REVIEW: Midnight Oil Deliver 'Powerful' Performance At Historic Final Show

50 years, thirteen studio albums, thousands of shows spread over more than twenty countries. The tales of a band called Midnight Oil will be told for generations to come.

For a journey that started on the Northern beaches of Sydney, it was suitable that the final show would be in that same town, but for it to be at the iconic Hordern Pavilion, instead of a stadium or arena, says a lot about how the band wanted to go out as a live act.

There was a nervous energy amongst the crowd and a fleeting “Oils!” chant, but the early start meant that we weren’t waiting long for them to get into it and the entry of the band, with the four core members, plus touring bassist Adam Ventoura, was without fanfare - but this is nothing new. The band don’t look to be anything more than they have always been. Honest, simple and powerful.

There were a variety of themes that flowed through the set, but one link that brought everything together. ‘Country’. From the gorgeous Welcome to Country, to the opening song, Lucky Country, to the many more references throughout the night, it was clear how much this land, so-called Australia, means to the whole band. With patriotism being dangerous in the wrong hands, Peter Garrett is careful to present the love of his country in a way that ensures everyone is included in his vision. One country for everyone.

“It’s going to be a very beautiful, sweet and long night!” declared Garrett early. With a huge window of time to perform, they were always going to dive into the catalogue and this meant performances of tracks that had not been in the set for years. Used And Abused from their debut record was second on the list but contained a small break as Peter Garret broke up a scuffle in the crowd. “Go to the back and find some NRL players, they’ll like that!”, announced a cheeky but clearly annoyed Garrett.

Pic by Joel Cangy

I’m The Cure, from their 1980 Bird Noises EP had not been performed live since 1984 (according to setlist.fm) and Koala Sprint and Common Ground were welcome additions to the set, especially with drummer Rob Hirst seen to be screaming out the lyrics to the latter in joyous strains. The first real goosebump moment came during Is It Now? as the bridge kicked in and Garrett screamed the title of the track and showed a glimpse of what it must have been like in those small pubs in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The group even explored their ‘surf-rock’ past with a few Narrabeen favourites, including Surfing With A Spoon, another deep-cut that delighted the ravenous audience.

The band were deliciously on form, especially with the dancing guitar of Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey in a number of tracks, a combination that has stood the test of time. The addition of Ventoura, who announced during the show that he’d learnt 94 tracks from the back catalogue, was welcome as he drove so many of their songs with aplomb, including the second big goosebump moment – the bass line from Stand In Line - another huge highlight of the night.

In between every few songs, Garrett was sure to throw in some anecdotes and reminisce about their past. “Three dollar nights” at your local pub for gig night, AC/DC references and Bondi Lifesavers were all mentioned  - “You’re too old if you remember that!” he laughed. The fact that everyone has a Midnight Oil story is testament to the impact that the band have always had with their audience.

A fleeting, but powerful appearance from Dan Sultan on Gadigal Land was the only real surprise of the night, guest-wise. Despite collaborating with a great number of artists over the years, it was fair to say that tonight was about the group just doing what they do, rather than bringing the bells and whistles. Leah Flanagan who spent the night teaming up with Liz Stringer on the backing vocals also joined in for the song that resonated throughout the home crowd.

Pic by Joseph Mayers

So many lyrics were poignant reminders of what the Oils are all about. “Beauty, love, and compassion” from Nobody’s Child, an adjustment of the lyrics in Progress to “25 Million, I can't hear you at all” and the eponymous “This is something I will remember” from Hercules. Midnight Oil lyrics have become a part of everyday vernacular including from Beds Are Burning, which still feels as important today as it ever has been - “To pay the rent, to pay our share”.

As the clock ticked over three and a half hours, the crowd were starting to wonder how it would finish. How does a band like Midnight Oil round out their live careers? The second encore would deliver two of their biggest in The Dead Heart and Power And The Passion with the latter feeling like it could have been delivered as the final blow, but the theme of ‘country’ returned with a suitably beautiful rendition of One Country, a track that felt like it could have ended things on a more sombre tone.

To constant cheers and applause, they walked off, but again the crowd chanted.

Again, we wanted one more. Just one more.

As they always have, they once again delivered. Forgotten Years would become the song that rounded it out - the song that closed the chapter on one of the best bands Australia will ever produce and their staggering 40-song set.

The songwriting, this time from Rob Hirst and Jim Moginie, sums it all up eloquently. “These should not be forgotten years.” Midnight Oil will never be forgotten, but neither should their legacy and what they’ve been working so long to achieve. For now, let’s remember them however we choose to do so, because everyone has an ‘Oils’ story and they should always be told.

As the house lights came on, we blinked a few times and applauded once more, not quite believing that it really was all over.

Pic by Joel Cangy