Midnight Oil To Knock Back Cash Offers To Reform

Midnight Oil are unlikely to reform any time soon despite offers of up to $US200,000 from American festivals.

Speculation over the future of the legendary Australian rock act has been rife since frontman Peter Garrett retired from politics in the wake of Kevin Rudd's return to the Prime Minister's office, but their long-time manager Gary Morris has thrown water on the fire, despite revealing the big money the band would stand to earn.

Morris told News Limited that the band's American booking agent Mitch Rose of the Creative Artists Agency told him, “there were 50 festivals in America where the band could earn between $US75,000 and $US200,000 [$215,000] per date.”

But he added, “Knowing where everyone's heads are at, I can't see it happening. I can only speak for my point of view… I've spoken to Pete and he's happy to have time to spend with [wife] Doris and his daughters and catch up on a bit of sleep.

“From what he said to me I think he will take two years out.”

The band's local agent, Harbour Agency veteran Tony Grace Guarrera, said, “Nothing has been discussed, but if they do, they would be very special events that would take a lot of planning, and they certainly wouldn't be about the money.”

Morris suggested that he was waiting for the right time to begin the reunion discussions.

“I guess at some point when we get chatting I'll drop in, 'Oh, by the way, I had calls from Gracie and Mitch Rose',” he said.

Garrett had been taking an increased interest in the music industry recently He threw his support behind small Sydney venue Play Bar on a night which descended into a farce, and was recently the keynote speaker at the Australian Institute of Music's inaugural TILT conference, but that was also overshadowed by political woes.

The band last played for the Sound Relief shows in 2009.