Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] The Portland Show

btpmsi btpmsi@yahoo.com
Sun, 18 Nov 2001 15:55:19 -0800


The setlist:

Redneck
Bullroarer
Too Much Sunshine
Dreamworld
Surfing w/ a Spoon (Say Your Prayers was played)
Beds
Short Memory
Time to heal
Luritja Way
Blue Sky
Truganini
Bus to Bondi
Golden age
Brave Faces
Dead Heart
Forgotten Years
King of the Mountain
----------------------
Wharf Rat
Know Your Product
Sometimes
----------------------
Read About it

First of all, "Congratulations" to the band for a great tour finale, have a
safe trip home!

I'll start with the statistics:
20 songs, two encores, two straight hours of intensity! It was "Road Crew
picks the set list" night, and they came up with some wonderful stuff. After
starting off a little slow, the intensity just seemed to build and build and
build. This time out I took the "right in front of Bones" position, so that
I could have a clearer view of Jim. In Seattle I wanted to watch Martin so
that put me way around over to stage right and it was hard to see back
through everyone to Jim's position.  The sound was much better here, because
the rest of the band could balance out Martin's roar!! :O) The house sound
system played Superjesus, the tribal beat soundtrack started up, the house
lights came down, and two months of anticipation were about to be
fulfilled.......

The Roseland holds about 1500 people. There is very little in the way of
seating on the main floor except around the sides. The balcony is all
seating and the view from the bar up there is actually pretty good. It was
an all ages show.  I saw several little kids, say 5-8 years old running
around on the open dance floor. Average age of the crowd was mid to late
30's. About 60-40- men to women.

The set list speaks for itself, but here's my highlights:

This Redneck did not have the roaring intensity that the Seattle version
had, perhaps they were uncertain as how a Portland crowd would receive them,
since it had been eight years since their last visit here, IDK. to my ears
it sounded a little tentative......

Bullroarer sounded wonderful.  It was on this song, that the change in my
position over in front of Bones (balancing out the sound mix), first became
very apparent.  The Roseland can be a kind of tricky hall to get the mix
down in. I've heard other sound people complain about it, because the
brightness of the empty hall at soundcheck goes away (largely) when it is
stuffed full of people. This sound crew did a wonderful job.  The crowd went
nuts.  Someone said after talking to Martin that having the Workers down
front throughout this tour have in many cases ignited both the crowd and the
band. From my vantage point the band had Powderworkers across the entire
barricade from Al and Dave & Rowena Walker over by Martin to Schaf and Brian
Norton and John Montgomery in the middle (Immediately to my left). On my
right were Brian & Laurie Sturgill, then Mai Kiigemagi and her Nephew over
in front of Jim.

My only disappointment was being tantalized with Surfing W/ a Spoon on the
Setlist and then not being able to hear it. (we could read the setlist
backwards through the back of the paper after the roadies taped them on the
monitors)

The intensity went up a notch after the "semi-acoustic set" With Truganini
followed by Section 5 Bus to Bondi!!! This was one song I never expected to
hear played live. What a treat!!! Bones took a break and they handed over
the bass playing duties to none other than- the Sound Guy!!! Great fun, and
Martin really stepped out on his solo- whew! :O)

Golden age with it's quirky sounding intro. by Jim is next and was, like the
Seattle show, received warmly by the audience.

Up another notch, the guys launched into Brave Faces. By this time we are
simply blissing. One of those songs (for me) that I have always hoped I'd
hear someday. It's hard to describe the feeling in words. A rocking version
of TDH comes next, followed by Forgotten Years and the show closer in King
of the Mountain. This left us all sweaty with ringing ears.

Then the weird stuff started to happen.  Out they come for their first
encore. Peter is taping a piece of paper with what looks like hastily
written words on it written in pen. Hmmmmm a special rant perhaps? No, it
was the lyrics to the next song: a very psychedelic-sounding "Wharf Rat"!!!
Has this shown up on ANY setlists in recent (or not-so-recent) memory? Jim's
solo towards the end was nicely 'Wacked out'. I am feeling privileged to be
here by this point.

But wait, there's more.  As if the craziness could get any more intense,
they launch into a wild, rockin' version of "Know your Product"!!! The
ladies on either side of me start a "Mini Mosh pit" and my whole body is
getting sore, when up comes "Sometimes" to finish me ..................
gawd....

The guys did come out for a second encore and would have come out for a
third I think, but the lights came up after a rousing finish in "Read about
it" and the rest is history .............


Many thanks to the workers and friends (and fellow moshers) who made this
show a VERY memorable one.

And to the band: Happy Holidays gents, and looking forward to next year!
And to our friends in Europe: Don't miss this.......

Cheers,


Brian Perkins
West Linn, OR


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