Started 15 minutes late, but got their full hour anyway.  A little more, even.

Blue Sky Mining

Redneck Wonderland

Only The Strong

Put Down That Weapon

Tone Poem

Power and the Passion

When the Generals Talk

Luritja Way

Warakurna

Dead Heart

Beds Are Burning

Forgotten Years

Dreamworld

There were around 20-25k people at the festival.  Regardless if you like their music, Alter Bridge put on a very good show with massively powerful guitar solos and crowd participation.  Midnight Oil had to follow them.  I wasn’t sure how the band would be received given that the crowd had a lot of younger people who were there for Bush or Soundgarden or just because they were given tickets by their parents to get them out of the house for a few hours.  Also complicating this was the number of people up front asking, “Who is this coming up again?”  I started looking desperately for people who might also be fans.  Finally I saw a few MO shirts in the crowd (three, maybe?) and struck up a conversation.  I guess I counted maybe 10 actual fans who knew their songs.

But then the boys delivered!  Pete talked between most of the songs about politics and got the crowd riled up.  Though he’s 64 and not moving like he used to, he still has moves!  The crowd loved that.  By the last song, there was a huge chant of “Ooooiilllsss!   Oooooiiilllsss!”  It was glorious!

I overheard the girl beside me who said to her friend at the beginning, “I think this is some old band coming up.  Y’know, these old bands need to just quit trying and move on.  They all suck.” said at the end, “I am so angry and so happy at the same time!  I can’t imagine that these guys could have ever sounded better than that!  Those guitars!  And that bass!  And that drummer!  That was amazing!”

I couldn’t agree more.