Although the gig is less than two weeks away, Middleton is still unsure how the night will be structured. But it’s no cause of bother for the typically unruffled guitarist. “It’s in a couple of weeks now, and I suppose we should start working that stuff out,” he says. “I don’t even know where exactly on the bill I’m playing. I’m really not fussed. I really don’t worry too much about those details. It’s a fun night out for me, I’m going out to see a band.”
Despite having been a touring musicians for more than two decades – not to mention a key contributor to one of Australia’s most loved bands – Middleton still gets a genuine kick out of hopping onstage. “It’s like an open mic night for me,” he says. “Music has been like that for me over the last few years. I love it again for the most fundamental reason of wanting to be a songwriter and getting up there in front of a few people, or a few hundred people, and just trying to have some sort of connection with them.”
Akin to an open mic night, Middleton is still yet to decide what songs he’ll play. With Powderfinger’s illustrious back catalogue to choose from, plus two excellent solo albums and two albums leading Drag, compiling a setlist may be a somewhat daunting task.
“I’m still working that out. It does open up my setlist, having a couple of solo records. I’m going to play a bunch of songs from my new record [Splinters 2015] naturally, when you spend so much time writing and recording. So I’m definitely going to play some of that.
“I’m going to have a few guests come up,” he adds. “I had a few people who sang and played on this record with me and I’ll get them to come up and do a song or two with me. That’s always fun.”
Middleton tastefully approaches the back catalogue of his famous former band, rather than heavily relying on it. “I’ll dip into my old ‘Finger stuff, but not too much,” he says. “When I do ‘Finger songs, I don’t really touch on the big hits. I just prefer to do pieces that we didn’t play very often that I think are kind of good.
“The people who come along and see me play, they know that I’m not going to bust out songs that are just so – whether or not I’ve had a good hand in writing the specific hit song as such – they’re so tied to the sound of Bernie’s voice. There’s just no point in me trying to do them.”
Despite this, Middleton is justifiably chuffed with what he’s achieved in music over the last 20-odd years. “I’m really happy and proud of it and I feel incredibly lucky to have been to the places that I have, achieved what I have, and put a roof over my head.”
BY ROD WHITFIELD
