News

The Great Circle 2017 has finally returned to the place where it all began for Midnight Oil – in their hometown of Sydney.

Appropriately enough for a tour that included 77 incendiary shows, things ended with a bang. The final fortnight saw the band sparring with a former Australian Prime Minister, continuing their campaign against the filthy Adani coal mine and celebrating a victory for love over fear, all while battling the elements and a ‘season ending injury’.

Back to back shows on unusually cold nights in Wodonga and Hanging Rock plus a rowdy Melbourne Cup Eve gig two nights later at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl reached over 50,000 of the most vocal fans seen (or heard!) anywhere on the whole tour. Unfortunately things then took a nasty turn during an encore Bowl appearance when keyboardist/guitarist Jim Moginie took a tumble right at the end of the main set. In an attempt to protect his guitar during the fall he tore his hamstring tendon completely off the bone. For nearly 24 hours there was talk of the remaining shows needing to be moved into 2018 but Jim chose to delay necessary surgery and committed to doing the next 4 gigs fully seated and in considerable pain. Thanks again Jim!

All of this drama set up an epic return to Sydney on November 11 (aka Armistice Day). Former Prime Minister, Paul Keating, seized his chance to get back in the headines by calling the band “squatters” for performing two rock shows in a city park. Interestingly the classical music loving ex-PM had never complained when the same space was used over 50 times for opera and symphonies over the previous decades. The stoush was somehow appropriate given that The Domain was Australia’s hub of robust public debate for nearly a century but to rework a phrase that used to be well known in Australia, “these were the gigs that Sydney had to have”!

A comparatively intimate but particularly intense Monday evening show in Wollongong and a rainy third Myer Bowl on the night that Australian Marriage Equality received a thumping endorsement then set up last Friday night’s Grand Finale back in Sydney. This second massive Domain gig was packed with the band’s friends and family. Special guests Charlie McMahon on didgeridoo for “The Dead Heart” and Yirrmal on vocals for the indigenous classic, “Treaty”, made the night even more special given that the concert happened within sight of the place where first English settlement occurred in 1788.

From the stage the band could also see Sydney Harbour where they first unveiled this epic adventure aboard a boat way back in February. Since that time Midnight Oil has performed in 16 countries across 5 continents. They have worked their way though 106 different songs including 11 cover versions.

Alongside all the big gigs, Midnight Oil also did their bit for various causes. For example an evening set on The Rainbow Warrior in Rio, green European festivals like Paleo and Ostrava plus Great Barrier Reef fundraisers in Cairns and Fremantle were among the main tour highlights. Constant advocacy to #StopAdani throughout the Australian leg of the tour has helped bring focus to that important issue and the band’s support will continue post-tour by way of the funds raised through the benefit gigs and special post-show poster sales.

Behind the scenes more than 200 people have helped make this massive tour possible. Some have been part of the whole journey, others have only joined for a few weeks here or there but to each and every one of these individuals – from truck drivers to travel agents, from office staff to the band’s sensational road crew –  the Oils say a heartfelt thanks for your tireless labour.

For everyone wondering what’s next … who knows?! However as one final piece of news we can confirm rumors that the Domain shows were filmed and recorded. Some of that material may be released in some form next year as a memento for those who were there and as a ‘next best thing’ for all those who missed out. Watch this space for more details. 

But now the time has come; The Great Circle 2017 has officially come to a close. If you were one of the 500,000+ people who experienced this special tour then the Oils thank you one more time and hope you enjoyed this unforgettable experience as much as they did.

 

“As Midnight Oil neared the end of their massive eight-month world tour, all was right with the world.”

– Michael Dwyer, The Age

 

“As the band delivered song after song stamped on the DNA of the Australian soundtrack… the fans got louder to match the crowd and potently reminded everyone of every moment the Oils mattered in our lives. And why they matter now.”

– Kathy McCabe, Daily Telegraph

 

“They were superbly musical but with a contained relentless power. Occasionally we were taken on exhilarating whoopee-rides of excessive rock eruption. And by honouring their legacy, by committing themselves so firmly to being Midnight Oil, they assumed gravitas and dignity.”

