Midnight Oil live. Tivoli-Vredenburg, Utrecht Saturday 2 July 2022 with William Crighton

"The Last Album The Final Tour" it said on my ticket. Midnight Oil is calling it a day and shows itself to the world for a final time. With the album 'Resist' it goes out with a bang. 'Resist' is up there with my most favourite Midnight Oil album 'Earth And Sun And Moon'. I had seen the band on that tour at the same location, albeit the old version of it and not the gigantic new venue built around the old Vredenburg.

Then the Oils were men in their 30s, full of energy that gave a fantastic show. I remember leaving the venue totally impressed by the music, the energy, the intensity. It did not get that far last night. In fact, it took me quite some time to be captured by the band and the music. Somehow things did not come alive. I even caught myself thinking perhaps the band stopped one tour too late. The songs played were mostly from the new album or songs I did not know. To be frank, before 'Diesel And Dust' and after 'Earth And Sun And Moon' I'm not a fan of the band. Luckily, the first highlight came with a new song, 'The Barka-Darling River'. This is one of those true Midnight Oil songs that in a different time might have been a hit. Just like album opener, 'Rising Seas'. The former song was coming across so good and when the song moved into its second appearance from rock to ballad, the first goosebump moment was there all right.

What can be said in a general way, is that there was no sentimentality about this being the last time. The band was clearly promoting its new album. The focus of the show was on Resist and only then the hits. This was no greatest hits routine show. This was rather in contrast with the farewell actually. Midnight Oil remains a band with a message, the environment, the first nation of Australia, etc., and a great new album to proudly present to the world. (HareD reported on 'Resist' earlier this year on this blog and pointed me to the farewell tour.) The urgency of a lot of songs on 'Resist' are in stark contrast with the farewell as well.

Singer Peter Garrett slowly but surely grew to a great form. (And now I know who Star Trek's Seru has his movements from.) By the song he started to forget his age more and more and showing his level of fitness along the way. His enthusiasm stoked audience and band more and more and once the band moved towards the grand finale with its best songs, bar two, in my opinion that is, he was totally on the loose. Age, time and place forgotten. He was in his element alright.

Drummer Rob Hirst was the other who stepped over time and place. He looked like he was ready to start a punkrock band with his 18 year old grandson right after the tour. He played with power and strength and is one of the great second and third voices of the band. Harmonies certainly are a great strength of Midnight Oil. (What a stark contrast with one of the lady background singers. I've seldom seen someone so disinterested on stage, scrolling on her cell phone at the side of the stage when not on stage.) And Hirst's microphone moving towards and from him just before and after his singing was a little trick I'd never noticed before.

The guitarist Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey did what we can expect, with Moginie doubling on keyboards and background vocals as well. It seemed like Moginie had the most trouble keeping up. On the other side he's responsible for most of the great new songs, showing his spark is fully alive alright.

With 'Dead Heart' slowly but surely the band moved into more familiar territory and at the end all favourites came by. Of course the band's global breakthrough single 'Beds Are Burning' came by. The show came to an end with the fantastic 'Sometimes' in the second encore. No final bows, just leaving the stage.

My favourite song 'My Country' got an ultra short acoustic piano version, why? And where were 'Earth And Sun And Moon' and 'Truganini'? For the rest this was a worthy goodbye to a band that never was a part of the top but certainly a band that delivered albums at a consistent and high level. When all has been said and done, there's no regrets as to me having been present in Utrecht. A great band said goodbye and I was there.

William Crighton and his two masked companions opened for Midnight Oil. My recollections of his half hour show were nearly blown away by Midnight Oil. As it should be, of course. Crighton started on his own with a traditional folk song, accompanying himself on a ukulele or something like it. Trying to connect to the audience by singing off microphone. Summing up, his songs are rather monotonous where live the trio makes up with intensity. There's no issue with listening with interest to this music. Ending with Australia's alternative national anthem 'Waltzing Matilda' was special. That he gave it his own addition at the end as well.

Wout de Natris