Jimmy Barnes headlined Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night, a rare feat these days for an Australian act.
Jimmy Barnes is the only Australian acts headlining the venue in 2019. Melbourne singer songwriter Vance Joy had a headline show at Rod Laver Arena in 2018. In the past five years Australian (but all overseas based) acts Keith Urban, Five Seconds of Summer and Kylie Minogue have had their shows at Rod Laver Arena.
Fun fact: Rod Laver Arena’s record attendance was 16,183 for Justin Timberlake in 2007.
The Jimmy Barnes Shutting Down Your Town tour setlist is indeed powerful stuff. The setlist dates back more than 41 years to the very first Cold Chisel single ‘Khe Sanh’, released May, 1978. What is remarkable is how well the new songs fit with the classics and how fluent the show goes from old to new.
Jimmy’s 2019 album ‘My Criminal Record’ easily stands alongside any of his previous 16 solo albums. We are talking an artist with 48 Platinum albums in the solo works alone, plus another 20 Platinum awards for his work with Chisel. With an industry confused with how to measure 21st century success ‘My Criminal Record’ fits the catalogue like the proverbial glove. These songs come to life live. The title track, ‘Shutting Down Our Town’, ‘I’m In A Bad Mood’ are as urgent and ferocious as ‘Driving Wheels’, ‘Lay Down Your Guns’ and ‘I’d Die To Be With You Tonight’.
When Jimmy performed his Chisel masterpiece ‘Flame Trees’ the audience took right over. He could have walked off stage as it started and come back at the end. The audience knew every word and sang every word. For the four plus minutes of ‘Flame Trees’ it was like Jimmy was the audience’s backing singer. It was truly one of those magic live moments where artist and audience become one.
Another special moment for Melbourne was Jet’s Nic Cester joining Jimmy and band for ‘Good Times’, the Easybeats cover Jimmy and Michael Hutchence once sang together in the 80s. Jet are Australia’s last great rock band and (correct me if I’m wrong), the only Australian rock band formed in the 21st century that has had global success (so far).
Jet opened for Barnes. It was their return to the stage after having to cancel earlier shows after drummer Chris Cester broke his shoulder. With a fill-in drummer (I believe who may have even been their tour manager), Jet opened with a smorgasbord of songs from their three albums ‘Get Born’, ‘Shine On’ and ‘Shaka Rock’, released between 2003 and 2009. There was no new music and no hint of a new record on the way.
This is how the Jimmy Barnes Rod Laver Arena show looked –
Jimmy Barnes setlist, Melbourne, 2019
Driving Wheels (from Freight Train Heart, 1987)
I’m In A Bad Mood (from My Criminal Record, 2019)
Stolen Car (from My Criminal Record, 2019)
Ride The Night Away (from For The Working Class Man, 1985)
Khe Sanh (from Cold Chisel, 1978)
My Criminal Record (from My Criminal Record, 2019)
Lay Down Your Guns (from Two Fires, 1990)
Boys Cry Out For War (from Bodyswerve, 1984)
Too Much Ain’t Enough Love (from Freight Train Heart, 1987)
Lover Lover (from Hits Anthology, 1996)
Money and Class (from My Criminal Record, 2019)
Working Class Hero (from My Criminal Record, 2019)
I Wont Let You Down (from My Criminal Record, 2019)
Flame Trees (from Cold Chisel, Twentieth Century, 1984)
Shutting Down Our Town (from My Criminal Record, 2019)
I’d Die To Be With You Tonight (from For The Working Class Man, 1985)
No Second Prize (from Bodyswerve, 1984)
Working Class Man (from For The Working Class Man, 1985)
ENCORE:
Stargazer (from My Criminal Record, 2019)
Good Times (with Nic Cester) (single, 1986)
Seven Days (from Freight Train Heart, 1987)
Love and Hate (from Love and Fear, 1999)
Goodbye Astrid (from Cold Chisel, Breakfast At Sweethearts, 1979)
REMAINING SHUTTING DOWN YOUR TOWN TOUR DATES
Thursday, 17 October 2019 *
Empire Theatre, Toowoomba Qld
Tickets available from the venue – 1300 655 299 or empiretheatre.com.au
Saturday, 19 October 2019 *
Riverstage, Brisbane Qld
Special Guests: Jet and Eskimo Joe
Tickets available from Ticketmaster – 136 100 or ticketmaster.com.au
Sunday, 20 October 2019 *
Home of the Arts, Gold Coast Qld
Special Guest: Jet
Tickets available from the venue – 07 5588 4000 or hota.com.au
Friday, 25 October 2019 *
Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle NSW
Special Guest: Jet
Tickets available from Ticketek – 132 849 or ticketek.com.au
Saturday, 26 October 2019
Park Beach Reserve, Coffs Harbour NSW
Special Guests: Jet and Eskimo Joe
Tickets available from Ticketmaster – 136 100 or ticketmaster.com.au
Thursday, 31 October 2019 *
Theatre Royal, Canberra ACT
Special Guest: Eskimo Joe
Tickets available from Ticketek – 132 849 or ticketek.com.au
Saturday, 2 November 2019
Pola Park, Tullamore NSW
Special Guest: Troy Cassar-Daley
Tickets available from 123tix – 1300 001 238 or 123tix.com.au
ALSO APPEARING AT:
Sunday, 10 November 2019
96FM’s Kickstart Summer Concert
Ascot Racetrack, Perth WA
Tickets available from Ticketmaster – 136 100 or ticketmaster.com.au
Follow Noise11 on Twitter for news as it happens
For news as it happens follow Noise11 on Facebook
Listen to the Noise11 Music News channel now at iHeartRadio
