Australian rock legends Cold Chisel have just announced they’re getting back together to commemorate their 50th anniversary in the best way – a nationwide tour!
“The Big Five-O” tour will see them perform in every Australian state in October and November this year. It kicks off on Saturday, 5 October in Armidale.
Having the ARIA Hall of Fame band’s golden anniversary party kick off there wasn’t by chance. Cold Chisel, loved for hit songs like Cheap Wine and Khe Sanh, chose this location because it’s where they were based back in 1974-1975.
TAKING IT BACK TO THE START
From there, Cold Chisel will head around Australia’s major cities for just shy of two months before performing a final show on 17 November in another special location where the band first got together – Adelaide.
While Jimmy Barnes has been credited with bringing the band back together, it seems it didn’t take much convincing. It didn’t take a new album either. Instead, the band has said that they just “love playing gigs together.”
Fans went crazy with excitement on Jimmy’s Instagram post when he shared the news. Comments ranged from “OMG Yesss” to “You made my year!” and even, “Met my hubby at a Cold Chisel show at Sylvania Hotel in 1980. We’ve been married 42 years & still tell our adult daughters if it wasn’t for Jimmy Barnes they wouldn’t be here. We’ve been going to every Jimmy show we can ever since.”
A NOSTALGIC NOD TO THE BAND’S GOLDEN DAYS
This comes as especially great news as Jimmy’s had a challenging couple of years with various health issues. The 68-year-old Cold Chisel lead vocalist underwent open-heart surgery in early 2024 due to complications from a bacterial infection.
Feeling well enough to take the stage, Barnes and the rest of the band will take on Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne in a nostalgic way. These shows are a nod to the band’s iconic An Evening with the Circus Animals shows in 1982.
The shows will be staged under a specially-made Big Top tent with floor and bleacher seating to accommodate 10,000 excited fans. There will also be a GA standing area across the rear half of the venue.
Naturally as the band gets back together, people have questions. When Jimmy was recently asked if Cold Chisel was together or apart, he had the most fitting response.
“Cold Chisel are never apart. We’re as close as brothers,” he said. “Some of the best moments of my life have been spent on stage with those boys, and I hope we keep going ‘til the day we drop.”
WHO ARE THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF COLD CHISEL?
The Cold Chisel members say they’re like brothers.
- Jimmy Barnes: Vocals
- Ian Moss: Guitars and vocals
- Steve Prestwich: Drums (Steve passed away in 2011, sadly.)
- Phil Small: Bass
- Don Walker: Piano and organ
- Charley Drayton: Drums (since 2011)
WHAT SONGS WILL COLD CHISEL PLAY FOR THEIR ANNIVERSARY TOUR?
Their anniversary tour promises to feature beloved classics Khe Sanh, Bow River, Flame Trees, You Got Nothin’ I Want, When The War Is Over, My Baby, Cheap Wine, All For You, Choir Girl, Last Wave Of Summer, Saturday Night, Breakfast At Sweethearts, Forever Now and many more.
WHERE CAN I BUY TICKETS TO COLD CHISEL NATIONWIDE TOUR?
Limited tickets will go on sale to members of Jimmy Barnes’ mailing list on Friday, 31 May. Tickets to the general public will go on sale on Tuesday, 4 June.
Fans should head to coldchisel.com/tour for tickets.
WHAT ARE THE TOUR DATES?
Saturday, 5 October 2024
Petersons Winery, Mount View, Armidale NSW
Presented by Red Hot Summer Tour
Special guests: The Cruel Sea, Birds of Tokyo, The Superjesus and Karen Lee Andrews
Tuesday, 8 October 2024
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Broadbeach QLD
Special guest: Karen Lee Andrews
Friday, 11 October 2024
The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park NSW
Special guests: The Cruel Sea and Karen Lee Andrews
Tuesday, 15 October 2024
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong NSW
Special guest: Karen Lee Andrews
Saturday, 19 October 2024
Sandalford Wines, Caversham WA
Presented by Red Hot Summer Tour
Special guests: Birds of Tokyo, The Cruel Sea, The Superjesus and Karen Lee Andrews
Friday, 25 October 2024
Flemington Racecourse, Flemington VIC
Special guests: The Cruel Sea and Karen Lee Andrews
Saturday, 2 November 2024
Victoria Park, Herston / Brisbane QLD
Special guests: The Cruel Sea and Karen Lee Andrews
Wednesday, 6 November 2024
Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Broadmeadow NSW
Special guest: Karen Lee Andrews
Saturday, 9 November 2024
Victoria Park, Ballarat VIC
Presented by Red Hot Summer Tour
Special guests: The Cruel Sea, Birds of Tokyo, The Superjesus and Karen Lee Andrews
Wednesday, 13 November 2024
MyState Bank Arena, Glenorchy TAS
Special guest: Karen Lee Andrews
Sunday, 17 November 2024
VAILO Adelaide 500, Post Race Concert, Adelaide SA
Special guests: The Cruel Sea and The Superjesus
Tickets are on sale 29 May from Ticketmaster.
WHEN DID COLD CHISEL LAST TOUR?
The rock-and-roll legends had their final performance at the Sydney Entertainment Centre mid-December 1983. It was a decade after their first live appearance in Adelaide.
WHY DID COLD CHISEL SPLIT?
At the height of their success, Cold Chisel broke up in 1983 on their own terms. They simply decided that they weren’t giving the fans their best – and that wasn’t a road they wanted to go down.
However, some say Cold Chisel disbanded because they couldn’t break into the American market. Whatever the reason, fans sure are happy they’re coming back together for this epic Australian tour.
