Live Review: Mundi Mundi Bash 2022

After its second iteration this year, Mundi Mundi Bash has firmly established its reputation as a must for music lovers and adventurers – and while the dusty plains and glorious outback sunsets make for a truly unique experience, the musical line-up of 2022 was in a league of its own. 

As one of the festival’s first headliners, Missy Higgins set the tone with her bright, instantly recognisable brand of pop. Although she looked like a star in an emerald green suit, she spoke like the down-to-earth muso that she has always been, and delivered a performance that more than lived up to her reputation. Her honeyed vocals shone bright and clear through Peachy and The Collector, complete with jazz hands and perfectly pitched backing vocalists.

Just as sweet were the faces of the children in The Wilcannia Choir as they appeared behind her, standing tall as they delivered a beautifully rich tapestry of vocal harmonies. After a well-deserved string of high-fives for the choir as they left the stage, Higgins launched into a string of worthy set closers from her back catalogue. Her performance of Special Ones touched hearts, while her buoyant deliveries of Scar and Steer lifted them, and reminded us all to “[choose] happiness, because life is short”. 

A short while later, a combination of didgeridoos, evocative visuals and explosive guitars signalled the beginning of a highly anticipated set from Midnight Oil – and over the course of the next two hours, the set highlights were many. From the harmonica in Truganini and show-stopping drum solo in Power And The Passion to Higgins' rousing guest performance on One Country and the anthemic set closer Beds Are Burning, there was never a dull moment. The many outfit changes and ever-eloquent commentary between songs was just a bonus, to be expected with Peter Garrett at the helm. 

Whether he was grooving with the backing singers, singing along with sax riffs or showing off his trademark dance moves, Garrett’s eccentricity and confidence shone through in every aspect of the performance. His political notes were also par for the course, noting that “apathy is a disease worse than COVID”. Still, after months of anticipation, nothing – not even the mention of a certain “ministerial” former Prime Minister – could have dampened this Redneck Wonderland for punters.

The next morning began with the Mundi Mundi Undie Run, a charity event featuring undies (and bodies) of all shapes and sizes. The Kath and Kel lookalikes emerged victorious, with an honourable mention to the Mundi Mundi kids, and a grand total of $9,500 raised for the Flying Doctor Service - and although the sprint was over, the day-long musical marathon was just getting started.

Pic by Matt Williams

First up, country talent Melanie Dyer set the tone for what was to come, and her lyrics proved her a storytelling talent all of her own. With the Mundi Mundi Bash house band at her back, Dyer set up the dominoes with Run Out Of Road and Cheap Moscato only to knock them down with Turn Up The Trouble – and when she pondered aloud whether it was too early for a rock edge, the crowd was quick to spur her on. Love songs with a difference, Memphis T-Shirt and Fresh became instant set highlights, and she finished on a high with a cover of the Don Henley classic Boys Of Summer. 

Aussie folk rocker Mick Thomas took Dyer’s energy and ran with it, drawing the crowd in with infectious rhythms and harmonies. Looking the part in his red plaid shirt, Thomas delivered a collection of fan favourites including See You When I’m Looking At You and You Remind Me, backed by Squeezebox Wally, Brooke Taylor and the Mundi Mundi Bash band. His relaxed country vibes were exactly what the afternoon punters ordered, and by the end of the set, they had fans old and new cheering and calling for more from the foot of the stage. 

Sarah McLeod’s set had plenty of memorable moments, from her emotive rendition of House Of The Rising Sun to her passionate performance of Buried Alive, an ode to cheating boyfriends everywhere. McLeod’s performance was strength and vulnerability in equal measure, her powerful top notes interspersed with heavy breaths that let the crowd know she was working hard. She gave a wonderfully human performance, covering The Supremes’ classic You Keep Me Hangin’ On and Max Merritt’s Slipping Away alongside a makeshift choir of backup singers. The crowd revelled in the call-and-response rhythm, and when McLeod asked them to sing “louder, with more passion and fervour”, they were more than happy to oblige. Needless to say, Sarah McLeod left everything she had on the stage, and found more than a few new fans in the process.

Pic by Matt Williams

By the time the Rolling Stones Revue took the stage with Tim Rogers, Tex Perkins and Adalita, the sun might have been heading down, but the energy was only building faster. Rogers’ spirit was infectious, turning classics like You Can’t Always Get What You Want and Brown Sugar into full-blown singalongs. Between the confident tinkling of piano keys and the timeless combination of drums and tambourine, the band was as tight as Rogers’ shirt buttons were loose, and his words of motivation as memorable: “Join a rock band – even someone as ugly as me can make it – and tell police to eff off.” 

After a DJ set full of classics from Tim Rogers himself in an Evil Knievel costume, the crowd was revved up for the night’s closing act. Jon Stevens drew on his many years working with Noiseworks and INXS throughout a set that promised to be remembered the next morning. Through Touch and Hot Chilli Woman, his passionate performance had the crowd singing along working up to covers of INXS classics New Sensation, Never Tear Us Apart, Need You Tonight and Don’t Change. The set featured more than a few emotive, highly focused vocal deliveries, but Stevens’ manner onstage made it clear that this was just as much a jam session between old friends as it was a job. 

As the synthesiser melodies rang out across the desert and permeated thousands of chests, the joy was palpable – joy at watching a seasoned performer still on his game after many years. Amidst plummeting temperatures, the crowd couldn’t have been more relieved when the band made a quick return to the stage for their encore with even more confidence and energy than before. Ultimately, it was his no-thrills performance of Disappear that cemented Stevens’ claim to the set of the evening, leaving the crowd raring to go for the festival’s final day. 

There’s no doubt about it: the Mundi Mundi Bash has established itself as a true entertainment all-rounder – from the traditional Mundi Mundi Undie Run to the best-dressed dog competition, camel rides and dunny door painting – but at its heart, it will always be about the music. As sure as that glorious desert sun will rise tomorrow, Aussie music enthusiasts are already looking forward to next year’s bash.

Pic by Matt Williams