It’s kind of amazing that it took me so long to see Weird Al and his band in concert. The level of musicianship on display was jaw-dropping. I lost count of how many styles and genres they played, and Yankovic’s ability to remember so many complex lyrics was stunning.
“They play like their hair is on fire.” is how my friend described this set from Frankie and the Witch Fingers, which blew the minds of everyone at the LevitationFrance festival that night. People were absolutely bonkers by the end of it.
Easily the best sound quality I heard all year, especially in such a large open-air venue, this stop on Elton John’s farewell was humid, but still an amazing performance that cover classic hits and newer tracks. The set was impressive, as was John’s energy as he revved up the crowd the entire time.
Speaking of farewell tours, this one from Midnight Oil was a barn-burner. The place was packed, which only gave the band more energy to unleash in what would be their final Chicago performance. They raged harder against every machine than most bands half their age.
A powerful performance on all levels, plus those of us who bought VIP tickets got to attend their sound check and meet Failure before the main show. It was like two concerts in one from one of my favorite bands whose music can be life-changing. I don’t use that term lightly. Getting to tell them face-to-face how “Another Space Song” has become even more meaningful to me since my wife’s death was an honor I’ll never forget.
I’ve already started seeing bands this year (Dry Cleaning), so 2023 is off to a good start. Who are you excited to see this year?
Midnight Oil are the 29th act to throw support behind Support Act’s Roadies Fund through the Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA)’s awesome Desk Tape Series.
The Series was created by ARCA to raise funds to provide financial, health, counselling and well-being services for roadies and crew in crisis.
The recordings are made off the sound desk by a crew member. MIDNIGHT OIL LIVE at the OLD LION, Adelaide 1982 was recorded by Mark Woods, and is another fantastic tribute to the great sounds engineers produced for the early Aussie pub rock scene. This live tape is released on ARCA’s Black Box Records through MGM Distribution and on all major streaming services.
THE BAND
Peter Garrett – lead vocals Peter Gifford – bass, vocals Rob Hirst – drums, vocals Jim Moginie – guitars, keyboards Martin Rotsey – guitars
CREW
Mark Woods (sound) Michael Lippold (stage/ production manager) Ron “Wormy” James (lights)
TRACK LISTING
1 Written In The Heart 2 Brave Faces 3 Armistice Day 4 I’m The Cure 5 Bus To Bondi 6 Quinella Holiday 7 No Time For Games 8 Burnie 9 Cold Cold Change 10 Powderworks 11 Koala Sprint 12 Back On The Borderline 13 Don’t Wanna Be The One 14 Wedding Cake Island 15 Stand In Line 16 No Reaction
The MIDNIGHT OIL LIVE at the OLD LION Adelaide 1982 live tape and all the ARCA Desk Tape Series recordings are available through Black Box Records – ARCA (australianroadcrew.com.au) and the following: Amazon, Anghami, Apple Music / iTunes, Boomplay, Black Box Records, Deezer, MGM, Pandora, Shazam, Spotify, TenCent, Tidal, TikTok, YouTube Music.
The Old Lion show on Friday March 26, 1982 was part of a two-week run through Victoria and South Australia. At that stage, the band were doing 180 shows a year, and firing on all eight cylinders.
Rob Hirst admits: “I’m exhausted listening back to the tape, it’s relentless! We were, excuse the pun, a well-oiled machine, angry young men against the world.”
Mark Woods, who filled in as sound engineer on the run, called it the “Speed and Dust Tour.” It was hot and the tour moved at a frantic pace. Woods had just finished a run with Men At Work, with two weeks off before MAW’s first US visit. When the Oils’ run ended in Whyalla in regional South Australia, he drove 14 hours overnight without sleep back to Melbourne, in time for the Los Angeles flight with Men At Work.
Woods didn’t mind: he was a massive fan. “I thought they were the best band in the world. On this run they were at their absolute peak. Much of the set was from Place Without A Postcard, which was just released four months before, so the songs sounded fresh. It wasn’t that they were loud, it was the power. They weren’t ‘screamy’ or harsh listening, they just had a very full solid big fat sound.”
