It has been 19 years since Midnight Oil first pulled up stumps, when vocalist Peter Garrett went from singing about politics to actual politics, but now, the end appears to be in sight once again.
In 2017 the band unexpectedly reunited, their return marked with a sweat-drenched pub gig at legendary Sydney venue, Selina’s. They sold out 77 shows in 16 countries on their Great Circle tour, then returned to the studio for the first time in almost 20 years and recorded 20 new tracks.
The first part of that new material, First Nations collaboration The Makarrata Project, debuted at number one on the ARIA charts the same weekend that longtime bass player Bones Hillman sadly died.
It just missed out on ARIA’s Album of the Year at Wednesday’s awards ceremony.
Today, the band has announced a tour for the first quarter of next year which will be their last. The tour will take in several A Day On The Green shows, as well as headline dates in metropolitan and regional areas.
It will be accompanied by a 12-track album called Resist, which features the final songs recorded with Hillman.
This will be their last tour, but the band members will continue their own projects. They’re also open to creating new music together and performing one-off shows in the future.
“We’ve played intensely physical gigs since our humble beginnings back in 1977 and we never want to take even the slightest risk of compromising that,” guitarist Jim Mognine said.
“Much has been achieved and with the passing of Bones much has been lost, so it now feels like we’re at the end of a cycle.”
Describing the upcoming shows as “sad and beautiful” Mognine said the band intended to blow the roof off every stage.
“You could call this a farewell tour, but Midnight Oil will still continue in some form or other as we’re brothers, family,” he said. “We stand as one, dependent on each other and grateful in all the important ways that make great bands great.”
Peter Garrett added, “We all know time refuses to stand still for anyone but after many years together the band’s spirit is deep, the music and words are strong, and our ideas and actions as bold as we can make them.
“We’ve reached people in ways we never could have imagined. Our desire to create and speak out is undimmed… Having always tackled every tour like it’s the last – this time it actually will be.”
In addition to these shows, the band has already announced special appearances in Tasmania for Mona Foma 2022 and at Byron Bay Bluesfest next Easter.
Midnight Oil: Resist – The Final Tour
A Day On The Green
Saturday, February 26th, 2022
Heifer Station, Orange NSW
Saturday, March 5th, 2022
Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong VIC
Saturday, March 12th, 2022
All Saints Estate, Rutherglen, VIC
Saturday, March 26th, 2022
Nikola Estate, Swan Valley WA
Event information available from the A Day On The Green website
Headline Shows
Wednesday, February 23rd , 2022
Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle NSW
Wednesday, March 2nd 2022
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong, NSW
Wednesday, March 9th 2022
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VIC
Saturday, March 30th 2022
Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, SA
Saturday, April 2nd 2022
Darwin Amphitheatre, Darwin, NT
Wednesday, April 6th 2022
Convention Centre Arena, Cairns, QLD
Saturday, April 9th 2022
Sunshine Coast Stadium, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Wednesday, April 13th 2022
Riverstage, Brisbane, QLD
Tuesday, April 19th 2022
Stage 88 Canberra, ACT
Thursday, April 21st, 2022
Qudos Bank Arena Sydney, NSW
Tickets available via Frontier Touring
