Concert Reviews

Midnight Oil with Boytoy at the Danforth Music Hall

It’s been a good eight years since Midnight Oil has been on stage, not since 2009 to be exact, headlining the Sound Relief concert benefiting victims of Victoria’s bushfire in Melbourne. After that show, the band retreated to their regular lives and jobs once again for a long period of time.  A lot has changed in the world since, but it seems fitting for a band such as Midnight Oil, whose music which is often rooted in social justice, political and environmental activism has surfaced again to become relevant in today’s world affairs.  There was some words said about a specific president south of the Canadian border by the lead singer, Peter Garrett, who has come under a lot of fire lately in the media, but this night is not about “him”, as his name was never mentioned.  This night belonged to the fans.

The Great Circle tour made its stop in Toronto on Saturday evening, the start of a long Victoria day weekend in Toronto. The crowd was comprised of die-hard “Oil” fans, who were lucky enough to snatch up tickets for the sold out show.  They couldn’t had been happier to see this band play, let alone imagine them not only releasing a new album this year but going on a major tour around the world.  The stage was sparse consisting of five main members, some scattered floor lights, a big tin oil can and a large backdrop of the world behind them. It is as if the world were on their shoulders, ushering them to provide insight into how to make it a better place.  Peter Garrett, lead singer, by no means is a short man, nor young, held his ground, weaving across from one end of the stage to the other, in his oft, staccato dance, showing more foot work than a lot of lead vocalists I’ve seen recently.   

With a discography that spans 11 albums, the band played a collections of songs with the more popular ones coming near the end of their set. The biggest cheers and collective singing were to “Beds are Burning”, “The Dead Heart” and “Blue Sky Mine”.  The ended their set with not one but two encores, songs included “Sometimes/Truth” and “Forgotten Years” and lastly on a high note with “King of the Mountain”. It was a nostalgic night for many who were lucky enough to be present, and this is largely due to the testament of a band that has stood the test of time.

About author

Concert Photographer at Live in Limbo. Veggie running, musically inclined, photographer. The end.