Midnight Oil

The magnificent Midnight Oil graced our shores tonight for their last ever UK gig. It was a joyous occasion but there was a tinge of sadness in the balmy summer air due to the absence of Oils' bassist, Bones Hillman, following his sad passing in November 2020, and the surreal knowledge that this was the band's last UK gig and possibly last tour.

They opened with the understated We Resist, followed by two other tracks from the new album before breaking into their stride and back catalogue. The problem for the Oils is choosing which songs to play from their vast repertoire spanning six decades and 13 studio albums. In a two hour set, there's a mixture of old and new, mainly old, and all go down well with the predominantly Aussie crowd but it's the staples that understandably get the best reception. Songs such as The Dead Heart, One Country, Beds Are Burning and Blue Sky Mine go down a storm but there is still a respect and appreciation for the more recent material taken from Resist (2022) and The Makorrata Project (2020).

The word 'great' is often bandied about too easily but Midnight Oil truly are a great band who have stood the test of time and proven to be one of the finest of their generation on a worldwide scale. They can still rock with the best of them, as demonstrated by tunes such as Best of Both Worlds, but can slow things down and move the listener in other ways, most notably tonight with the stripped down version of My Country. Over the course of their career, they have stayed true to their beliefs and principles, and written and produced great music. Special mention here to the musicianship of guitarist and keyboardist Jim Moginie, who never looks too happy on stage but who is nevertheless a top player on both instruments, and the charismatic Garret who darts around the stage like a primary school kid belying his 69 years. His between-song rhetoric is always good value too, never one to shy away from topical political banter, pom-bashing or fighting for the aboriginal cause. As always, drummer Rob Hirst and guitarist Martin Rotsy put in a great shift for the team, as did new bassist Adam Ventoura and the backing singers who fill the void left by Hillman's absence, although it doesn't quite feel the same without him, particularly on One Country, possibly his finest hour on Oils backing duties. That said, the song still soars tonight.

What is very noticeable about Midnight Oil on stage - and I'm referring in particular to the four originals here - is that they really are a brotherhood built on friendship. To have lasted this long and produced such an impressive body of work is testament to their friendship and shared beliefs. This concert and tour is not merely a 'Best Of' because they are still writing and producing new material, the mark of any band worth their salt. One of the final songs tonight, Forgotten Years, had a particular poignancy as the band and crowd belted out the chorus, 'These should not be forgotten years.' Indeed, they shouldn't. Midnight Oil have certainly left their mark and will not be forgotten. Recent world events suggest the Oils were always one step ahead and as relevant now as they have ever been.

A triumphant return but sad farewell. If this was their last ever UK gig, which I sense it will be, they went out with a bang and still on top of their game.


Setlist
We Resist
Nobody's Child
The Barka-Darling River
Truganini
Knife's Edge
Lucky Country
Sometimes
First Nation
The Dead Heart
My Country
Short Memory
Kosciusko
Only the Strong
One Country
Redneck Wonderland
Blue Sky Mine
Power and the Passion
Beds Are Burning
Best of Both Worlds
Forgotten Years

Encore:
Tin Legs and Tin Mines
King of the Mountain
Hercules