Cold Chisel Mark Their Big Five-O With Biggest Shows Ever - Noise11.com
Cold Chisel photo by Ros O'Gorman

Cold Chisel photo by Ros O'Gorman

Cold Chisel Mark Their Big Five-O With Biggest Shows Ever

by Paul Cashmere on May 29, 2024

in News

Cold Chisel will regroup in October to mark the 50th anniversary of when they first got together with the biggest shows they have even done, and all thanks to Face To Face Touring.

“The Big Five-0 is a landmark moment,” announced Jimmy Barnes. “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!”

And Don Walker concurs. “This 50th anniversary tour will be a huge celebration – for all of us.”

The origins of Cold Chisel was in 1973 with an Adelaide band called Orange with Ted Broniecki on keyboards, Les Kaczmarek on bass guitar, Ian Moss on guitar and vocals, Steve Prestwich on drums and Don Walker on piano. Broniecki was out by September 73, Jimmy Barnes was in. In 1974 they became Cold Chisel. In 1975, Kaczmarek left, Phil Small was in.

In 1976 Chisel relocated to Melbourne and then in early 1977, Sydney become home and the history of the band.

In April 1978, the first album ‘Cold Chisel’ was released. It contained ‘Khe Sanh’ but the song wasn’t a hit then. It was banned by radio at the time because if the lyric “their legs were often open, but their minds were always closed”. The song did not make the Top 40 on Australia until 2011 when it reached no 40, beating the 1978 position by one spot. In 2014, it was added to the National Film and Sound Archive’s Sounds of Australia registry of historically, culturally and aesthetically significant sound recordings.

The Cold Chisel tour is a huge win for Face To Face Touring, Australia’s new touring company with the merger of Duane McDonald’s Regional Touring and John Zacaria and Roy Adams’ Zaccaria Concerts and Touring. Jimmy Barnes has worked very closely with Duane headlining multiple Red Hot Summer tours over the years.

Cold Chisel is:

Jimmy Barnes – Vocals
Ian Moss – Guitars & Vocal
Steve Prestwich – Drums (RIP 2011)
Phil Small – Bass
Don Walker – Piano & Organ
Charley Drayton – Drums (since 2011)
General Public tickets go on sale at 12.00pm (local times) on
Tuesday, 4 June (excl Adelaide) from coldchisel.com/tour

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 today (29 May) from Ticketmaster

Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here

Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YOUTUBE and updated regularly. See things first SUBSCRIBE here: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE

Noise11.com

Related Posts

Shirley Strachan Skyhooks (photo from skyhooks-music.com)
Shirley Strachan of Skyhooks Left Us 24 Years Ago Today 29 August

It’s hard to believe it’s been 24 years since Australia lost one of its most iconic musical sons—Graeme “Shirley” Strachan, the charismatic lead singer of Skyhooks. Today, on 29 August 2025, fans, friends, and fellow musicians remember the voice that defined a generation, the performer whose presence lit up stages, and the personality who made Australian rock both fun and unforgettable.

August 29, 2025
Russell Morris at Hamer Hall Melbourne 27 August 2025 photo by Winston Robinson
Russell Morris The Farewell Tour Is A Treasure Trove Of Hits and Rarities

Russell Morris was almost apologetic when he stepped onto the Hamer Hall stage in Melbourne for the first night of The Farewell Tour on Wednesday (27 August 2025). He admitted to his fans that a 60-year career can look confusing from the outside. The truth is, Morris was never one to sit still.

August 28, 2025
Steve Martin and Alison Browne photo from Compass Records
Steve Martin and Alison Brown Unite for Safe, Sensible and Sane Out October 17

Steve Martin has spent decades balancing comedy, acting, writing and music, but his love for the banjo has always been more than a hobby. On October 17, Martin will join forces with banjo trailblazer Alison Brown for their new collaborative album Safe, Sensible and Sane, a star-studded roots music project set to be one of the year’s most intriguing releases.

August 26, 2025
Tom Waits supplied by Anti
Tom Waits To Reissue 1975 Classic Nighthawks at the Diner For 50th Anniversary

Tom Waits’ Nighthawks at the Diner is being reissued for its 50th anniversary on October 24, with ANTI- Records pressing the landmark album onto three limited-edition yellow vinyl variants. More than just a re-release, this marks a celebration of one of the most unusual and defining recordings of Waits’ early career.

August 26, 2025
Queen autographed A Night At The Opera
Why Queen’s Quietest Member John Deacon Chose to Become a Recluse Until This Rare Return

For fans of Queen, John Deacon has long been the enigma of the band, a brilliant musician, masterful songwriter, and humble presence behind the scenes. Since the early 1990s, Deacon has shunned the spotlight, retiring quietly after Freddie Mercury’s death in 1991. But now, years later, he has quietly resurfaced, lending his signature alongside bandmates Roger Taylor and Brian May on a charity auction item, signalling, perhaps, that even the most private of souls can still make their mark in unexpected ways.

August 25, 2025
Patti Smith Horses 50th Anniversary
Patti Smith ‘Horses’ Gets 50th Anniversary Reissue With Unearthed Demos and Live Cuts

In 1975, Patti Smith entered Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios in New York City with a vision: to fuse the jagged energy of punk with the fluid imagery of poetry. That vision became Horses, one of the most groundbreaking debut albums in rock history. Now, half a century later, Sony has announced the 50th Anniversary Expanded Edition of Horses, a release that both celebrates the legacy of the record and offers fans newly unearthed material from Smith’s early years.

August 25, 2025
Bruce Springsteen Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run Album Turns 50

On 25 August 1975, Bruce Springsteen released Born To Run, the album that transformed him from a New Jersey barroom songwriter into one of the most important voices in rock history. Fifty years later, the record still stands as a landmark, both for its ambitious sound and for the way it defined Springsteen’s career.

August 25, 2025