Live Review: Cold Chisel – The BIG FIVE-O in Perth 2024
19th of October 2024 at Sandalford Wines in Perth Western Australia
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
“You were quite upset when Cold Chisel broke up in 1983”, I asked Ian Moss during an interview in 2021.
“Oh yes, it was like a relationship coming to an end. We just couldn’t reconcile, we couldn’t have a conversation about anything with each other and walked away peacefully. Like a bad relationship, we argued about anything and everything…and it was also scary when it split up – that was it…it was all over. We had the idea the band’s popularity would keep going on and on and on through the roof. It didn’t occur to us at all (that it would end)…and I was thinking, ‘Shit, what the hell am I going to do’…don’t have a trade, don’t have skill, don’t have a degree – I was terrified…”
Cold Chisel Live is a show with three crescendos: the vocal personification and raw presence of Jimmy Barnes, and the masterclass by the greatest singer-guitarist in Australia, if not the world through the hummingbird fingers of Ian Moss. Dive deeper, their fusion with the rhythm section and Don Walker’s magic culminates the 5-piece in one of Australia’s greatest entertainers.
The band, also comprising Phil Small and the “new guy” Charley Drayton are as Aussie as VB bottles clanking at the backseat of a VN Commodore cruising along the west coast. Formed in Adelaide in 1973, Cold Chisel have meandered through an undulating ride, from inhouse fist fights to being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. Through 8 studio albums peaking in the top 5, the show celebrates half a century of the most iconic, sing-along pub songs.
They graced the stage with Standing On The Outside. The track dwells on tenancity in the wake of adversity, a fitting spark in light of the hip replacement that Barnes had undergone only two months ago, and more significantly an open-heart surgery prior. But Cold Chisel’s keyword is beyond the signature voice of the lead vocalist, and through adversity, the band are a testament to a tenacious longevity.
There was a sense of relief – or rather disbelieve, that J Barnes is still the old rockin’ Barnesy who appeared on Molly’s Countdown in the 70’s and ’80s; his vocals effortlessly spliced through the crisped evening air with the raw, gritty texture blended into an emotional concoction. Donned in all black, he slithered across the stage like a dog at the back of a ute, saying hello to their fans and bandmates, occasionally placing his arms on Ian Moss. It was a touch of nostalgia, embracing the anniversary of 50 revolutions around the golden sun, with both legends eliciting a smile for the crowd soaked in nostalgia.
For those who came as a plus 1, they would find familiarity in the banger Choir Girl early in the 24 song setlist – such is the depth in the discography of Cold Chisel. Written in 1979, Barnes’ vocals and harmonies by Ian Moss were as catchy live two decades into the new millennium as it was 45 years ago. Despite the lyrics dwelling on abortion, the crowd sang like the happy anthem of their perfect lives, echoing across the field of Sandalford Wines in Swan Valley, Western Australia. Nevertheless, Ian Moss ripped the stage with a guitar solo.
The sing-along fest continued throughout including in Cheap Wine, as the crowd joined in like a layback lark. Aged like a fine wine, this Don Walker special written 40 years ago is made for live audience with its soulful verse. The commanding presence of Jimmy Barnes completed the vocals, and vice versa, as the skylarking, raspy quality of the vocals is as distinctively Aussie as the song itself.
By now, those plus 1 would appreciate that Cold Chisel are a band with two vocalists. And that’s a fact. Ian Moss, breezed through My Baby like his own (baby), although it was written by the bass player Phil Small in 1980. It was a break from the rock tracks, with the sax adding the summery vibe on a cloudy evening as the sun had settled deep into the horizon. The two-word title was chanted across the winery fans – if that was all they knew of the lyrics. Nevertheless, it’s the only track to hit the US Charts.
The man is arguably one of the greatest singer-guitarists, deepening the band’s vocal supremacy that has the talent depth of the Brazilian football team. In fact, in the early years when the teenage Jimmy went MIA, Mossy would act as the Cold Chisel’s band interim singer during rehearsals. In Bow River, the vocal delicacy of the guitarist reached the high range with ease, while casting his nostalgic breath and unashamedly tearing his guitar strings across 13,000 fans.
As for solo battles – there were plenty, such as in Rising Sun when the saxophone and guitar met in a spellbinding face-off, as both players hypnotised by the different weight classification. The fans were also enthralled by the unique battle between the harmonica and guitar, a David versus Goliath battle that ended with another guitar shred by Ian Moss, with every string reverberation sipped through the field of Sandalford.
Jimmy Barnes stood out throughout. That’s undeniable and inevitable. It’s a manifestation of his soul and character, and the bravado that still lingers from the early 70s and 80’s era. His partner in crime is the equivalent leader of the night – and not many would have recognised that before the show. In virtually every track, Moss would stray and smashed his guitar strings with utter savagery.
The first encore consists of the blues, the cooling down after a scintillating performance in Saturday Night, with the sax providing the do-do-do, do-do, do-do-do-do, followed by Breakfast at Sweethearts. The second encore consists of one of the greatest tracks in Australia – When the War is Over, with the final punctuation of the night being Goodbye.
As the age of the band members reaches (or is already into) the septuagenarian classification, perhaps…this is Goodbye, but legacy of Cold Chisel will remain for the centenary celebration – a far cry from Moss’s sentiment in1983.
Cold Chisel are touring across Australia. The 25-show tour are sold out in most cities. Visit Face to Face Touring for last minute ticket releases.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Rina Ferris PRM, Face to Face Touring and Cold Chisel for the media accreditation.
About the Writer/Photographer: Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) have been accredited to more than 120 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), Knoftest (Melbourne), KISS, Iron Maiden, RHCP, P!NK and Robbie Williams with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, UB40, Delta Goodrem, The Wiggles and Toni Childs on social media. He has interviewed rockers Ian Moss, Suzi Quatro (pictured), Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 60 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
