Midnight Oil announces massive 2017 reunion tour, 3 huge box sets with unreleased music

OK there's nothing corrupt or unethical going on then.

 

A couple posts from Midnight Oil's Facebook page:

In response to overwhelming demand, Midnight Oil will play extra shows in Sydney and Melbourne in November. Dates, venues, lineups and on-sale times will be announced within 48 hours.

8 Australian shows sold out today and tickets are selling fast for all other dates.

It was revealed today that some good tickets have deliberately been withheld for each of the currently sold out Australian dates. These allocations will be released later this year as part of wide ranging efforts to frustrate scalpers. Meanwhile fans are explicitly warned NOT to buy potentially fake and overpriced tickets from so called ‘reseller' websites. While such unofficial ticketing companies may currently be legal, the band does not endorse their activities.

Sign up to the Midnight Oil newsletter at www.midnightoil.com/mailing-list and keep an eye out on Facebook and www.midnightoil.com to be the first to know about all new ticket releases.

And also:

Fans everywhere are warned NOT to buy tickets from reseller sites. Such unofficial sites may currently be legal but they typically charge vastly inflated prices and sometimes even offer fake tickets. Midnight Oil is well aware of the problems caused by automated ticket buying around the world and the band is as frustrated as its fans are by this ticket scalping. It may be legal and impossible to stop in many places but it is clearly a big problem for both fans and artists on all ‘high demand’ shows these days.

In an attempt to frustrate these scalpers, discussions are currently underway to possibly shift some North American shows to larger rooms. Further international dates are also under consideration to allow more people around the world to be a part of this special tour. So anyone who buys tickets from a reseller over the coming weeks could well end up regretting that choice as more legitimate tickets may be released. Fans should therefore only buy tickets via the official outlets listed on www.midnightoil.com/tour-dates and sign up to the Midnight Oil newsletter at www.midnightoil.com/mailing-list and keep an eye out on Facebook and www.midnightoil.com to be the first to know about all new ticket releases.


So if you didn't get tickets, you may not be out of luck...

 

Thank you Midnight Oil for the exoneration! Even though it clearly wasn't necessary.

 

The most expensive box set has sold out.

Preorder // Super Pack - Limited Edition

 

Well that one does come with Concert Tickets (which had to be limited due to venue capacity, how many the band was alloted etc)...So no surprise there...

 

I *didn't* get in on the pre-sale for the show here in the DC area, and all the tickets were gone by the time the general sale happened (and I was in less than 5 minutes after the general on-sale time).

Would love if they could expand to larger venues. Not the end of the world if I miss out, but they sure would have been fun to hear.

 

Got 10th row; it was an immediate sell-out. Almost didn't get them because I was using my work computer, which I found out didn't support online sales. Nabbed 'em through my iPad once I realized what was happening.

 

Here's the lowdown on scalping in the 21st century.

How New Scalping Technology Is Keeping You Out of Concerts | Thump

 

Interesting that all the references to the limited number of each of these sets that was on the bands web site have been removed.Pricing verging on extortion is not the only scam going on here.

 

Here's a screenshot from their site, it still lists that there are only limited quantities available (only 200 available of each, minus the super-pack that is listed as "sold out"). The price, well, yes they are expensive, but limited editions with special packaging usually are.

 

I had all the different limited edition box sets listed on my amazon.us wish list to follow pricing. All of them are listed as not available today.

 

?? Reference to limited numbers are still on their web site when I just checked too... agree that the prices are pretty high. I did some maths on the vinyl box set and they work out at $40NZD each Disc (including delivery), which sadly is about the "going rate" for new vinyl in this part of the world. I had asked 24hunderd who are handling the distribution if the releases were all analogue (AAA) but they never answered that question. I guess it is likely that the albums from Breathe onward were digitally recorded anyway??

 

I would think Diesel and Dust and Blue Sky Mining might even be digital.

 

I would have thought Diesel and Dust in 1987 would have been more likely done to tape? Even Blue Sky Mining in 1989 seems more likely to be tape. That said it would go some way to explain the "thinness" of Blue Sky Mining if it was early digital recording (tho' I suspect production and mastering are the key components here). I'd love to know for sure!

 

If the SPARS code on the U.S. CD of "Blue Sky Mining" is accurate, it is a digital recording/mix/mastering.

 

No such code on my Australian CD but back in the early '90's those SPARS codes were like a badge of honour for the new digital era and DDD was the epitome of quality! Thanks for the insight. Anyone got a U.S CD of Diesel and Dust to check the code? Again nothing on the AU CD issue.

 

I checked all artwork, and CD photos on discogs for "Diesel" SPARS codes, no luck, not listed on any issues.

 

No SPARS code on my US CD.

 

My suspicion is that they will release the vinyl as individual discs later in the year to coincide with the tour, it costs too much money in remastering and reproduction of artwork to sell them only in limited edition box sets. The tour will generate a lot of rekindled fan interest and Sony will want to capitalise on that - once again selling us music we already own!! (Cynicism aside I'd love Earth and Sun and Moon on vinyl and to see if Blue Sky Mining can be improved by the vinyl remaster process). I'm fortunate enough to be able to find original AU pressings of all the material up to Blue Sky in good quantities in second hand record stores here in New Zealand so will skip the others I think.

 

I'm not a fan of the current CD remasters (squashed dynamics), I kind of like the new versions of "Midnight Oil" and "Head Injuries" as I think the EQ is a bit better with improved bass compared to the old Aussie CDs.
I am very curious to see the finished versions of the discs in the new box set. Are they still the same old Aussie CD packaging like the current remasters, or will they have upgraded art finally? Are they digi-paks? Are they mini-LP sleeves?
The mock-ups of the box make it hard to tell how big the box is. It's gonna be pretty big if the discs are in jewel cases or digi-paks, but nice and compact if the discs are in mini-LP sleeves.

I'd LOVE mini-LP versions!

 

Mini LP would be cool indeed. Given that the mastering is likely the same as the recent reissues I won't be investing in any of the CD's. I do like the water tank packaging "gimmick" tho'.

 

They have added a London show "to reduce the ability of scalpers to unscrupulously profit (sic) from the passion of Midnight Oil fans." Nice way to shift the blame, Pete. I wonder if scalpers will just double down and hoover up the extra supply. The Oils would really have to flood the market to tip the balance in fans' favor.

P.S. Just added - Beale Street Music Festival, Memphis, May 7.

 

From memory the Beds Are Burning biography says that Blue Sky Mining was a digital recording, and Earth & Sun & Moon was recorded analogue as a reaction against that. I don't have a copy of the biography to hand so can't check this but maybe someone who owns the book can?

 

Sorry.Followed a link that took me to a page that had no reference to limited numbers.Just wanted to vent about prices too.
A bit telling on the pricing that they haven't been able to sell 200 copies of Overspill when concert ticket demand has been so high.