“They were all red hot players”, Woods recalls, citing how Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey’s guitars intertwined, and how the Peter Gifford/ Rob Hirst rhythm section locked in.
“I loved Giffo’s playing, he was the perfect bass player for them and at his best on this tour. There was something about his beat which worked well with Rob’s drums, they were right on the beat, really driving it forward.”
Gifford left a few years later to become a businessman in Byron Bay. Michael Lippold spent as much time on stage as the band, unravelling Pete’s mic leads from the guitarists’ legs as he danced manically about. Hirst’s drum kit had to be nailed down. Not only did he attack them with exuberance, breaking pedals and sticks, but he’d also jump into the air off his stool for greater power when he landed.
Listening to the Old Lion tape, Hirst chuckles, “It reminds me of the breakneck speeds we used to play those songs! The album versions chugged along but the live versions were 30% to 40% faster, if not faster. It’s almost as if we couldn’t wait to get to the (hire cars) and fishtail out of there!”
Also giving him a buzz on the tape were how the guitars sounded so distinctive and Garrett’s onstage patter recalling which politician or issue was irritating him in 1982. The tape shows how the Oils were starting to musically move around at that time. In 1981 when famed English producer Glyn Johns (Stones, Who) saw an Oils show at Selinas in Sydney, he invited them back to England to record in his new studio in Surrey.
“It was supposed to be our big break,” Hirst relates. “It wasn’t.” Hirst says Johns expected them to arrive with 12 fully formed songs, but he and Moginie, as the Oils’ main writers, had been unable to write songs due to the band’s hectic touring schedule. Even worse, Johns failed to capture the Oils’ live roar on the record.
Hirst: “The creativity and the song writing was getting stronger. But we were frustrated with the sound on the albums so far. They didn’t grab you by the throat and wrestle you to the ground. It was only working with Nick Launay (in 1982, on the 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 album) and disassembling the Midnight Oil live sound in the studio and starting again that we started to understand studio craft.”
Johns had a deal with A&M Records in America to release his productions. A&M wanted the Oils to go back to the studio and cut a single for the American market. The Australians gave them a two-finger salute and returned to Sydney.
The Old Lion tape captures how some of Postcard songs should have sounded. “Armistice Day” was an example of their new found song writing depth.
“I’ve always been obsessed with my family’s military history,” the drummer explains. “Songs like ‘Forgotten Years’ were about my father and grandfather’s military service. We knew as soon as we recorded ‘Armistice Day’ that no matter what happened to the rest of the album, it was going to be the lead track.”
“I Don’t Wanna Be The One” was in the spotlight when the Oils were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006.
LIVE At The Old Lion Adelaide 1982 is the latest initiative by the Oils to support roadies and crews in crisis. Hirst readily admits that the members relied heavily on their crew, “we had the best sound and lighting guys in the business. It is the crew that helps with any band’s success.”
On their farewell tour in 2022, Hirst’s drum tech for nine years, Clem Ryan, wanted to sit it out. Rob rang him, “I’m not doing this tour until you’re doing this tour.” Long-time front of house Colin Ellis wanted to retire before the run. They talked him out of it. “Retire? You’re younger than us!”
LIVE At The Old Lion Adelaide 1982 also highlights how dedicated the fans were.
Woods recalls: “Big lads, well charged up, a happy blokey crowd which sang along, boisterous, rowdy but never unpleasant.”
Since Midnight Oil’s new album Resist debuted at #1 early this year, the legendary Australian band has toured around Australia, North America, and then Europe, on their last concert tour. The final leg of this epic run kicks off this week at the Mundi Mundi Bash near Broken Hill followed by rescheduled gigs in Cairns, Darwin, New Zealand, Perth and Canberra to make up for various climate and Covid disruptions earlier this year. In addition, this final leg will include shows at Broome’s Stompem Ground Festival (after a 20 year hiatus) and a new WA gig in Busselton (see below for all details).
