As an American, there were a lot of great Australian bands I loved but for one reason or another never really caught on here which I never understood. Midnight Oil being one of them. The Angels (for legal reason they were called Angel City in the States), The Hoodoo Gurus, Paul Kelly and The Coloured Girls (in the Sates called Paul Kelly and The Messengers) just to name a few.
I wonder how many Oils fans in the audience were hearing Not Time For Games and Don't Wanna Be The One for the first time during this show. This was in June 1980, a month before Midnight Oil recorded Bird Noises which was released in November 1980 and a year before Place Without A Postcard which featured Don't Wanna Be The One. Don't Wanna Be The One was recorded during the Head Injuries sessions but left off that album.
can't believe this... I was there! It was a Thursday night, and the lineup was: The Models, The Flowers (who became Icehouse), Midnight Oil, and THE ANGELS!!!! Tickets only cost 7 bucks, was such a big night, I missed an important exam the next day....
Awesome. What a night that must have been. I have the flowers/Icehouse album too and saw the angels years later. But midnight oil supreme. Love the oils.
The first 3 albums are really good and being 14 have not had Mutch experience with live shows seeing videos of them live watching them in repeat and blasting it where ever I go is great. And seeing them live in the city was amazing giving off so Mutch power and passion and blowing the show away. Every album of theres is a story a story to be told a story to see and hear there music inspires nation after nation it's a part of Aussie culture. Love the oils with all my heart.
Would definitely buy this on DVD/Bluray if they released it... Absolutely awesome... for those of us who never saw them in their early days (Koala Sprint, 20:23, fantastic song)
One of the best ever live acts. Back then an Oils show pumped out more raw energy than... well... a lot! Musical genius? .... with love... No. World's best vocals? Hardly. World's best instrumentalists? bloody good, but still no. Un-apologetic, raw, real, tight as, hypnotic, powerful, passionate, take-no-prisoners, mind blowing, hard rocking, soul-touching, pure power..... _hell_yes_ There was something so genuine and fundamental about the Oils that for me made their live shows akin to some kind of religious experience, without in any way deifying the band. That was kind of the point. They didn't even attempt to present themselves as working class heroes, they were just other people who were there at the time. Normally a band plays for an audience who cheer for the band. That's all great, and all that happened, but an Oils show was also somehow bullshit-proofed. Everybody was right there in that space, not in a fantasy land, not basking in the glow of a larger-than-life construct, that wasn't an option. The end result was that you became a part of what happened. The band and the audience together generated something that you could physically feel in your chest. This is what the Oils had that was truly phenomenal. The world is full of people who can play a few hot licks, tread the boards and put on a show. Very few people in the world could stand up in the middle of and Oils crowd and not find themselves modeling the emperor's new clothes. Paul Kelly would be OK, Probably Mahatma Gandhi if he were still with us, but the Dalai Lama would be screwed, Jet would find themselves butt-naked and Pseudo Echo would just burst into flames on the spot (with the last two receiving roughly equal applause). I was just too young to see Midnight Oil in their pub days. By all accounts they were great at it, but my first Oils gig was a charity concert "One for the Kids" at the South Melbourne footy ground, 1985 was it? Rod Quantock was MC. It was a long day in the sun. Some "break dancing crew" bounced onto the stage wearing day-glo lycra with prop beat-boxes on their shoulders, but were physically forced off again in about 45 seconds by the sheer mass of tetra pack juice cartons that were pelted at them by the crowd. Rod was not amused. He scalded us all for our rudeness, and said we could bloody well sit there with no entertainment then. Great bloke. No bullshit there. Later they brought out what looked like some kind of weird nerdy high-school band, they even had trumpets and stuff. The crowd rustled their tetra packs restlessly, but the fear of further admonishment from RQ prevented any large scale assault long enough for them to start playing. Surprisingly, they weren't that bad. I didn't really know what to make of their stuff, but it caught my interest enough for me to listen more closely for their name when they'd finished their set. "Hunters and Collectors". It sounded vaguely familiar. Actually found out years later the Seymour brothers are my 2nd cousins or some such, I've never met either but our mothers talk occasionally. Not relevant but crazy small world, and damn that would be a cool acoustic jam at a bbq some time... Truth be told I wasn't too sure what to make of Midnight Oil either when they first came out, but by the time they played "stand in line" I was hooked. I met Robbie at a gig at Kooyong stadium, I think the next year. About 8 or 10 of us teenage brats shinned up some scaffolding and cornered him before security closed in to eject us. He was great, told the security guys it was ok. They hung around and stopped about another 10,000 people from also climbing up the scaffolding once they saw what was going on. Rob signed our T-shirts and stuff and had a yarn. He was relaxed, personable and funny. We didn't get a celebrity tour, merchandise and a pocket full of piss, but he gave us the time of day and then some. Then sent us on our way to climb back down the scaffolding to the crowd below. No Bullshit. Top bloke. Insane show. I have seen live: AC/DC (sadly post-Bon), KISS in their heyday, Pink Floyd, Chilli Peppers, Skyhooks, The Divynals, The Angels and an heap of others I'll remember as soon as I hit post, but as a live act I rate Midnight Oil head and shoulders above any of them.... and a surprise second was some teeny-bopper band I had absolutly no interest in but agreed to take my step-daughter to see called SIlverchair. Daniel Johns aged about 18 or so wandered out wearing tatty old jeans, bare feet and a flannie and abso-freakin-lutely destroyed the Brisbane entertainment centre, but that is another story.
