12.
It will feature Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, the original Saints, The Zen Circus, David Toffolo, James Blood Ulmer, Mamadou Diabate, Fisastine, Fuck Buttons, Duoud, Balletlab, Ansgar Wallenhorst, Fiona Burnett and David Jones, Eugene Chadbourne, DJ Trip, Propaganda Klann, Pinky Beecroft, Taiko Drum, IHOS Music Theatre and Opera, Cameron Robbins, Manon De Boer, Discord: Art From Mona, Robin Fox, Celeste Boursier-Mougenot, Scott Cotterell, Ben Blakebrough, Raef Sawford, Dean Stevenson and Jensen Tjhung.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds with special guest The Saints is on January 12.
Details can be found at mofo.net.au
