When I was made aware that Rob Hirst, drummer/songwriter/singer for Midnight Oil, was going to write a book on the band's tour of North America immediately after 9-11, I thought, "Hope it's just not a lot of political observations." While the focus of the band's agit-prop rock was frontman Peter Garrett, Hirst was just as much a political activist, notably with his involvement with Greenpeace. Happily, the book is a hodge-podge: part rock-band on tour, observations on America (and Canada) - the people, the cities, even the architecture - and a good share of the political views that the Oils are known for. Willie's Bar and Grill - the post-show nickname for the tour managaer's hotel room - looks at the Oils as a band which after 25 years, is fading rather than falling from the heights. True to their style, they did not go gently into that good night. Garrett and Hirst are politically charged as ever; Bones Hillman (bassist) is the class clown; Jim Moginie (guitarist/keyboardist) is the resident musical genius without the quirks; and Martin Rotsey (guitarist) is the quiet one, prefering to let his music do his talking. Hirst puts some of the band exploits into a Spinal-Tap-meets-Bill-Bryson vein - bad concert venues, their record label called Liquid 8 (as in liquidate, which is what happens shortly after the band's return to Australia), and their biggest fans who know squat about the band. American culture is a blessing and a curse - the re-tooling of the Chicago River, Jerry Springer, the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame, and the joys (a-hem) of bus travel. Unlike most books in the genre, Willie's has no photos. And the decision of Garrett to leave the band (hence signalling the band's end) is addressed, but no explanation of how he arrived at that decsion is told. The latter is the only true flaw in the book. Hirst's writing is straight forward, with none of the excesses highlighted by other bands' "kiss and tell" stories, but done with good cheer. Unlike two other books concerning the band (Strict Rules and Garrett's Political Blues), Willie's Bar and Grill is a charming fast read which will appeal to Oil fans and anyone looking for a realistic look at a band that had its day in the sun. (note: this book, so far as I know, is not yet available in the U.S.)