Jimmy Barnes reveals the touching motivation behind Cold Chisel’s anniversary tour

When legendary Aussie rock band Cold Chisel announced they would be embarking on nationwide tour to celebrate 50 years of making music together, fans eagerly anticipated hearing their greatest hits played across the country.

While fans were excited to see the beloved band perform live, for Jimmy Barnes, performing alongside his bandmates was much more personal.

“When I got sick at the end of last year – and I was as healthy as a mallee bull when that happened – I realised you can go from that to it could all be over in a heartbeat, literally; that sealed it for me,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

“I wanted to make sure that we did it. It’s not a get-together for the sake of it, it’s not a get-together for the money, it’s not a get-together to mend old riffs or water under the bridge.

“I want to get together with these guys, and we want to get together, to grab hold of those moments that were the best things in our lives.”

 

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Cold Chisel’s The Big Five-O tour will kick off in Armidale in regional NSW on October 5, where the band was based in 1974-75 before heading off to wow crowds on the Gold Coast, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Newcastle, Ballarat and Hobart.

The group’s history will be celebrated throughout the tour, culminating in a final performance in Adelaide, where the band was originally formed. This special concert will take place following the city’s 500 Supercars event.

Fans can also look forward to the release of a best-of album in August this year.

While announcing the tour, Barnes expressed his excitement to celebrate Cold Chisel’s legacy with both his bandmates and fans, particularly after his recent health battle.

“The Big Five-0 is a landmark moment,” Barnes said.

“There have been plenty of times where I never thought I’d live to see this day so I’m going to make the most of it.

“I can’t wait to celebrate with my mates and with all the fans who have been such a big part of our story.

“We’re gonna smash it!”

The anniversary tour comes after Barnes’ recently triumphed over a series of health challenges.

In late November last year, Barnes battled with a bout of bacterial pneumonia. Later he shocked fans with the revelation that he was set to undergo open-heart surgery after the infection spread.

“Unfortunately I got some bad news late yesterday … despite everyone’s best efforts the bacterial infection I’ve been battling over the last fortnight has apparently now spread to my heart,” he said at the time

“It’s infected an otherwise healthy valve that was replaced some years ago due to a congenital defect, so I’ll be getting open-heart surgery over the next few hours to clear out this infection and put in a clean valve.

“Obviously this is going to take me out of action for a while. I know lots of other people are battling even worse things but it still feels hugely frustrating.

“Just a few weeks ago I was the fittest I’ve been in decades!”

Defying concerns from fans, Barnes made strides in his recovery while sharing encouraging updates and eventually returning to the stage, much to the delight of his fans.