People

Fighting Hanson

A new CD called Redneck Wonderland about a new era of race-based Australian politics byrock band Midnight Oil is to be released in North America. The Oils, one of Australia8217;s top rock bands led by Sydney lawyer-turned-environmental activist and singer-songwriter Peter Garrett, produced the album as its protest about the rise of anti-Asia MP Pauline Hanson and her far-right One Nation Party. 8220;It8217;s not in our nature to remain quiet under this sort of onslaught,8221; drummer Rob Hirst said in a statement about the album. It was written as Hanson and One Nation dominated the headlines in Australia after emerging as a potent new political force at the Queensland state election in June.

He8217;s still loved somewhere

He made his entrance with the usual fanfare. Once again Omagh8217;s High Street had been sealed off, not for the bomb squad but for Bill Clinton8217;s presidential motorcade. Eleven motorcycle outriders, a clutch of tinted-windowed trucks and then the sleek, dark Lincoln. Bunched around it 8212; their eyes scanning windows and roofs for snipers 8212; the phalanx of men in dark gasses, talkinginto their sleeves. And at last, behind the bodyguards, the frosted-grey head of Bill Clinton, Tony Blair to one side, Cherie to the other. At the other end of the quartet, handily distant from her husband 8212; the First Lady, Hillary Clinton.

The crowds let out a small cheer as the President started working the ropeline, reaching out to touch someone. The cameras started clicking, the eyes lighting up. 8220;Bill, Bill,8221; shouted those in the crowd who8217;d not yet felt the grasp of those huge, needy hands. Omagh seemed glad to enjoy an afternoon in the sun; after a long, long night of darkness it probably needed it. So Clinton, despite a dismal trip to Russia and never-ending trouble at home, has not completely lost his touch. Somehow he managed to find that narrow spot between sombre and warm, and touch it directly. The president could hardly escape the Monica Lewinky question, if only as innuendo. Among the Omagh crowds, 15-year-old Andrina Kelly complimented Clinton on his choice of tie 8212; unaware of thetrouble the presidential neckwear has caused recently. But the occasional snigger won8217;t bother the United States president too much. He got what he wanted from this trip: a message to the voters back home that he8217;s still loved somewhere.

Lennon found

Fans of John Lennon can look forward to the release of 100 previously unheard solo tracks by the former Beatle. The recordings were locked away for 18 years in the offices of Capitol Records in the United States following the singer8217;s death in 1980. They will be on sale from November in a four CD set, to be distributed in Britain by Parlophone Records and likely to be called The John Lennon Anthology. Lennon8217;s widow, Yoko Ono, acted as executive producer for the set and their son, Sean, now himself a musician, also had what is described as a 8220;creative input8221;. Music magazine Billboard, describes it as 8220;one of the greatest finds in music history8221;. In Liverpool, a Beatles tour guide, Phil Cappell, said it was a major musical event. 8220;The fact thatthere are unreleased Lennon tracks coming out is bound to please a lot of fans. 8220;There is definitely a market for this.8221; However, on a note of caution, he added: 8220;I just hope it isn8217;t studio demos and that the quality is good enough.8221;