Midnight Oil on tour
Midnight Oil and Things of Stone and Wood
At Wollongong University, May 25
Reviewed by Paul Conrad
Midnight Oil, along with Melbourne support band Things of Stone and Wood, played at Wollongong University for two nights as part of their "Earth and Sun and Moon" tour.
Things of Stone and Wood played a competent set. "Share this Wine" is their best song, while "Happy Birthday Helen" was the best received by the audience. The band played well if unspectacularly, and were accepted well by the crowd.
Midnight Oil have certainly justified their reputation as one of the best live bands in the country. Their powerful performance of two hours was packed with hits and older songs. Peter Garrett, a formidable presence on stage, moved around like a demented mime, and invested the songs with a considerable degree of passion.
The songs from the last few Oils albums were received with great fervour, particularly "Beds are Burning" and "King of the Mountain". The few tracks they played from their new album Earth Sun and Moon seemed somewhat too mellow for the audience. Their concentration on older material certainly makes them good value for money, but I would have enjoyed hearing more of their new material live. However, the show was energetic, and the audience went away well pleased, which is all that counts in the entertainment industry.