Turns out the beds and the Midnight Oil just can't burn in all this rain.
The iconic Australian rock band fronted by singer and political activist Peter Garrett did not perform at Stage 88 on Tuesday evening for the Canberra iteration of what's been promoted as the group's final tour.
A post on the band's official Facebook page at 9.11pm told concert goers the performance had been cancelled due to advice about severe weather conditions.
"Based on updated safety advice from local authorities the Midnight Oil performance tonight at Stage 88 in Canberra is regrettably unable to proceed as scheduled due to severe weather conditions," it read.
The band was due to take the stage at 8pm, after gates for the event opened at 4.30pm.
The ACT received a deluge of 28.4mm of rainfall in the 2.5 hours from 7pm to 9.30pm on Tuesday night.
"Ticket holders will be contacted with more information regarding their refunds as soon as possible. The band is profoundly disappointed and will endeavour to make this up to their ACT fans around the end of RESIST World Tour later this year," Midnight Oil's post concluded.
The same message appeared as a comment on the Frontier Touring's Facebook page at 9.02pm on Tuesday, in response to a promotional post the page had published just after midday on Monday.
Some attendees reported waiting in adverse weather conditions for hours before the call to cancel the event was made.
Comments on Frontier Touring's Facebook page as recent as 4.38pm advised ticketholders the event was "going ahead as planned".
"Yes this is going ahead as planned. We would recommend packing a wet weather jacket or poncho, umbrellas are not permitted at the venue," Frontier's response to a customer query read.
Disappointment Frontier Touring leave the #Canberra crowd in a lightning rainstorm for 3 hours, then cancel the event just before #MidnightOil come on … at which point the storm cell had pretty much passed.
— Ecesis (@ecesis74) April 19, 2022
So does that mean a second Canberra tour date, perhaps? No doubt fans will be keeping an eye on the band's itinerary.
But disappointment was the loudest tune from would-be concert goers, with many stuck in a "huge queue" of traffic as they tried to leave the venue carpark.
"The power, the passion - the disappointment," one fan wrote on social media after the cancellation was announced.
"Frontier Touring Pretty disappointing evening - very cold and wet. Seemed like the stage couldn't handle heavy rain. It would have been better to cancel it before we all stood out in the rain for 3 or more hours. :( Hope the Oils (and fans!) have a better time in Sydney," wrote another.
More than 32 millimetres of rain had fallen in the capital by 9.30pm on April 19, though wind gusts registered at the Bureau of Meteorology station at Canberra Airport peaked at 30km/h at 8.30pm after highs of 46km/h at 11.30am.
The rain will no doubt do nothing to dampen the spirit of a band so focused on climate action and environmental degradation.
Their latest album, Resist, was released on February 18 - almost 20 years after their last full-length studio release.
In a review, ACM journalist Josh Leeson described the album as delivering "everything Oils fans could have hoped for. It's direct and passionate, but the rage has been tempered by a sense of failure."
"Peter Garrett once sung "The time has come/ To say fair's fair," but on Resist's opening track Rising Seas he bemoans that his generation could have already failed the youth through inaction on climate change."
Frontier Touring has been contacted for comment.
FROM THE FANS
Braved the rain with the wifey to have the concert cancelled. Hot steamy shower at home and all warmed up for bed. Thats the second time I got screwed over at a #midnightoil show, such a shame thats the last time I'll get to see them. All the best in America. pic.twitter.com/PXhetQvwpr
— Normal_Andy (@normal_andy) April 19, 2022
Hey it could have been worse you could have been with me and 10k of my closest friends sitting in this waiting for #MidnightOil to come in stage in Canberra only to cancel
— David Savage 🇺🇦 (@DavidSavage63) April 19, 2022
Terrible conditions but we were there and keen to party. #midnightoil #bedsareburning #rainisfalling
— K L Archer (@klarcherpmq) April 19, 2022
I’m going too, rain hail or shine, though run and hail seem more likely atm #MidnightOil
— David Savage 🇺🇦 (@DavidSavage63) April 18, 2022
