The sea was calm and so were the band members. No jokes about pouring (Midnight) oil on troubled waters to enable a world tour here for a self described "catalogue act" who, said Peter Garrett, are still "brothers in agitation and music".
Or even asking if the "out of town tryouts" in South America, the USA and Europe from (appropriately enough) April 25 were to make sure they could stand each other before the Australian shows which climax in the Domain in Sydney on (appropriately enough) Armistice Day, November 11.
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Midnight Oil announce 2017 world tour
Drummer Rob Hirst and frontman Peter Garrett say they're several weeks into rehearsals for their upcoming tour and they've 'never felt nastier', during a press event on-board the Mari Nawi in Sydney Harbour.
"The chemistry is all intact," said drummer and songwriter Rob Hirst.
But then, as Midnight Oil stood together on board the Mari Nawi in Sydney Harbour, in front of the indigenous flag to announce their first tour in two decades, it was with remembering that unlike the Eagles or Sex Pistols, or even the Rolling Stones, there had never been bad blood among these blood brothers.
Jim Moginie, Hirst - the pair whose band The Farm took on Garrett as singer in 1975 - Martin Rotsey and "new kid" Bones Hillman (who joined a decade into the band's life, in 1987) don't hate each other.
Not even a little bit.
Ok, as Garrett said, they "are not the Brady Bunch", and never short of strong opinions about and to each other. And Hirst admits he said no initially last year when at a lunch at Rotsey's Garrett said "how about it?"
But they never said they would only play again "when hell freezes over", ala Eagles. Nor are they calling this reunion "the filthy lucre tour" and admitting it was only money making this possible, ala the Pistols.
Frankly there would be nowhere to hide grumpiness when they play a, so far secret, gig in a Sydney pub in April before flying to Porto Alegre in Brazil. Do it properly or don't do it at all.
"We have never felt better, fresher, nastier, sweeter," said Garrett, confirming Hirst's claim they have been rehearsing some 160-170 songs.
Sure, there had been some expressions of disappointment when Garrett quit music for politics in 2002. And maybe a mildly caustic line from one of the others about how any talk of an Oils reformation was rather forgetting the fact the others had stayed working as musicians in different projects.
But really, you would probably find more acrimony in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Rotsey said little, Hillman not much more but the similarly quiet Moginie did note that this most political (and educated) of agit-rock bands still are "relevant, en courant".
"We have plenty to write about," said Hirst of a time of not just Trump but European social upheaval and rising racism.
And yes there will likely be another album. May as well when they keep having what Garrett called "hallelujah moments" in rehearsals.
But first there's a pub gig in Sydney, South America and the Big Pineapple Fields on the Sunshine Coast.
Midnight Oil The Great Circle Tour
October 2 - ANZAC Oval, Alice Springs
October 4 - Darwin Amphitheatre, Darwin
October 7 - Kuranda Amphitheatre, Cairns,
October 10 - Townsville Entertainment Centre, Townsville
October 12 - Great Western Hotel, Rockhampton
October 14 - Big Pineapple Fields, Sunshine Coast
October 15 - Riverstage, Brisbane
October 19 - Hockey Fields, Coffs Harbour
October 21 - Hope Estate, Hunter Valley
October 24 - AIS Arena, Canberra
October 26 - The Village Green Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
October 28 - Perth Arena, Perth
November 1 - Derwent Entertainmnent Centre, Hobart
November 3 - Gateway Lakes, Wodonga
November 4 - Hanging Rock, Mt Macedon
November 6 - Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
November 8 - Win Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
November 11 - The Domain, Sydney