RITV Summer Series: Midnight Oil, ‘The Hardest Line’ Review

 

Midnight Oil – The Hardest Line
1 hour, 40 minutes
Screen Australia and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (also available on DVD)

Honours: 2025 AACTA awards: Best editing in a documentary – Gretchen Peterson

 

The Hardest Line – the latest documentary to chronicle the iconic Australian band, Midnight Oil, was released in cinemas in July 2024.

This outstanding work is currently streaming on ABC iview.

The Oils’ epic Great Circle tour took place during 2017. I managed to see the mighty men three times on that circle: Alice Springs, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.

Fittingly, the great circle of the globe commenced in the Red Centre – the Alice Springs experience was amazing. On one level, very straight forward, the Oils performing on the local rugby field.

With a smirk on his distinctive face, front man Peter Garrett announced: “Many people are expecting a lot of comment from us throughout this tour (chuckling to the other band members). We don’t need to say much more, however Pauline this first song is for you!”

With that, the crowd went into a frenzy on that warm October evening as the Oils belted out ‘Redneck Wonderland’ for Pauline Hanson.  The Great Circle Tour was off and running.

This was a trip to the Red Centre for a double 50^th birthday celebration, for the regularly mentioned ‘Reverend Red’ (Stuart Traeger) and yours truly, perhaps worthy of it’s own narrative at another time, particularly my conversation with Mr Garrett in the Alice Springs Qantas club, post-concert. Topics included the Barker College athletics team, as well as private schools and education in general.

There was humour in the conversation, with Peter Garrett asking me: “Do you think Rob (Hirst) hit the tank for too long during ‘Power’ last night?!” (Power and the Passion)

 

RITV and PG discussing the Barker College athletics team, private schools,
and education in general, October 2017 (photo credit: Stuart Traeger)

 

For this Oils fan, ‘The Hardest Line’ documentary is much like the memories I have of that sweaty, passionate Alice Springs concert.

As Richard Kingsmill, of both Double J and Triple J fame, described it in the documentary, when specifically referring to the high octane 1982 ‘10-9-8’ concerts at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre: “It was incredible. Most bands work up to fifth gear through a set list. Midnight Oil started in fifth gear within 30 seconds in that performance.”

 

With the distinctive chants of ‘Oils, Oils, Oils’ ringing out from the band’s faithful disciples, ‘We Resist’ (2022) plays to start the documentary, while guitarist Martin Rotsey, who, significantly, still plays in Peter Garrett’s band the ‘Alter Egos’ states:

“You need to lend your voice to things, you can’t stay silent … let’s run the risk of getting knocked out, lend your voice, more people need to do that.”

Jim Moginie adds:

“Sometimes you’ve got to take the hardest line.”

The front man describes it this way: “It’s life, it’s politics, it’s music, it’s action, it’s boisterous, it’s sometimes provocative, it’s Midnight Oil.”

 

 

The award-winning footage of the early years of the band is simply brilliant, including video of the band’s first recording in 1977.

The input from the other band members, in addition to Peter Garrett, particularly Rob Hirst and Jim Moginie, is excellent.

The attention to detail throughout the documentary is a feature, as is the authentic reference to personal matters, including Jim’s discovery of his adoption as a twelve-year-old, as well as the band dealing with the death of the much loved and respected guitarist Bones Hillman in 2020.

Moginie, along with biographer and friend of the band Mark Dodshon, discusses the trauma of Peter’s mother perishing in a house fire.

Amongst a comprehensive list of landmark events and experiences, including collaborating with the Warumpi Band, and the Exxon Building performance in New York City, a favourite part of this documentary, the back story to the Sydney Olympic Games closing ceremony, is a great chapter.

The band originally grabbled with the decision to accept the organising committee’s invitation. Initially, as Rob Hirst explained, the band saw performing on such a big stage as a ‘large version of Countdown!’ (That is, not what the Oils were about!)

After camping in a riverbed for several days, and much deliberating around the fire, the band accepted the organising committee’s invitation to perform.

 Famously, and significantly, the band decided to sing ‘Beds are Burning’.

Their choice of uniform: tracksuits with the word SORRY prominently displayed.

Chief of the Closing Ceremony David Atkins was the only other person aware of the provocative plan. His response to the band was: “This conversation never took place!”

Atkins looked past the ‘no political statements edict’ – and aren’t we glad he did?

Nothing to see here!

Rob Hirst recalled “the look of absolute horror on (Prime Minister) John Howard’s face!”

Peter Garrett’s summary of the Olympics closing ceremony: “Of all the things we had done, this meant a lot.”

Cathy Freeman had won the 400m in emphatic fashion.

The eyes of the world remained focused on the Sydney Olympic Stadium.

Jim Moginie, described as the band’s ‘artist in residence – where a lot of the band’s music started’ – summed things up this way:

 “When you’ve dedicated yourself to something amazing, something that’s bigger than you – where the line you cross is, then where it goes – you don’t know where the line is.”

“Sometimes you’ve just got to take the hardest line.”

 

Fittingly, the documentary closes with two of the great Oils anthems: ‘Forgotten Years’ (from the final gig at the Horden Pavilion, October 2022), followed by ‘Hercules’.

I have watched the documentary ‘several’ times on ABC iview, as well as once on the big screen in the leafy Adelaide suburb of Norwood.

As the documentary wrapped up in the cinema that evening, many joyful patrons appropriately belted out the lyrics to those tunes, followed by generous applause as ‘Hercules’ concluded.

The Hardest Line documentary – worthy of applause – indeed.

Highly recommended.

 

BAROSSA RED WINE OF THE WEEK

White Gate Wine Co 2023 Nero D’Avola

2023 NERO D’AVOLA – White Gate Wine Co.

Enjoyed at the ‘Rendezvous’ event at Whistler Wines last month.

Both the wine and the event: highly recommended!

 

Other Midnight Oil work:

“1984” – released in 2018

https://youtu.be/cOvdu15uN10?si=HVMdl3TL0oCJ_-rq

Watch Midnight Oil: 1984 | Stream free on SBS On Demand

Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line : ABC iview

 

Other links of interest:

Midnight Oil’s Peter Garrett talks life, music + politics | Leigh Sales interview | Australian Story

Conversations: 2018
Midnight Oil’s Rob Hirst – ABC listen

 

Jim Moginie: 2024

Music a ‘great refuge’ for Midnight Oil’s Jim Moginie – ABC listen

 

Jim Moginie’s memoir:

Jim Moginie memoir: The Silver River is a work of unforced poetry

 

To read more by Russel Hansen click HERE.

 

Russel Hansen, South Sydney football club diamond member 6199, lives in Nuriootpa, Barossa Valley, South Australia.
His golden retriever, Murray, is named after the South Sydney captain. Twitter/X: @Rabbit in the Vineyard @Russel_Hansen

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