Last night was the last of their North American tour and hopefully we won’t have to wait another 15 years to see them again. If anything absence has made the heart grow fonder. The years have not robbed their songs of any power. I frequently found myself singing along, and by the sound of it, was far from the only one at First Avenue. “From the Bush” was an homage to Australian aboriginal band Warumpi.
Their songs and their actions have always drawn attention to causes their support whether it’s the planet (Beds are Burning), exploitation (Blue Sky) or the fate of Australia’s aboriginal people (The Dead Heart) and if there ever was a time for a band to point their finger at issues facing us, it’s now. Being a former minister in the Australian government, he’s not one to keep his opinions to himself, and that almost as much as the music is the core or Midnight Oil’s essence. Garrett addressed the audience frequently. “Tone Poem” started slowly but a couple of fans in front from rocking as hard as they could to it. The sound was all that I remembered classic Midnight Oil, and the crowd was eating it up. It’s his hands, his voice and the intensity of his movements that keep your eyes peeled on him. At 6’3 he commands attention but it’s not just the lofty height of his bald head. The focus of their live show has always been singer Peter Garrett’s magnetism and to me he hasn’t lost a step in the 15 years since I saw him last.
Set List: Second Solution / Roll / End Of The / How Do We Know? / Prisoner / E-Boogie / West End RiotĪny concerns I had about my expectations for Midnight Oil being unrealistic were blown to dust within the first few seconds. Their 30 minute set made everyone at First Avenue forget it was Tuesday and in a weekend mood. Musically their sound is a mix of rockabilly and punk delivered in a fast, very engaging way. Bass player Scott Owen sported an upright double bass that he climbed on from time to time and singer Chris Cheney joined him on it at one point.īut drummer Andy Strachan stole my heart by wearing a t-shirt of one of my favorite German bands Die Toten Hosen (the dead pants). The trio hit the stage with all the subtleness of a human wave attack, having fans roar back “Solution” the chorus of their opening song just a few minutes into their set. By picking Aussie trio The Living End, Midnight Oil showed all the caution of North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. Some bands play it safe with the opener and pick a band that will get the crowd going but does not challenge the headliner. Judging by the mood or the crowd at First Avenue last night, I was not the only one. When their reformation and world tour was announced earlier this year and a Minneapolis date was added, my excitement to see them again grew to almost teenager level. Midnight Oil has long been one of my favorite bands and after seeing them in 2002 and learning of their breakup that year, I was not expecting to ever see them live again.