Jimmy Barnes - Gig Review & Photo Gallery 5th October @ Hordern Pavilion, Sydney NSW
Jimmy Barnes
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney NSW
October 5th, 2019
Support: Diesel and Karen Lee Andrews
I couldn’t envision a better way to kick off a long weekend than spending it with Aussie Rock legend, Jimmy Barnes. Fulfilling a career as both a solo artist and front-man for Cold Chisel, Jimmy has one of the most extensive catalogues in rock history and quite possibly the greatest anthems of my life. After spending time on his memoirs Working Class Man and Working Class Boy, Jimmy is back doing what we all love. May saw the release of his latest album My Criminal Record, now Jimmy has taken to the road for a national tour promising to incorporate a selection of Chisel hits as well as solo classics and of course tracks from his latest record.
I received notification earlier in the day that due to illness, support act Jet had been replaced by Diesel and his band. I won’t lie, I was looking forward to seeing Jet, but these things happen and I wish them well. Diesel was the obvious replacement I feel and I am more than ok with this, who doesn’t love Diesel? Not even the rainy weather was about to dampen my enthusiasm for tonight’s show. Jimmy Barnes at Sydney’s iconic venue The Hordern Pavilion! One thing is certain, “I’m gonna have a good time tonight”.
I arrived at Hordern’s entertainment quarters rather early, as I anticipated a huge gathering and line-up for the show. I could not have been any more inaccurate with my estimation, as I noticed the queue of ten or so fans. It was hard to believe that so few people were waiting, so I took the opportunity to grab a bite to eat at the nearby Cricketers Arms. With a full belly, I walked over and joined the ranks of fans. Some had prepared for the occasion as they positioned themselves on the footpath with their small bottles of (cheap?) wine, with cheese & crackers; why didn’t I think of that?
Gates opened shortly after 6pm and still, not a huge crowd to write about. I was beginning to worry that fans would let Jimmy Barnes down. I perused the Merch stand on my way inside and couldn’t help but chuckle when I noticed the “I <3 Jimmy Barnes” bathrobe and matching slippers alongside Pyjama’s that had Jimmy’s head printed all over them. Now that’s marketing!v I had an allocated seat for tonight’s event, though I chose to stand for the support acts and catch up with some friends. Warming the stage tonight was the deep soulful voice of Karen Lee Andrews, aka Miss Murphy for anyone that watches The Voice. Karen captivated the small audience with her storytelling in her songs and had written a heartfelt song for her father that she hasn’t seen in 15 years. Karen playing the guitar while she sang, was accompanied by a talented drummer and bass player; apologies for not catching their names. Karen was humble in her deliverance and very enjoyable to listen to.
A short changeover and Diesel hit the stage with his band to belt out some stripped back classics, such as ‘I Don’t Need Love’ ‘All Come Together’ ‘Soul Revival’ ‘Tip of my Tongue’ ending with a super extended version of ‘Cry in Shame’. He is a phenomenal guitarist and vocalist, the proof was in the now packed room as fans sang and danced along giving the icon a fitting applause and cheer after each song. Diesel entertained us for close to an hour and man did they warm up the venue. I think it’s safe to say Diesel had the crowd forgetting Jet had pulled out.
It was time for a quick break, before taking my seat in preparation for the great Jimmy Barnes. Tonight was a licensed all-ages show, I looked on as children and parents bonded over the music that I was brought up with and was reminded of memories of fond times. Fans were sporting the old bandana, just like Jimmy wore on the cover of East and if that wasn’t enough to bring back a flood of memories, I spotted a bunch of people wearing the jersey that Jimmy wore in the ‘You Got Nothin I Want’ video clip. What a blast from the past!
A sea of blue lights washed over The Hordern Pavillion as Jimmy and his band took to the stage. Holy shit was I excited. I’ve seen this man perform more times than I remember, yet each time is a new and exciting experience. The guitar intro to ‘Driving Wheels’ began; my body resembled that of a goose, with all the bumps. Freight Train Heart was such an identifiable album for me and an absolute favourite, though I could probably say that about every album. The following two tracks ‘I’m in a Bad Mood’ and ‘Stolen Car’ are from Jimmy’s latest album My Criminal Record and were received well by fans. I was surprised to see people singing along, word for word. I admire the dedication of the diehard Barnsey fans. Jimmy’s beautiful wife Jane and daughters EJ, Elly-May and Mahala did a stunning job on backing vocals. With son Jackie on drums and son-in-law Benny Rodgers on guitar, it really was a family affair and they made us fans feel part of the family.
