 Known almost as much for their political activism as their music, Australia's Midnight Oil has consistently dealt with issues of oppression, poverty and the environment and pushed rock music to a new level of awareness. Drummer Rob Hirst, guitarist/keyboardist Jim Moginie and bassist Andrew "Bear" James started playing together in Sydney in 1971. Calling themselves Farm, they played the small clubs on the coast sporadically until 1976 when, looking for a new singer, they found Peter Garrett. The seven-foot-tall Garrett was a striking figure with his shaved head. After adding Martin Rotsey on guitar, the band re-christened itself Midnight Oil. Playing throughout the continent, the band gained a large fan base before releasing their eponymous debut in 1978. During the ensuing months they played a variety of benefit shows for political causes including anti-uranium mining, Save the Whales and Greenpeace, proving they could put their money where their mouths were. After extensive international touring, Gifford left the band and was replaced by Dwayne "Bones" Hillman before the 1990 release of Blue Sky Mining. Upon the release of the album, the Oils performed a concert outside of the Manhattan offices of Exxon, protesting the oil spill in Alaska. The concert was filmed and released as Black Rain Falls. Blue Sky Mining was just as successful as Diesel and Dust and prompted another round of world touring. After taking a year off, the band released a live album, Scream in Blue, in 1992 and a new studio recording Earth and Sun and Moon in 1993. The album saw the Oils shift away from studio wizardry and focus on "real instruments" and live recording. The trend continued on their 1996 release Breathe. In 1997 the band released a greatest hits album, 20,000 Watt R.S.L.: Greatest Hits, and started work on their forthcoming 1998 release, Redneck Wonderland Joe Hauler
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