26 November 2021 - 0 Comments

In 2017 Midnight Oil returned from a long hiatus with a sweat drenched pub gig at the legendary Sydney venue, Selinas. In the middle of that special set, frontman Peter Garrett borrowed some famous lines, exhorting “rage, rage, against the dying of the light”. And that’s exactly what they’ve done ever since. They sold out 77 shows in 16 countries on their epic “Great Circle” tour. They toured Europe again, did a memorable gig in the outback, then returned to the studio for the first time in over 18 years and recorded 20 new songs. The first batch of that material, The Makarrata Project, debuted at #1 in Australia on the same weekend that longtime bass player Bones Hillman sadly died. Despite that profound blow, and a global pandemic, the band and their First Nations Collaborators still mounted their acclaimed “Makarrata Live” shows early this year – championing the Uluru Statement and highlighting ongoing injustices suffered by First Nations people.

Today Midnight Oil announced that this chapter of their career will come to a memorable close next year with the release of the other 12 new songs they recorded with Bones and a series of big gigs. Both are aptly titled Resist.

The band also announced that this will be their final concert tour while making it clear that this does not mean the end of the Oils. Each of the members will continue their own projects over the years ahead. They remain very open to recording new music together in future and supporting causes in which they believe but this will be their last tour.

Meanwhile Resist will be a fitting, forward looking, statement for a band whose clarion call has always been “it’s better to die on your feet than live on your knees”. The tour will see them performing classic Midnight Oil songs from across their repertoire while also showcasing some urgent new works. As the title makes abundantly clear, Resist engages with the issues of today and tomorrow – like the lead single Rising Seas which tackles the climate crisis in typically uncompromising fashion.

The album pre-order and Australasian General Public tickets will go on-sale from next Tuesday 30 November. Dates, venues and all other info is detailed below. A handful of international concerts is also being considered (subject to Covid restrictions).

Resist will be Midnight Oil’s 15th studio release since the band exploded out of the post-punk scene back in 1978, blazing a singular trail of blistering gigs through Australia’s pubs and clubs. In the four decades since they have created an unparalleled string of classic tracks including I Don’t Wanna Be The One, Power & The Passion, US Forces, Best Of Both Worlds, The Dead Heart, Blue Sky Mine, Forgotten Years, Truganini, Redneck Wonderland, Say Your Prayers and the 2020 APRA song of the year Gadigal Land (feat. Dan Sultan, Joel Davison, Kaleena Briggs & Bunna Lawrie). Their Diesel & Dust LP topped the critics’ “100 Best Australian Albums Of All Time” and its worldwide hit Beds Are Burning is one of the “500 Songs That Shaped Rock’n’roll” according to the U.S. Rock’n’roll Hall Of Fame. The band’s performance of that song at the Sydney Olympics is etched in the memory of billions.

From the northern beaches of Sydney to the streets of Manhattan, they have stopped traffic, inflamed passions, inspired fans, challenged the concepts of “business as usual” and broken much new ground. Seeing Midnight Oil in full flight is to experience the kinetic power of live rock’n’roll. They leave you inspired to live life more passionately and to Resist.

Midnight Oil calls for governments to urgently take serious actions that reduce carbon pollution. This tour will embrace best practices for emission reductions and offsetting. A portion of proceeds will be set aside for organizations seeking to elevate the existential threat posed by the climate crisis.

MIDNIGHT OIL
RESIST
THE FINAL TOUR
MAY 2022

Presented by Eccles Entertainment and The Sound

MIDNIGHT OIL PRE-SALE
via midnightoil.com
Runs 25 hours from: 10am NZDT Tuesday 30 November
or until pre-sale allocation exhausted

GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE
Begins: 12pm NZDT Thursday 2 December

ALL SHOWS ALL AGES

7 May 2022 @ Christchurch Arena, Christchurch, NZ
All Ages
ticketek.co.nz | Ph: 0800 842 539

10 May 2022 @ TSB Arena, Wellington, NZ
ticketmaster.co.nz | Ph: 0800 111 999

13 May 2022 @ Spark Arena, Auckland, NZ
ticketmaster.co.nz | Ph: 0800 111 999

Comments

Return to News Archive