For couples who share a love of Midnight Oil, Powderworks offers a wedding reception direction centred on that band's music and live rock character. Ross McAlister brings guitar, vocals and keys alongside Neale Brain on guitar and vocals, with Frank Manitta on drums and Jeremy Hackett on bass, vocals and harmonica. The Newcastle band aims to capture the energy of earlier Midnight Oil performances, and Jeremy can also take an MC role during the event. That focused repertoire feels suited to a celebration where a favourite band's songs deserve a feature of their own, with you and your guests gathered around the music.
See Powderworks play
Watch Powderworks perform and get a feel for their sound, style and fit for your wedding.
What it costs
PricingQuote on enquiry
For your exact date, venue and running time, we send an itemised quote.
Pricing is confirmed before anything is booked. GST and travel are shown clearly on the quote.
Songs Powderworks can play
Search their repertoire or browse the list below. Ask us about a first dance or another song that matters to you.
REDNECK WONDERLAND (intro) (Redneck Wonderland, 1998)HERCULES (Species Deceases, 1985)COLD COLD CHANGE (Head Injuries, 1979)BRAVE FACES (Place Without a Postcard, 1981)LUCKY COUNTRY (Place Without a Postcard, 1981)I’M THE CURE (Bird Noises, 1980)THE DEAD HEART (Diesel and Dust, 1987)LURITJA WAY (Capricornia, 2002)US FORCES (10-1, 1982)KOSCIUSKO (Red Sails in the Sunset, 1984)SHORT MEMORY (10-1, 1982)TRUGANINI (Earth and Sun and Moon, 1993)WRITTEN IN THE HEART (Place Without a Postcard, 1981)BACK ON THE BORDERLINE (Head Injuries, 1979)POWDERWORKS (Midnight Oil, 1978)SOMETIMES (Diesel and Dust, 1987)NO TIME FOR GAMES (Bird Noises, 1980)BEDS ARE BURNING (Diesel and Dust, 1987)KING OF THE MOUNTAIN (Blue Sky Mining, 1990)DREAM WORLD (Diesel and Dust, 1987)BLUE SKY MINE (Blue Sky Mining, 1990)BEST OF BOTH WORLDS (Red Sails in the Sunset, 1984)WHEN THE GENERALS TALK (Red Sails in the Sunset, 1984)STAND IN LINE (Head Injuries, 1979)PROGRESS (Species Deceases,1985)PICTURES (Species Deceases, 1985)ONLY THE STRONG (10-1, 1982)FORGOTTEN YEARS (Blue Sky Mining, 1990)POWER AND THE PASSION (10-1, 1982)READ ABOUT IT (10-1, 1982)and many more to come...
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Good to know
What to expect
A Newcastle four piece playing the Midnight Oil catalogue, formed because most cover bands leave those songs alone. Ross McAlister fronts it on guitars, vocals and keys, and the band grew out of his own frustration at not hearing the early, small-room Oils energy anywhere. Frank Manitta drives it from the drum kit. Neale Brain weaves the second guitar and harmonies against Ross. Jeremy Hackett covers bass, vocals and the harmonica parts, and he's your MC for the night. Pubs and clubs are where these songs started and it's where the band aims to put them back.
On the day
A full stage with a house PA is where they sound best, so venues with their own system get the strongest version of this. If yours doesn't have one, they can bring their own PA and a sound engineer instead, at an added cost. Worth sorting out at enquiry stage rather than on the day, since it changes both the load in time and what the room needs to give them.
Performance options
Two ways to book Powderworks, and the difference is who supplies the sound and light. The first is the band on its own, which assumes you have a PA, an engineer to run it and lighting already in the room, so the group turns up and plays. The second brings all of that with them: PA, engineer and lights included, nothing needed from the venue. Which one makes sense usually comes down to whether the room is already rigged. Travel distance is the other thing worth mentioning when you enquire.
