Band condemns unauthorised political use of songs, drawing parallels with Colin Hay’s recent stand against similar misuse
by Paul Cashmere
Hoodoo Gurus have issued a forceful public rebuke to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party after discovering one of their songs had been played at a recent political gathering, making it clear they want no association with the party or its ideology. The Sydney rock veterans described the use of their music as offensive and unwelcome, joining a growing number of Australian artists pushing back against the political co-opting of their work.
In a statement shared via their official social media channels, the band said they were “disgusted” to learn their music had been used by One Nation supporters, characterising the group as “wannabe fascists” and condemning Hanson’s views as toxic and antithetical to the values the band has held throughout its four-decade career. The message left little room for ambiguity, telling Hanson and her followers directly to stop playing, listening to or engaging with Hoodoo Gurus’ music.
The incident follows closely on the heels of a similar public intervention last week by Colin Hay, who condemned the use of Men At Work’s Down Under at rallies organised by the anti-immigration group March For Australia. Hay said the song had been stripped of its meaning and repurposed to support ideas it was never intended to represent, emphasising that it stands for inclusion, unity and cultural exchange.
Together, the two incidents underscore a renewed willingness by Australian musicians to publicly assert moral ownership over their songs, even when legal licensing frameworks may allow public performance. While copyright and permission remain practical considerations, both Hay and Hoodoo Gurus have focused their objections on intent and meaning, arguing that political movements should not assume alignment simply because a song is recognisable or popular.
For Hoodoo Gurus, the issue strikes at the heart of a catalogue that has long blended satire, observation and social commentary with sharp hooks and pop sensibility. Formed in Sydney in 1981, the band emerged from the city’s post-punk underground with a sound that drew equally from garage rock, psychedelia and classic pop. Frontman Dave Faulkner’s songwriting often used humour and cultural references to explore Australian identity, suburban life and global influence, rarely in simplistic or nationalistic terms.
Their debut album Stoneage Romeos, released in 1984, quickly established them as a distinctive voice in Australian music, earning Best Debut Album at the Countdown Awards. Subsequent releases including Mars Needs Guitars!, Blow Your Cool! and Magnum Cum Louder cemented their status, producing enduring songs such as Leilani, Tojo, My Girl, Bittersweet and What’s My Scene?. While those tracks became staples of Australian radio, they were also shaped by irony and self-awareness, qualities that make their appropriation by exclusionary politics particularly jarring to the band.
Like Down Under, several Hoodoo Gurus songs have often been misunderstood as straightforward anthems, divorced from their original context. Over time, familiarity can flatten nuance, turning pointed commentary into background noise. The band’s response to One Nation suggests a determination to reclaim that nuance, insisting that their work does not exist as a generic soundtrack for any cause that chooses to use it.
The parallels with Hay’s statement are striking. Born in Scotland and raised in Australia, Hay framed his objection in personal as well as artistic terms, signing off pointedly as an immigrant and reminding listeners that Down Under was written from the perspective of observation and irony. Hoodoo Gurus, while addressing a different political group, echoed the same core message, that music carries values and history, and those cannot be separated from the songs themselves.
These confrontations arrive amid broader debates about nationalism, identity and cultural ownership in Australia, particularly around public events and rallies. In recent years, several high-profile Australian artists have publicly distanced themselves from political movements using their songs without consent, reinforcing the idea that popularity does not equal permission, morally or culturally.
Hoodoo Gurus’ intervention also comes at a moment when their legacy is being re-examined and celebrated in new contexts. This week, the band will take to the stage in a markedly different setting, performing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for the first time in their career. The one-night-only event will reimagine key songs from their catalogue in full orchestral arrangements, highlighting the depth and adaptability of material that has travelled from suburban garages to international stages.
More than 40 years on from their formation, Hoodoo Gurus continue to assert control over how their music is heard, understood and used. Their message to One Nation is unambiguous, their songs are not neutral artefacts, but expressions shaped by values they are unwilling to see distorted. As with Colin Hay’s recent stand, it is a reminder that Australian music history is not just a collection of hits, but a body of work grounded in ideas that still matter.
Hoodoo Gurus With Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Thursday 29 January 2026, Melbourne, Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Tickets available via MSO channels
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