Our world needs more kindness and empathy. 

And yes, it's often hard to be that way, but we must try. 

We are all the same. 

Let's sing together in this symphony of life.

Together Symphony

The uncomfortable truth is we are living in a climate emergency, and every moment we waste will have severe consequences such as flooding, bush fires, heat waves and droughts. 
We must act swiftly and dramatically. But our stupid politicians are more interested in power than doing the right thing for their countries. It is shameful. 
They need to look at the Big Picture.

Big Picture (Solo Version)

Although it often does not feel like it, we actually have a lot of control over the type of world we wish to live in. 
A massive influencer is how we vote. If we vote for political parties or independents that prioritise social justice and the environment then those are the types of laws we will help to create. 
Let's keep protesting and keep letting our elected representatives know what we want - they are supposed to represent us. 
And above all, let's use our votes to put the type of people in power that we want in power; let's not keep voting the same way if we want different outcomes. 
Let's make it happen!
(All instruments played by Peter Vadiveloo).

Make It Happen (Band Version)

At the 2025 Australian election, Peter Dutton and his brain-dead LNP lackeys are trying to convince us they will get Australia 'back on track'. 
The big question is then, 'a track to where?'
With his pathetic, curated and mendacious inability to even acknowledge that climate change is a thing (despite EVERY credible scientist saying so for decades), we believe the track he is going to take us down is a multigenerational nightmare of a worsening climate crisis. 
Friends, please vote wisely, please vote CLIMATE - the survival of our species, and thousands of other species, depends on it! 
You can check out the (rushed and basic!) video here: https://youtu.be/G02SIwgpyfQ

Lyrics: The Joans, and Peter Vadiveloo. 
Recorded, mixed and produced by Peter Vadiveloo.
Vocals, drums, second guitar, guitar solo: Peter Vadiveloo
Rhythm guitar and bass guitar: Jim Swainston. 

The track is free to listen to, but if you'd like to support artists who write this kind of music, please consider a one-off donation or a regular donation to Peter at his Ko-Fi site: https://ko-fi.com/petervadiveloomusic


A Track To Where? (Band version)

We are being swamped by 'fake news'. I wrote this many years before Mr. Trump became a politician. Unfortunately the song is all the more salient today.

Stand Up

In 2001, the Manus Regional Processing Centre (MRPC) in PNG was created as part of the Howard Government’s ‘Pacific Solution’ in the wake of the Tampa affair. 
In 2008 Kevin Rudd closed the centre, and in 2012, Julia Gillard re-opened it. 
The centre costs a fortune to run. In 2014, the Abbott govt paid Broadspectrum AUD1.22 billion dollars to run the place for 20 months; that’s 2 million dollars per day (‘Budget Emergency’?). Currently, it costs about $400,00 per year for each refugee. 
However, the real cost of the centre can be measured in human suffering. Refugees in the MRPC have always been at risk. Many local PNG people don’t like the centre being on their island. PNG guards are known to allow locals armed with makeshift weapons to enter the centre and attack asylum seekers.
In 2014, there was a riot during which Reza Barati was bashed to death. He was a 23-year-old Iranian asylum seeker. He was killed by a Centre security guard and a local Salvation Army worker. They hit him with lengths of wood and metal poles and stomped on his head and neck. 
Last year, 27-year-old Faysal Ishak Ahmed tried for over 6 months to see a doctor at the centre medical clinic. He was consistently turned away by nurses at the clinic because they didn’t believe he was sick. On Christmas Eve last year he collapsed and died. 
Refugee women who report being raped and sexually abused to Broadspectrum staff are essentially ignored.
Last New Year’s Eve , Medhi and Mohammed were bashed by PNG Immigration officials and PNG police for being outside the Detention Centre, even though they were allowed to be. One has a suspected broken jaw and wrist, the other a suspected broken nose. Graphic photos are available to see on the internet.
In 2015, the UN Special Rapporteur Juan Mendez reported that conditions on Manus violated the UN Convention Against Torture.  Our then Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, responded by saying Australians are ‘sick of being lectured to by the UN’. 
In 2016, the UN High Commission on Refugees reported that Broadspectrum has created an institutionalised and punitive environment that is wholly inappropriate for asylum-seekers and refugees. They made urgent and confidential recommendations to Malcolm Turnbull  Govt. Turnbull chose to ignore the report’s recommendations. 
So, that’s a short summary of Manus. The same can be said of Nauru. Remember, this is all being done in our name. Both the Coalition and Labour are actually authorising the torture refugees. Why? For votes. They are administering the torture and deaths of people in order to win votes. How can this be our Australia? Obviously in future this will become widely regarded as our national shame and disgrace. But for so many refugees who have suffered and died, that recognition will come all too late. 
So, what can we do? So many things, but at the very, very, very least, don’t vote for the ALP or the Coalition. Don’t vote for parties that will torture people to get votes. Don’t vote for parties that think votes are more important than the death and torture of refugees. 
Vote for a party that will stop the inhumane treatment of vulnerable people who have come to our country needing our help.

Manus

"Just remember to take pleasure in the ordinary things".

King of Ordinary Things

In the USA, the wealthiest 1% owns more than the bottom 90%. In the UK, the wealthiest 1% owns 20-times more than the bottom 20%, and in Australia, the wealthiest 1% owns more than the bottom 70% of the population. 