– Peter Farnan, Daily Review

 

 

Wodonga 3/11

 

Photo: Brett Schewitz

Hanging Rock 4/11

 

 

Photo: Brett Schewitz

Hanging Rock 4/11

 

 

Photo: Brett Schewitz

Hanging Rock 4/11

 

Photo: Ringo Dingo

Hanging Rock 4/11

 

Photo: Jim Moginie

“Hunters Horns. Jeremy Jack and Michael. A mighty sound. Great to have them onboard for the final shows.” – JM 4/11

 

Photo: Kane Hibberd

Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne 6/11

 

Photo: Kane Hibberd

Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne 6/11

 

Photo: Kane Hibberd

Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne 6/11

 

Photo: Kane Hibberd

Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne 6/11

 

Photo: Brett Schewitz

Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne 8/11

 

“The dark side of Irish dancing. Post fall ukelele improvisations requiring heavy medical supervision.” – JM 10/11

 

The Domain, Sydney 11/11

 

The Domain, Sydney 11/11

 

Photo: Tony Mott

The Domain, Sydney 11/11

 

Photo: Tony Mott

The Domain, Sydney 11/11

 

 

Photo: Tony Mott

The Domain, Sydney 11/11

 

The Domain, Sydney 11/11

 

Photo: Tony Mott

The Domain, Sydney 11/11

 

Photo: Tony Mott

The Domain, Sydney 11/11

 

Photo: Chris Frape

Wollongong 13/11

 

Photo: Chris Frape

Wollongong 13/11

 

Photo: Danyon

Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne 15/11

 

Photo: Tony Mott

The Domain, Sydney 17/11

 

Photo: Tony Mott

The Domain, Sydney 17/11

 

Photo: Tony Mott

The Domain, Sydney 17/11

 

Photo: Tony Mott

The Domain, Sydney 17/11

 

“Post mortem Doctor? At the last show at The Domain.” – JM 17/11

 

The Domain, Sydney 17/11

 

 

Midnight Oil and are pleased to confirm that the scheduled performance on Saturday 11th of November at The Domain of “The Great Circle 2017” World Tour will proceed as planned despite the serious injury suffered onstage in Melbourne last night by the group’s guitarist and keyboardist Jim Moginie.

MRI tests today revealed that Jim has a hamstring avulsion; a debilitating injury where the hamstring tendon is completely detached from the bone. As such he will need to remain seated throughout the show instead of standing for his guitar songs as would otherwise have been the case.

Over the last fortnight, The Great Circle has wrapped itself around Midnight Oil’s homeland. Seven unique shows have taken the band from Coffs Harbour near Australia’s easternmost point to Perth in the continent’s far west and then back down to Hobart at the southern end of Tasmania. Along the way they played their biggest headlining show of 2017 so far (over 20,000 people at Hope Estate). They did an intimate ‘Sunday sessions’ benefit gig for Ocean charities in Fremantle where they played 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 in its entirety. They busted out two surprise ‘in memoriam’ covers – “Sorry” (in Canberra for Ozrock legend George Young) and “Blueberry Hill” (in Adelaide for Fats Domino).

Two gigs – Perth and Coffs – were momentarily halted while Pete evicted some troublemakers from the moshpit to the cheers of all around them. And the band kept up the 2017 setlist surprises when they treated Tasmania to the first live performance of “Who Can Stand In TheWay” in 30 years plus, aptly enough, a cracking tour premiere of “Burnie”. The critics have been very kind and feathers continue to be ruffled in all the right places. See below for a small taste of what’s been happening as Midnight Oil now turn into the home stretch of an extraordinary year.

 

Photo: AK Photography

Adelaide Oval 26/10

 

Photo: Sam Paquette

Rob Hirst, Brisbane 17/10

 

Coffs Harbour 19/10

 

Coffs Harbour 19/10

 

Photo: Jim Moginie

“Fossil Fuels are so passé…” – JM 20/10

 

Photo: Jim Moginie

“The Pacific Highway near Laurieton NSW in the wet. Land of the Burpai people.” – JM 20/10

 

Photo: Simone De Peak

Hope Estate, Hunter Valley NSW 21/10

 

Photo: Simone De Peak

Hope Estate, Hunter Valley NSW 21/10

 

Hope Estate, Hunter Valley NSW 21/10

 

Photo: Jack Howard

Hope Estate, Hunter Valley NSW 21/10

 

Photo: Steve Douglass

Hope Estate, Hunter Valley NSW 21/10

 

Photo: Jack Howard

Canberra 24/10

 

Photo: Jim Moginie

“Good Halloween costumes, eh?” – JM 24/10

 

Photo: Daniel Bedford

Perth 28/10

 

Photo: Jack Howard

Perth 28/10

 

Photo: Jim Moginie

“The Perth Mint, Remember the Micklebergs.” – JM 28/10

 

Photo: Jim Moginie

“With John Royle in Perth. John introduced me to Rob Hirst in 1972. We all formed a band. That was the start of Midnight Oil. Thank you John.” – JM 28/10

 

“One for the Oceans” benefit gig, Fremantle Arts Centre 29/10

 

Photo: Jim Moginie

“Signwriting in WA a la Alan Bond. Posters for posterity. Always fun playing 10-1.” – JM 29/10

 

Photo: Simone De Peak

Hope Estate, Hunter Valley NSW 21/10