Wow. Thanks for all that. Yes, the bass would hit you in the chest and I’d feel drunk or stoned at the end but took nothing. Walk straight out of Selinas in Coogee bay covered in sweat then swim in the beach with out clothes on. I was lucky enough to live in Sydney and first see them in 1980. That started roughly 40 midnight oil concerts and obsessed. Head injuries the best album too.
Thank you so much for posting this. This is absolutely my favorite live show I've discovered on youtube. It was during peak pandemic, and this whole show really got me through! I love that the tracking artifacts and sound issues are in it, too, for nostalgia reasons.. Peter Garrett's commentary makes me joyous as well.. Seriously, it made my whole week that this video has returned!!
Oooooooooohhhhh this is fucking Awesome, wish I had known about this at the time, what a line -up, Angels, Oils, Models, Icehouse / Flowers, thanks for putting this up ...
love these old midnight oil concerts, they had one of the best bass player in the world at the time peter gifford and this is not his best stuff, 10 to 1 and place without a postcard bird noise
I was there 15 yrs old and let loose.... What a great Concert, Model/Flowers/Angels were also great (wonder if there is footage of that?) We took ages to find a taxi to get home (missed the last train) as there were 6 of us (cabby eventually agreed to let someone lie on the floor) and we hit a dog in Mt Eliza and one girls Dad paid the fare :) A night to remember.........all for $8 (three hours work at the time). THANKS!
Awesome. Thanks. Iwas lucky enough to live in Sydney and first see them in 1980. That started roughly 40 midnight oil concerts and obsessed. Head injuries and Powderworks the best albums too.
Awesome stuff! The very early Oils material will always have a place in my heart. It's a great pity some idiot either at the time or along sands of time since this show was originally recorded decided to completely stuff it up by attempting to edit it (as if it even needed it!), even cutting out one of my favorite songs (Profiteers). Just what the fuck were you thinking?!? How dare you!!
facebook.com/MidnightOilFanPage
Head Injuries...one of the greatest rock n roll records of all time.
I am so proud to be an Australian
our music is brilliant
Midnight Oil pure magic
As an American, there were a lot of great Australian bands I loved but for one reason or another never really caught on here which I never understood. Midnight Oil being one of them. The Angels (for legal reason they were called Angel City in the States), The Hoodoo Gurus, Paul Kelly and The Coloured Girls (in the Sates called Paul Kelly and The Messengers) just to name a few.
I wonder how many Oils fans in the audience were hearing Not Time For Games and Don't Wanna Be The One for the first time during this show. This was in June 1980, a month before Midnight Oil recorded Bird Noises which was released in November 1980 and a year before Place Without A Postcard which featured Don't Wanna Be The One. Don't Wanna Be The One was recorded during the Head Injuries sessions but left off that album.
No, "let's rock" at the beginning of NTFG! :-)
Yep. Awesome. I was lucky enough to live in Sydney and first see them this year, 1980. That started roughly 40 concerts. Oils, oils.
The raising of children the raring of young used to be simple now look what it’s become.
he sung the first verse twice, wrote the second verse a month later!@@Lemonancy
can't believe this... I was there! It was a Thursday night, and the lineup was: The Models, The Flowers (who became Icehouse), Midnight Oil, and THE ANGELS!!!! Tickets only cost 7 bucks, was such a big night, I missed an important exam the next day....
Awesome. What a night that must have been. I have the flowers/Icehouse album too and saw the angels years later. But midnight oil supreme. Love the oils.
