Here’s the good oil - Peter Garrett is an indigenous man for an indigenous Waitangi occasion

Australian music legend Peter Garrett headlines the Waitangi@Waititi day concert on February 6. Photo / Supplied

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Australian music legend Peter Garrett - the former Midnight Oil frontman - said the chance to headline at the Waitangi@Waititi music festival was a great opportunity for him to pay back the support Māori have given to his Aboriginal whānau.

The singer-turned-politician, but always fulltime indigenous activist, said performing at the west Auckland venue, where around 50,000 peopled attended last year, was “something I jumped at.

‘’Over three decades of music making and activism I’ve campaigned on indigenous issues and built relationships with indigenous people worldwide,” Garrett said.

“The opportunity to play on such an important day for Māori, and at such a critical time, was something I jumped at.”

Garrett & The Alter Egos will be the main act alongside Sons of Zion, Katchafire, The Black Seeds, Kora, Tomorrow People, Aaradhna and Savage at Parrs Park, Ōrātia, west Auckland.

Pere Garrett is looking forward to celebrating our national day on February 6. Photo / Supplied

Garrett said he was looking forward to performing some of his big and not so big hits.

“Songs that celebrate our common humanity whilst calling out injustice have always been a part of Midnight Oils and my career.

“Plus I bring a cast of great Australian musos including Martin Rotsey from the Oils on guitar. It’s sounding sweet.”

“Every Peter Garrett & the Alters show is different. Expect anything and a bit of everything. We’ve got a new album coming in March so fair to say we’ll be giving people a preview of a few of those songs too.”

Garrett was last in Aotearoa in 2022 for the final Midnight Oil tour.

“We were last here in 2022 on the final Midnight Oil tour, but have been coming over the ditch ever since the early 80s. Aotearoa has a great musical culture, people are super friendly and the natural beauty of the place always knocks me out, so playing music [as opposed to rugby] is a pleasure,” Garrett said.

Waitangi@Waititi is a free concert and starts at 9am to 4pm.

Waitangi Day music line up.

Joseph Los’e joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and prior to joining NZME worked for 12 years for Te Whānau o Waipareira.