Today, the last four dates of this tour were revealed with Midnight Oil announcing two uniquely intimate extra shows in both Melbourne and Sydney. A portion of proceeds from each of these new gigs will be donated to environmental and Indigenous causes and general public tickets will go on sale 10am local time on Monday 22 August via: midnightoil.com/tour
Melbourne will finally experience Midnight Oil playing their classic album 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 in its entirety at the Palais Theatre on Monday September 12 under the banner “One For The Planet”. The band had originally announced this special idea for a benefit show back in March, but Covid got in the way so, like their other cancelled gigs, they are now making good on that earlier promise.
Two nights later, on Wednesday September 14, the Oils will play a final show at the Palais under the banner “One For The Road”. This extra Melbourne date will see the band performing the entire show (ie: no support) and delivering an extended set that will include classics from every Midnight Oil album and EP across their storied career.
Sydney will experience these same two special shows a few weeks later, as “RESIST: The Final Tour” ends with a bang back in the band’s hometown. “One For The Planet” (featuring “10-1” in its entirety) will be staged at the Luna Park Big Top on Wednesday September 28. Then “One For The Road” (an extended concert including classics from every album and EP) will celebrate the end of Midnight Oil’s touring career on the Labour Day public holiday – Monday October 3 – at the famous Hordern Pavilion where the band staged some of their most memorable Sydney gigs back in the day.
“The shows we’ve just done overseas have been some of the best and most enjoyable of our career”, said Midnight Oil guitarist/keyboardist, Jim Moginie. “Every gig on this last tour has had extra emotion around it so we’re looking forward to bringing those feelings back home again.”
“We’ve always supported causes that we believe are important during our tours so these four extra gigs are partly a way of doing that”, explains frontman, Peter Garrett. “They will allow the band and the audience to have a different experience each night by digging deep into the back catalogue in venues that are a bit smaller than the ones we’ve usually been playing in over recent years.”
“From the opening track on our first album through to the last song on our new one, we’ve always been blessed to have fans who are really passionate about what we do”, observed drummer Rob Hirst. “One For The Planet and “One For The Road” are our way of acknowledging that connection over 45 years. We’ve all shared an amazing journey together, so we want to celebrate that by playing something for everyone in places that feel special”.
The Midnight Oil fan pre-sale for these new shows kick off from 10am local time (staggered times – see below) on Thursday 18 August before the General Public on sale starting 10am local on Monday 22 August. Tickets from midnightoil.com/tour
The newly announced RESIST show at Barnard Park, Busselton, WA with special guest Regurgitator on Friday 23 September now joins the existing RESIST shows at Munro Martin Parklands, Cairns with special guests Busby Marou on Thursday 25 August, Darwin Convention Centre, Darwin with special guest Leah Flanagan on Saturday 27 August and Fellows Oval – ANU Campus, Canberra with special guests King Stingray, Emily Wurramara (solo) and Moaning Lisa on Saturday 1 October. Tickets via: midnightoil.com/tour
The band’s a day on the green Nikola Estate, Swan Valley, WA show with special guests Goanna and Stephen Pigram on Sunday 25 September is on sale now.
I did a deep dive of the music of Midnight Oil in celebration of their final tour. Don’t miss them if they come close to you, or drive eight hours to see them if you must. Here’s the set list from the show:
I got to Chicago’s Riviera Theatre too late to catch Leah Flanagan‘s solo acoustic set, but I did see that she had a good number of people paying rapt attention to her as she played her last song.
Midnight Oil, on their final tour, had packed the venue. The Riviera always seems to be about fifteen degrees warmer than outside of the building – and certainly more humid – and the night of June 10, 2022 was no exception. At least two people had to be helped from the main floor due to heat exhaustion during Midnight Oil’s set.
The Australian powerhouses put on a killer show that lasted over two hours and had two encores.
The first thing you notice when you see Midnight Oil is that lead singer Peter Garrett‘s voice has lost none of its power. He was hitting high notes and punk rage screams right out of the gate on “Nobody’s Child.” They thanked the Chicago crowd, stating that the city had always been good to them throughout their career.
There were a lot of great cuts, both new and classics. “Truganini” had everyone jumping. “Gadigal Land” and “The Dead Heart” had everyone singing along. It was also cool to hear “Kosciusko,” an oldie but goodie, and, of course, “Beds Are Burning” is still as powerful as it was when it was first released.
