Midnight Oil Laments the Plight of Aborigines

Can a 6-foot-6 bald Australian singer make the plight of the aborigines in his country’s Outback relevant to a crowd of Los Angeles rock ‘n’ roll fans?

Apparently yes, at least judging by the reception given Midnight Oil and its striking lead figure Peter Garrett at the packed Hollywood Palladium on Saturday. In a concert devoted almost entirely to songs from the recent “Diesel and Dust” album--centering on the notion that Australia should be given back to the natives--the quintet made a persuasive case that the issues it raises are not peculiar to its nation.

Where in the hands of others this kind of agitpop can be as clunky as Garrett’s Lurch-like movements, Midnight Oil’s presentation had an elegance that made the air of moral certainty not only palatable, but necessary. Once considered the Australian Clash, Midnight Oil has developed into a versatile outfit, as captivating with the haunting beauty of “The Dead Heart” as with the post-punk aggression of “Read About It.” Garrett’s larger-than-life presence hammers home “The Power and the Passion” (to use another song title) of the material.