With less than two weeks to go until Midnight Oil hits the Border, we take a look back at some of the biggest music acts to perform at Gateway Lakes.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In September 2007, Powderfinger and Silverchair rocked the stage on the Lincoln Causeway.
Were you among the 8000-strong crowd that night? Can you spot a familiar face? Check out our gallery, above, and read our report from their performance below.
'Dynamite audience' in a frenzy for bands
ALMOST 8000 punters rocked, rolled and sang their hearts out when Australia's two biggest rock bands hit the Border last night.
Brisbane act Powderfinger and Newcastle's Silverchair served up a veritable greatest hits session under a purpose-built big-top on the Lincoln Causeway.
Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns whipped the female fans in the crowd into an early frenzy, whipping off his shirt after the opening number before launching into some of his band's earliest work, 1995's Israel's Son.
A buff and tattooed Johns was in good spirits -- cheeky even -- as he addressed the crowd in a faux American accent and swagger.
"We're Silverchair, and we'll be here all night," bellowed Johns as he tore through 'Chair favourites both new and old including Emotion Sickness, Young Modern Station, Insomnia and the poignant Ana's Song.
With the crowd in a frenzy, Johns and bandmates Chris Joannou, Ben Gillies and Paul Mac, delivered their comeback No.1 smash, Straight Lines, drawing the strongest reaction of the set but 1997's Freak also threatened to tear the flimsy canvas roof right off the tent.
A stripped-down version of The Greatest View helped put Wodonga on the map literally as the impressive light and vision show zeroed in on our region via a computerised map before Johns implored the punters to "party like it's 1997" as he delivered another old hit The Door, complete with a Jimi Hendrix-esque guitar solo, played with his teeth.
Having had his audience warmed up by rock god Johns, Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning hit the stage in a swathe of red lights and with a swag of award-winning hits.
"Ladies and gentlemen of Albury-Wodonga -- good evening," Fanning began before working out his multi-ARIA-award winning band hadn't been to the Border region in more than eight years.
An Albury versus Wodonga chant saw Fanning claim the Victorian side the winners while an overzealous punter causing trouble up front copped a spray from the singer much to the crowd's delight.
"Mate if you start fighting, we'll stop playing," he said.
But the fans had come to sing, not to fight, and did their best work during some of the Brisbane quintet's most monumental smashes including the lighter-waving Passenger and My Happiness which saw Fanning take a back seat to thousands of local vocal chords.
The band's new material, including singles Lost And Running and I Don't Remember, complete with a stunning video backdrop, were well received and when Fanning took to a podium, acoustic guitar in hand, to deliver the passionate Black Tears, the message of the tour -- reconciliation -- truly hit home.
Rejoining the band on stage, Fanning helped tip the massive show in his band's favour as they delivered rousing renditions of These Days, Waiting for the Sun and the dynamic closer (Baby I've Got You) On My Mind.
"You've been a dynamite crowd," Fanning exclaimed as the night wound up.
And while the rumoured supergroup collaboration never eventuated, a well-behaved throng of concert-goers left having seen two of this country's finest rock acts at the absolute pinnacle of their game.