There was also, as to be expected at a Midnight Oil show, plenty of political talk and activism. The band highlighted the plights of Native Australians and Americans, the climate change crisis, the absurdity of the U.S. health care industry, and the circus of our political climate.
“King of the Mountain” and “Dreamworld,” each in its own encore, had everyone pumping their fists and getting charged up to change the world – which is always what Midnight Oil have wanted us to do.
Don’t miss them if they’re near you, or even if they’re a long drive away. Again, it’s their final tour. They’ve stated that they will continue to make music, but this is your last chance to see them live. They’re not the kind of band to do multiple “last tours” for a cash grab. They keep their word.
In 2017 Midnight Oil returned from a long hiatus with a sweat drenched pub gig at the legendary Sydney venue, Selina’s. In the middle of that special set, frontman Peter Garrett borrowed some famous lines, exhorting “rage, rage, against the dying of the light”. And that’s exactly what they’ve done ever since. They sold out 77 shows in 16 countries on their epic “Great Circle” tour. They toured Europe again, did a memorable gig in the outback, then returned to the studio for the first time in over 18 years and recorded 20 new songs. The first batch of that material, The Makarrata Project, debuted at #1 on the same weekend that longtime bass player Bones Hillman sadly died. Despite that profound blow, and a global pandemic, the band and their First Nations Collaborators still mounted their acclaimed “Makarrata Live” shows early this year – championing the Uluru Statement and highlighting ongoing injustices suffered by First Nations people.
Today Midnight Oil announced that this chapter of their career will come to a memorable close next year with the release of the other 12 new songs they recorded with Bones and a series of big gigs. Both are aptly titled Resist.
The band also announced that this will be their final concert tour while making it clear that this does not mean the end of the Oils. Each of the members will continue their own projects over the years ahead. They remain very open to recording new music together in future and supporting causes in which they believe but this will be their last tour.
Meanwhile Resist will be a fitting, forward looking, statement for a band whose clarion call has always been “it’s better to die on your feet than live on your knees”. The tour will see them performing classic Midnight Oil songs from across their repertoire while also showcasing some urgent new works. As the title makes abundantly clear, Resist engages with the issues of today and tomorrow – like the lead single “Rising Seas” which tackles the climate crisis in typically uncompromising fashion.
The album pre-order and Australasian tickets will go on-sale from next Tuesday 30 November. Dates, venues and all other info is listed at midnightoil.com/tour. A handful of international concerts is also being considered (subject to Covid restrictions).
Rob Hirst says: “If I look back, I see a blur of familiar names and faces: Jim, Pete, Martin, Bear and me, slamming loud prog-pop in a Chatswood garage; Giffo, magnificent, rocking back and forth at his first Royal Antler gig; Bonesy, headphones on, singing, lounging on the deck learning our catalogue.
I see our managers in their offices – Gary, Zev and John; our tour managers in their cars and buses – Constance, Neil, and Willie Mac; our producers in their studios, Keith, Lez, Glyn, Nick and Warne; and our crew on countless stages, Michael, Oysters, Ozzy, Doc, Nick, Jock, Gerry – and so many more.
I see our folks-in-the-engine-room that the outside world has never seen: Stephanie, Wayne, Diana, Arlene, Jonesy, Craig, Geoff H, Chris P, Peter T, and Mel C.
I see our wives and trusted friends, and the tiny faces of the ‘Baby Oils’, watching us from side of stage, from Sydney to Sao Paulo to Saskatoon.
But mostly, blinded by stage lights, I see the first two rows of a thousand gigs: Midnight Oil fans, pumping, jumping, singing louder than the band.
But I don’t look back.”
Peter Garrett says: “We all know time refuses to stand still for anyone but after many years together the band’s spirit is deep, the music and words are strong, and our ideas and actions as bold as we can make them. We’ve reached people in ways we never could have imagined. Our desire to create and speak out is undimmed. We hope everyone who hears this album and gets to one of the shows will come away charged up about the planet’s future, saying ‘why stop now?’. Having always tackled every tour like it’s the last – this time it actually will be.”