Transporting us back in time ‘Ride the Night Away’ and ‘Khe Sahn’ had fans extending their arms in the air for an almighty sing-along. With the inclusion of hits old and new, Jimmy Barnes ensured no-one was left behind, as he took the crowd on a journey, which each person in the room could relate to. Danny Spencer on guitar did an absolutely stellar job with the blues for ‘Too Much Ain’t Enough Love’. Jimmy paused to mention his good mate in Jet had hurt himself and wished him well. With that said, Jimmy relayed the outcome of the situation and a phone call he received from brother-in-law Diesel this morning. Diesel was on his way to play another show and told Jimmy his flight to Broken Hill had been cancelled. He’d heard that Jimmy might be looking for someone to fill in tonight and offered his services. Diesel made his way back on to the stage to not only play guitar, but to loan his vocals for ‘Time is on My Side’, another track from the new album. Having three guitarists on stage made for an almighty powerful treat, one I’m thankful I was able to witness.
‘Flame Trees’ was a heart-stopping moment, as the crowd lit up their phones and waved them in the air while swaying and singing. I would typically be down amongst the crowd caught up in the moment, but tonight in my seat, I was able to take in the sites around me and truly absorb the energy from both the band and fans. What an overwhelming experience that was; as was ‘Shutting Down Our Town’, written by Troy Cassar-Daley for the new album. With the addition of Douglas McFarland on bagpipes, my eyes were glued to the stage in absolute awe. The light show put on tonight was just spectacular and the sound from where I was seated was bang on. I could find no fault in way possible, not that I was trying to.
Ending the set with ‘Working Class Man’, the band left the stage without as much as a goodbye. As obvious as it was there would be an encore, it was just as surprising, as they had already belted out 19 songs. Oh well, I wouldn’t dare complain. A few minutes passed before Jimmy and band were back on stage to belt out the cracker ‘You Got Nothing I want’ followed by ‘Seven Days’, ‘Love & Hate’ and the big finale ‘Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)’ which had Danny Spencer jumping on the barrier to jam with fans. How fun was that!
Almost an hour and a half and 23 gigantic hits later, the evening came to an end. Fans ushered out of the venue like a herd of sheep, moving in unison. People still singing “Goodbye, Goodbye”, as they left the building and spilled on to the street. If you’re a diehard Barnsey fan you do not want to miss this tour, Jimmy is in fine form and I guarantee you will be transported to a time and place you love and cherish. I know I will remember this night for a long long time.
Gig Review by Trudy Johnson
Setlist
- Driving Wheels
- I’m in a Bad Mood
- Stolen car
- Ride the Night Away
- Khe Sanh
- My Criminal Record
- Lay Down Your Guns
- Boys Cry out For War
- Too Much Ain’t Enough Love
- Lover Lover
- Time is on My Side
- Money and Class
- Working Class Hero
- I Won’t Let You Down
- Flame Trees
- Shutting Down Our Town
- Die to be With You Tonight
- No Second Prize
- Working Class Man
Encore
- Got Nothing I want
- Seven Days
- Love and Hate
- Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)
Photo Gallery by Mick Goddard (MickG Photography) Insta: @mickg_photography
Please credit Wall of Sound and Mick Goddard if you repost.
Karen Lee Andrews
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Diesel
Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes – My Criminal Record Tour
with JET and Eskimo Joe
Saturday 12 October 2019* VENUE UPGRADE!
Rod Laver Arena | Melbourne, VIC
With special guests Jet
Lic. All Ages
ticketek.com.au | Ph: 132 849
Sunday 13 October 2019*
Adelaide Entertainment Centre | Adelaide, SA
With special guests Jet
Lic. All Ages
ticketek.com.au | Ph: 132 849
Thursday 17 October 2019*
Empire Theatre | Toowoomba, QLD
Lic. All Ages
empiretheatre.com.au | Ph: 1300 655 299
Saturday 19 October 2019*
Riverstage | Brisbane, QLD
With special guests Jet and Eskimo Joe
18+
ticketmaster.com.au | Ph: 136 100
Sunday 20 October 2019*
Home of the Arts | Gold Coast, QLD
With special guests Jet
Lic. All Ages
hota.com.au | Ph: 07 5588 4000
Friday 25 October 2019*
Newcastle Entertainment Centre | Newcastle, NSW
With special guests Jet
Lic. All Ages
ticketek.com.au | Ph: 132 849
Saturday 26 October 2019
Park Beach Reserve | Coffs Harbour, NSW
With special guests Jet and Eskimo Joe
Lic. All Ages
ticketmaster.com.au | Ph: 136 100
Thursday 31 October 2019*
Theatre Royal | Canberra, ACT
With special guests Eskimo Joe
Lic. All Ages
ticketek.com.au | Ph: 132 849
Saturday 2 November 2019
Pola Park | Tullamore NSW
With special guest Troy Cassar-Daley
Lic. All Ages
123tix.com.au | Ph: 1300 001 238