This inequity continues to worsen as figures show for the past few decades the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer in those countries. 

In the USA, workers have not seen real wages growth for over 40 years. The UK presently has its lowest wages growth in over 200 years, and Australia is currently has its worst wages growth rate in its history.

Why are politicians not addressing this? Because they are dependent on the donations from the wealthy. This is actually the definition of corruption - providing legislative favours to those who give you money. 

Why are the newspapers not telling their loyal working-class readers that they are being ripped off? Because the newspaper owners are the rich - they are protecting their wealth by keeping quiet. 

Clearly our version of democracy punishes the average worker and favours the rich. 

Big changes are required to make our Western capitalist model fairer for all. Let's do this. We get to have our say every approximately 4 years through the ballot box. We must vote for those who pledge to change our present corrupt and inequitable system. It is actually in our hands. 

'The Show'
Written and performed by Peter Vadiveloo

Recorded at Apollo Productions (ApolloProductions.com.au )

Mixed and mastered by Peter Vadiveloo. 

Video footage by rebelmachine (https://www.youtube.com/user/rebelmac...)

Video created by Peter Vadiveloo. 

Peter Vadiveloo lives in Melbourne (part of the Kulin Nation), Australia.

(Remember to Like and Subscribe!).

The Show

In First World countries like Australia, terrible injustices still occur to those with little political power such as the homeless, people who have dark skin and pensioners. 
Those of us lucky enough to have a voice must not look away from these injustices - we must fight with and on behalf of the powerless; that is what a civilised society does. 

This song was recorded live, in one take using a looper pedal. 

Photos by Belinda Haydon. 

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Dont Look Away (LIVE)

Remember to take pleasure in the ordinary things. 
(Recorded live at Illawarra Folk Festival)

King of Ordinary Things (LIVE)

Every two minutes in Australia, a forest area the size of the MCG is cut down. 
We live as if trees don’t matter, as if they are just a resource to use at our whim. 
Nothing could be further from the truth. We need trees to survive. 
Trees create oxygen that we need to breathe. Trees are an essential component of critical ecosystems such as forests. If the forest ecosystems collapse, our species will also collapse since we require healthy forests to survive. For example, forests maintain the massive reservoirs that we need to supply water to our cities and towns. 
And if that was not enough, trees are brilliant carbon sinks - nature’s very own carbon capture and storage technology
We desperately need more trees if we are to mitigate the effects of climate overheating. Without enough trees, the planet will become uninhabitable for us. 
Despite our obvious reliance on trees to survive, we are chopping them down at a truly alarming rate. And for what? Majestic old growth forests are often cut down to make tissue paper and photocopy paper – it is a travesty. 
We all must work as hard as we can to stop this. Write to politicians, protest in the street, protest in the forests, and only vote for political parties who are determined to stop this crazy deforestation of our planet. 
We must Fight For The Trees. 

LYRICS
Verse
Way up high on Mount Read, a pine tree stands,
North West Tasmania, on Tommeginne land.
It’s the oldest tree in our country, 2000 rings it shows.
It sprouted at the time of Christ all those years ago.
Nearby mines have come and gone, miracle it survived,
Short-term greed all around
scars the mountain sides.
The mountain sides,
Yeah, scars the mountain sides,
The mountain sides.

Verse
Way up high near Toolangi town, the Kalatha Giant stands,
400 years it’s been growing on Woiworung land.
Central Highlands mountain ash, precious as it comes,
Cleaning air and water, alchemists of the sun,
But as I sing these giant trees, these Hercules of nature, are being pulped into,
Photocopy paper,
Yeah photocopy paper
Photocopy paper.
Yeah Reflex copy paper.

Pre-chorus
How is that we let this happen, it’s a travesty,
Out of sight out mind, we cannot let that be,
The simple truth is that we can’t live,
Without the trees
We can’t live without the trees,
We can’t live without the trees,
We can’t live without the trees
(sing with me)

Chorus
Whoa-oh, we need the trees
Whoa-oh-oh-oh, we need trees,
Whoa-oh, Gotta fight for the trees.

Verse
Way up high in on Capitol Hill, a big house stands,
With Red and Green chambers, on Ngunnawal land,
Our so-called leaders riding high in their big charade,
Letting power plays and politics always win the day,
They can dodge and weave and doublespeak as much as they please,
But when will they face the fact:
We can’t live without the trees
We can’t live without the trees,
We can’t live without the trees,
We can’t live without the trees
(sing with me)

Chorus
Whoa-oh, we need the trees
Whoa-oh-oh-oh, we need trees,
Whoa-oh, Gotta fight for the trees.

Walk among the trees,
Miracles of green.
Walk among the trees,
Our future’s in their leaves,
Walk among the trees,
Feel their presence, feel their peace
Walk among the trees
(one last time)

Chorus
Whoa-oh, we need the trees
Whoa-oh-oh-oh, we need trees,
Whoa-oh, Gotta fight for the trees.

Fight For The Trees

Captivating indie singer/songwriter Peter Vadiveloo deftly weaves funk, blues, folk and roots music around a rich seam of critical social justice issues such as First Nations people’s conditions, treatment of refugees, racism, wealth inequity in Western democracies and climate change. Peter will make you think.
You can buy/stream Peter's music on Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes, Amazon etc

Peter Vadiveloo

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