Michael Lawrence first saw Midnight Oil in 1980 when they were opening for The Angels. It was the last time they opened for anyone. A musician himself, Michael was blown away with the uniquely complex musical elements of the band and the Australian character of all they did. He saw them many more times and was always amazed at the incredible commitment they brought to every performance and the uncompromising stance they maintained.

Whilst much has been written about Midnight Oil through the years, the majority has been about the political aspect, ignoring the unforgettable power and commitment they put into every performance, the complexity of the music and the musicality of every member of the band. As Michael has found while researching The Power and the Passion, Midnight Oil took what he saw in 1980, improved on it and took it to the world without compromising that Australian character. On their first North American tour, The Montreal Gazette’s Mark LePage witnessed their show:

“…they hit Montreal like an 18-wheeler on jet fuel. Several hundred jaws remained dropped for the first four songs. Nobody who attended has ever forgotten.” Michael has listened to hundreds of recordings and trawled through decades of interviews, reviews and articles on the band from more than a dozen countries. He has met most of the band members, who have given the project their blessing.

Michael is the author of two books about the iconic Australian band, Cold Chisel: Showtime and Wild Colonial Boys also published by Melbourne Books. These books became the history that the band themselves refer to and received enthusiastic reviews