16:46 the best line ever let's fucking distroy this place
Real music by real musicians. Those days are so long gone as well as the oz pub rock scene
something special about those first 3 albums. before they hit it big with 10 to 1. pub rock at its absolute finest.
+Coldacre Agree. I was lucky enough to see them about 78. Fucking incredible
+Fred Bassett The heart of the band was Rob,
Jim was the heart. Rob was the arms.
Couldn't agree more - saw them heaps of times then
The first 3 albums are really good and being 14 have not had Mutch experience with live shows seeing videos of them live watching them in repeat and blasting it where ever I go is great. And seeing them live in the city was amazing giving off so Mutch power and passion and blowing the show away. Every album of theres is a story a story to be told a story to see and hear there music inspires nation after nation it's a part of Aussie culture. Love the oils with all my heart.
The sheer power of Rob Hurst is amazing and the power the oils make on the song stand in line is amazing.
Ahhh the good old days.
Would definitely buy this on DVD/Bluray if they released it... Absolutely awesome... for those of us who never saw them in their early days (Koala Sprint, 20:23, fantastic song)
_Koala Sprint_ is likely to be my fave M.O. song ever. At least in my top 3.
I like early midnight oil 78-81
When the Oils were the Oils...
Personally the Blue Meanie and Head Injuries are my go to Oils albums and nothing beats Powderworks
So glad I found this. Love the live sets.
One of the best ever live acts. Back then an Oils show pumped out more raw energy than... well... a lot!
Musical genius? .... with love... No.
World's best vocals? Hardly.
World's best instrumentalists? bloody good, but still no.
Un-apologetic, raw, real, tight as, hypnotic, powerful, passionate, take-no-prisoners, mind blowing, hard rocking, soul-touching, pure power..... _hell_yes_
There was something so genuine and fundamental about the Oils that for me made their live shows akin to some kind of religious experience, without in any way deifying the band. That was kind of the point. They didn't even attempt to present themselves as working class heroes, they were just other people who were there at the time.
Normally a band plays for an audience who cheer for the band. That's all great, and all that happened, but an Oils show was also somehow bullshit-proofed. Everybody was right there in that space, not in a fantasy land, not basking in the glow of a larger-than-life construct, that wasn't an option. The end result was that you became a part of what happened. The band and the audience together generated something that you could physically feel in your chest.
This is what the Oils had that was truly phenomenal. The world is full of people who can play a few hot licks, tread the boards and put on a show. Very few people in the world could stand up in the middle of and Oils crowd and not find themselves modeling the emperor's new clothes. Paul Kelly would be OK, Probably Mahatma Gandhi if he were still with us, but the Dalai Lama would be screwed, Jet would find themselves butt-naked and Pseudo Echo would just burst into flames on the spot (with the last two receiving roughly equal applause).
I was just too young to see Midnight Oil in their pub days. By all accounts they were great at it, but my first Oils gig was a charity concert "One for the Kids" at the South Melbourne footy ground, 1985 was it? Rod Quantock was MC. It was a long day in the sun. Some "break dancing crew" bounced onto the stage wearing day-glo lycra with prop beat-boxes on their shoulders, but were physically forced off again in about 45 seconds by the sheer mass of tetra pack juice cartons that were pelted at them by the crowd.
Rod was not amused. He scalded us all for our rudeness, and said we could bloody well sit there with no entertainment then. Great bloke. No bullshit there. Later they brought out what looked like some kind of weird nerdy high-school band, they even had trumpets and stuff. The crowd rustled their tetra packs restlessly, but the fear of further admonishment from RQ prevented any large scale assault long enough for them to start playing.
Surprisingly, they weren't that bad. I didn't really know what to make of their stuff, but it caught my interest enough for me to listen more closely for their name when they'd finished their set. "Hunters and Collectors". It sounded vaguely familiar. Actually found out years later the Seymour brothers are my 2nd cousins or some such, I've never met either but our mothers talk occasionally. Not relevant but crazy small world, and damn that would be a cool acoustic jam at a bbq some time...
Truth be told I wasn't too sure what to make of Midnight Oil either when they first came out, but by the time they played "stand in line" I was hooked. I met Robbie at a gig at Kooyong stadium, I think the next year. About 8 or 10 of us teenage brats shinned up some scaffolding and cornered him before security closed in to eject us. He was great, told the security guys it was ok. They hung around and stopped about another 10,000 people from also climbing up the scaffolding once they saw what was going on.