Jim Moginie says “We’ve played intensely physical gigs since our humble beginnings back in 1977 and we never want to take even the slightest risk of compromising that. A lot has happened over the last five years. Much has been achieved and with the passing of Bones much has been lost, so it now feels like we’re at the end of a cycle.
These will be sad and beautiful gigs but luckily we’re still capable of blowing the roof off any stage and that’s what we intend to do. You could call this a farewell tour, but Midnight Oil will still continue in some form or other as we’re brothers, family. We stand as one, dependent on each other and grateful in all the important ways that make great bands great.”
Martin Rotsey says: “A huge thank you to all our fans around the world. We’ve shared so much together from the swelter of Sydney pubs to magical nights under starry skies. Your energy took us further than we could ever have dreamed.
To those down the front in the maelstrom, those at the back of the room singing their hearts out, and all of those onstage, backstage, and back home who helped make everything possible, we send our thanks.”
From the northern beaches of Sydney to the streets of Manhattan, they have stopped traffic, inflamed passions, inspired fans, challenged the concepts of “business as usual” and broken much new ground. Seeing Midnight Oil in full flight is to experience the kinetic power of live rock’n’roll. They leave you inspired to live life more passionately and to Resist.
Midnight Oil calls for governments to urgently take serious actions that reduce carbon pollution. This tour will embrace best practices for emission reductions and offsetting. A portion of proceeds will be set aside for organizations seeking to elevate the existential threat posed by the climate crisis.
Members of Midnight Oil’s mailing list will have exclusive first access to Australian tickets. Anyone who signs up by 5pm Monday November 29, will receive a dedicated email later that evening, containing the presale ticketing link and password which can be used to purchase up to 8 tickets per show. Presales are expected to sell out quickly so fans are strongly advised to make sure they are logged into the ticketing agency website prior to the onsale times. Members of the General Public, including anyone who missed out on the presale, will then have access to tickets from Wednesday December 1. See below for ticketing information, and visit midnightoil.com/tour for specific show dates and information.
In addition to these shows, the band has already announced special appearances in Tasmania for Mona Foma 2022 and at Byron Bay Bluesfest next Easter. Details about those festival events at monafoma.net.au and bluesfest.com.au
We’ve arrived at the top 5 live shows I saw this year. Here they are.
#5 – LCD Soundsystem – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL November 7th.
This was the second of a three-night residency at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom for LCD Soundsystem. It was the second time we saw them in 2017, and they were healthier and a bit goofier than the first time. It was also the best show we’d seen at the Aragon in a long while.
Slaves‘ opening set for Kasabian at this show was, without question, the best punk rock show I’ve seen in a couple years. They came out with cocksure swagger and proceeded to freak out the entire crowd. My friend, Portia, and I had a “rock moment” with them when we were the only ones in the audience who knew to yell “Fuck the hi hat!” when they began telling the story behind the song of the same title and they pointed us out in the crowd. Win.
I hadn’t seen Gary Numan in concert for about ten years, but he hasn’t lost a step. He actually has become better in that time. His band was tighter, his vocals were sharp, and the spectacle of the performance was top-notch.
No, this isn’t an error. LCD Soundsystemare in my top five live shows of 2017 twice. This was the first time my wife and I saw them, and we were instantly hooked. They became one of our “We’ll see them anytime.” bands thanks to this performance that closed the first night of the 2017 Pitchfork Music Festival. The crowd was wild, erupting into two mosh pits during the show, and LCDSS threw down a raucous set despite dealing with injuries and mild illness.
Within moments I knew this sold-out Midnight Oil show was going to be the best show we saw all year. It was their return tour after twenty years and they sounded like they’d stepped out of a time machine. Lead singer Peter Garrett even appeared to not have aged in that time. They proved they were still one of the most relevant and best live acts in the world. It was uplifting to see and hear them again, and left everyone hoping for new material soon.
There you have it. Go see a bunch of live music in 2018. Your favorite band is depending on you.
Keep your mind open.
[You can still subscribe before the end of year. I won’t judge.]
“You know what the coolest thing is about this show?” Said a man next to me in the Vic Theatre where young Aussie rockers Boytoy and Aussie rock legends Midnight Oil were about to perform. “No one here is under thirty!”
