Midnight Oil will be returning to the big stage this March after the band’s and nation’s long hiatus from live music. The Aussie legends will be playing five shows across Australia expressly to shine a light on The Uluru Statement From The Heart and elevate people’s awareness on the displacement of First Nations people and the theft of their land. Of course, this tour includes a show at Mt Duneed Estate in Victoria on the 20th of March where they’ll be bringing the humble tour to a close. Melbourne on the Move is proud to be providing event transportation services to the Oil’s show in Geelong. So, to celebrate the return of live music we thought we’d take a closer look at the band’s latest release and the profound message and impact that’s driving this tour.
The Makarrata Project
Released in October 2020, The Makarrata Project is Midnight Oil’s first new studio album in almost two decades with their last one being released in 2002 (Capricornia). Like much of their past music, The Makarrata Project is a politically charged album that focuses specifically on the injustice inflicted upon First Nations people. Every song on the album features First Nations and Indigenous artists such as Jessica Mauboy, Dan Sultan, Alice Skye and many more.
The album itself is just over half an hour in length and only contains seven tracks – putting it somewhere in between a traditional EP and LP. Makarrata is a Yolngu word that translates to “two parties coming together after a struggle, to heal the wounds of the past, and to live again in peace”. The album is surrounded by political weight and importance in its creation, lyrics and intention. Midnight Oil has stated that their share of the proceeds from The Makarrata Project will be donated to organisations that “seek to elevate The Uluru Statement From The Heart”.
Building Bridges
The Makarrata Project is not the first time the Oil’s have done something like this. In 1989 they put together a compilation album with various Australian artists including First Nations and Indigenous Australians named Building Bridges: Australia Has A Black History. The compilation featured songs from Yothu Yindi, Paul Kelly, Joe Geia, James Reyne, Crowded House and many more. All of the proceeds made from the sales of the album went to the National Coalition of Aboriginal Organisations.
The Uluru Statement From The Heart
In 2017, a constitutional conference was held which featured 250 different aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders delegates. This conference was the birth of The Uluru Statement From The Heart. The statement is a general consensus on the position of Indigenous constitutional recognition. The statement seeks to reach two goals:
- The first goal would be to meet with the Federal government to negotiate and share stories about the past in order to strengthen relationships in the future.
- The second goal is essentially to establish special avenues that will allow the true events and history of Australia to be articulated and heard in the hopes that it can create a path towards reconciliation.
These two goals will be achieved through the Makarrata Commission, which will be created by The Uluru Statement From The Heart. The commission will act as a non-binding tribunal and will overlook the negotiations with the Federal government as well as provide the aforementioned avenues for Australia’s true history to be articulated. The Uluru Statement From The Heart is a big part of Midnight Oil’s The Makarrata Project and, consequently, the upcoming tour.
Makarrata live
Midnight Oil hopes that the upcoming tour will elevate the awareness and support for The Uluru Statement From The Heart. Guests will enjoy a host of First Nations collaborators and songs from The Makarrata Project plus timeless “songs of reconciliation” from the Oil’s back catalogue. Due to recent global events, each show will be adhering to strict COVID-19 social distancing protocols and regulations.
Are you looking for event transportation services to Mt Duneed Estate?
What better way is there to experience one of the most iconic Aussie bands than on the lavish Mt Duneed Estate in Geelong? And, with Melbourne on the Move, all your transportation needs are covered. As the official event transportation partners, we can provide quality, prompt and comfortable transportation to and from the event with five pickup points including Carlton Gardens, Werribee, Laverton, Mordialloc and Ringwood.
If you would like more information about the concert or our event transportation service, then please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 1300 558 686 or fill out our online contact form.