Rob signed our T-shirts and stuff and had a yarn. He was relaxed, personable and funny. We didn't get a celebrity tour, merchandise and a pocket full of piss, but he gave us the time of day and then some. Then sent us on our way to climb back down the scaffolding to the crowd below. No Bullshit. Top bloke. Insane show.
I have seen live: AC/DC (sadly post-Bon), KISS in their heyday, Pink Floyd, Chilli Peppers, Skyhooks, The Divynals, The Angels and an heap of others I'll remember as soon as I hit post, but as a live act I rate Midnight Oil head and shoulders above any of them.... and a surprise second was some teeny-bopper band I had absolutly no interest in but agreed to take my step-daughter to see called SIlverchair. Daniel Johns aged about 18 or so wandered out wearing tatty old jeans, bare feet and a flannie and abso-freakin-lutely destroyed the Brisbane entertainment centre, but that is another story.
I loved your comment I saw one for the kids concert at Sidney Myer Music Bowl
GTFO!!!! I saw them at South Melbourne, then at Kooyong, and many other venues, OILS at their best. Can't wait to see them on 11-11-17
MOFO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow. Thanks for all that. Yes, the bass would hit you in the chest and I’d feel drunk or stoned at the end but took nothing. Walk straight out of Selinas in Coogee bay covered in sweat then swim in the beach with out clothes on. I was lucky enough to live in Sydney and first see them in 1980. That started roughly 40 midnight oil concerts and obsessed. Head injuries the best album too.
Thank you so much for posting this. This is absolutely my favorite live show I've discovered on youtube. It was during peak pandemic, and this whole show really got me through! I love that the tracking artifacts and sound issues are in it, too, for nostalgia reasons.. Peter Garrett's commentary makes me joyous as well.. Seriously, it made my whole week that this video has returned!!
Fantastic!! so glad this is available in it's full entirety... for all of us who never saw the earlier performances.. thanks!!
Oooooooooohhhhh this is fucking Awesome, wish I had known about this at the time, what a line -up, Angels, Oils, Models, Icehouse / Flowers, thanks for putting this up ...
The fact doc & the angels were there means it must have been a hell of a show.I can’t recall the both been in a show together in Sydney.
love these old midnight oil concerts, they had one of the best bass player in the world at the time peter gifford and this is not his best stuff, 10 to 1 and place without a postcard bird noise
Giffo has never been surpassed ! Australia's finest, yet unknown bassist !
Yep, didn’t realize at the time his drive of early oils. Would never have been as powerful a band without him.
Superb
I was there 15 yrs old and let loose.... What a great Concert, Model/Flowers/Angels were also great (wonder if there is footage of that?) We took ages to find a taxi to get home (missed the last train) as there were 6 of us (cabby eventually agreed to let someone lie on the floor) and we hit a dog in Mt Eliza and one girls Dad paid the fare :) A night to remember.........all for $8 (three hours work at the time). THANKS!
It's 110 this year - guess it is close to 3 hours work these days?
Awesome. Thanks. Iwas lucky enough to live in Sydney and first see them in 1980. That started roughly 40 midnight oil concerts and obsessed. Head injuries and Powderworks the best albums too.
One for the people in Brunswick!
That was brilliant!!!
Sick. Words fail me
Thanks heaps for sharing this. Love love love it
Australian music at its finest.
WOW! Thank you SO much for this!!!
Classic Spoon!
Shot thru like a Bondi Tram!@
Holy shit dude! Thank you, you are legend!
saw this tour in Adelaide, it was even better than this live show. it blow me away.Bring back the OIL'S.
+adrian pemberton - They are back touring in 2017
and I got tickets, watch out Sydney
I have mine too.
OILS!!!
Awesome stuff! The very early Oils material will always have a place in my heart. It's a great pity some idiot either at the time or along sands of time since this show was originally recorded decided to completely stuff it up by attempting to edit it (as if it even needed it!), even cutting out one of my favorite songs (Profiteers). Just what the fuck were you thinking?!? How dare you!!
Maybe the video was poor quality, nice upload though.
🤘🏻
Thanks a ton for sharing this mate!
Thanks for posting this
Im on the Whiskey Flyer
This is Video folks nearly killed the rock star then we got the oils to show hows it done.
What's up with Don't Wanna Be The One?
we getting no reaction, we haven't heard a word
BAck on the border with a line
More Cowbell on that one
Is that a dart hangin out of Martins face ? 🚬
yep
Yuck
He used to play with a chupa chup in his mouth from time to time