It wasn’t true, but it was definitely an older crowd at the Vic. It had been over twenty years since my wife and I had seen Midnight Oil in concert, and you could tell the entire crowd in the hot, packed venue was ready to go nuts once Midnight Oil hit the stage.
Boytoy were first. They were three young ladies who were playing some good garage rock when we walked into the place, but they transformed into a stoner rock band by the end of their set, which elated me to no end. I need to track down their stuff.
Boytoy
Speaking, sort of, of stoner rock, the guy next to me tapped me on the shoulder, pointed at my rolled-up tour poster and said, “I thought that was a bong! I thought, ‘This guy’s the coolest guy in here!’” He even grabbed it at one point during Boytoy’s set and took an imaginary hit off it.
The guy in the teal shirt behind me thought this tour poster was a bong at first glance.
Midnight Oil came out to a roaring welcome and then got right down to business. They hadn’t lost a step in the time they’d been off working on other projects or, in the case of lead singer Peter Garrett, serving in the Australian Parliament.
“Why hasn’t he aged?” My wife asked about Garrett. My best guess is that he’s either a vampire or the food is much better in Australia because she was right. He looked like he’d barely grown older since we saw them in the early 1990’s.
He was, of course, politically outspoken. You don’t go to a Midnight Oil show and not expect to hear some political commentary.
Garrett started fairly early in the set. “Fact one: Thanks for waiting for so long. Fact two: It’s nice to be back in Obama territory. Fact three: There will be no alternative facts here tonight. Fact four: We don’t have short memories.” They then tore into “Short Memory” and had everyone bouncing.
He would touch on compulsory voting (“I don’t think you-know-who would’ve gotten in.” (if we had it here in the U.S.)), the environment (“We have a Mother Earth who takes care of us.”), universal health care (“If you make tacos for a living, you pay a little bit. If you have fifty million in a hedge fund and support the governor, you pay a bit more. We don’t call this socialism. We call it common sense.”), and equal rights (“Everyone, no matter their race, sex, age, or religious beliefs deserves to be treated with respect.”) before the night was over, and he wore a shirt that read “To sin by silence when one should protest makes cowards of men.”
Among the many great spots in their set were an acoustic version of “My Country,” a funky rendition of “When the Generals Talk,” roaring versions of “Read About It” and “Kosciusko,” and a killer performance of “Dreamworld” to end the set that had everyone pumping their fists and chanting.
A stunning rendition of “My Country.”
They played two encores. The first started with “Put Down that Weapon,” and I couldn’t help but think they chose to play that in Chicago as a message toward the high rate of gun violence there the last two years. “Truganini” and “Forgotten Years” rounded out the mini-set, and then they came out once more to dedicate “Sometimes” to people working hard to help others.
“Sometimes”
It was a trip back in time to songs that are still relevant today. Midnight Oil is globetrotting for this tour, so catch them if they come near you. This is one of the best and most welcome tours of the year.
How’s this for a bombshell? Australian rock legends Midnight Oil announced not long ago that they had some big news coming soon. Most of us figured it would be a new album, but they’ve announced a globe-spanning world tour instead.
The Great Circle tour is going to be a celebration of the band’s work and will start and end in their home country. The band will play everywhere from Brazil to the Czech Republic in-between those dates, so catch them if you can. I plan to catch them in Chicago.
Aussie legends Midnight Oil announced on May 4th that they are reuniting for a tour in 2017. In case you don’t know “the Oils” (as they are sometimes called) are one of Australia’s greatest bands and easily one of the most politically charged / Stick-it-to-the-Man bands of the last 30 years. Lead singer Peter Garrett even went into politics after the band split up to further their causes for Aboriginal Australians, economic equality, and environmental action.
They haven’t announced tour dates or locations yet, but this will be a must-see show. My wife and I have seen them twice, and both shows were excellent. We got to meet some of them after a show, and they were all good lads.
They’re offering a free download of a live version of “Forgotten Years” (one of the hits off the classic Blue Sky Mining album) through their website to celebrate the announcement, so grab it while you can.
