Live Review: Jimmy Barnes – The Defiant Tour in Perth 2025
Sunday 8 June 2025 at the Riverside Theatre, Perth Western Australia
By Angela Frodsham
Photography by Erica Lorimer Photographer
As I slid into my seat at the plush Riverside Theatre, I couldn’t help but flash back to my 16-year-old self, wide-eyed at the Perth Entertainment Centre in 1980 watching Jimmy Barnes front Cold Chisel at their peak. Those were the days when Jimmy ran through the crowd like a man possessed, and we could never stay seated. Forty-five years on and a lot of water under the bridge for Jimmy and his fans alike, and handling life’s inevitable ups and downs is what Jimmy will sing to us about tonight. Debuting his 21st studio album “Defiant”, Jimmy is travelling the country to introduce it to fans.
Scottish-born Jimmy’s embodiment of the Australian experience earned him legions of loyal fans and a place in the national psyche. Jimmy has faced many battles, from his tough childhood in Adelaide’s Elizabeth to years of struggle to hit the big time, but his endurance of multiple surgeries over the past couple of years also drives his message of resilience in his new music. ‘Defiance’ Jimmy Barnes style is about confronting challenges with persistence, learning lessons and never giving up. Jimmy was “on a roll” writing songs for “Defiant” then found himself in the hospital undergoing life-threatening open-heart surgery. He credits his resolve to press on with his new music as helping him come out on top.
The lights dim and Jimmy and his band take the stage, and it’s clear another big theme tonight is family ties. Looking trim in black leather pants and tee, Jimmy’s perfect choice as show opener was his ode to the unbreakable bonds of family in 2021’s “Flesh and Blood”. This track had the Barnes family juggernaut firing up to top speed right from the start and making us all eager for what’s ahead. It was such a pleasure during COVID lockdown days to follow the Barnes clan on social media and take in the joy that making music together gives them (and us!).
With his family around him on stage Jimmy is clearly a man enveloped in love and support, and he prances with renewed ‘in your face’ vigour the fans love. Jimmy’s wife of over 40 years and mother of four of his children Jane Barnes joined daughters Eliza-Jane Barnes and Elly-May Barnes in amazing vocal backups, as well as later taking to the bagpipes and guitar. Son Jackie James Barnes is a treat to watch, having worked with numerous artists including Rose Tattoo and Keith Urban. Completing the band line up were great young performers including Mahalia Barnes’ husband Benjamin Rodgers on guitar, also co-writer of “Defiant’s”title track.
The gutsy “I’d Die to Be With You Tonight”brings us back to 1985’s album “For the Working Class Man”, followed by a slow pace but passionate rendition of Cold Chisel’s classic “Choirgirl” from their 1980 album “East”, still treasured in my vinyl collection. First blasting into our consciousness as the irrepressible front man of one of the nation’s most popular and best-selling bands, after Cold Chisel disbanded in 1983 Jimmy forged on with a solo career eventually clocking up 15 solo number 1’s on the Australian charts to add to his 6 with Cold Chisel.
Jimmy quipped after surveying the audience (mostly but not exclusively older) he was here to “f*** it all up” for anyone who thought they were here for a “nice quiet night”. Turning to his new album “Defiant”, Jimmy made it clear he was here to treat the audience to many of its songs, starting with “New Day”. This track set up the recurring theme throughout the album of shaking off knockdowns, getting back up and starting afresh with a second chance. A great song in which the vocal backups really shine, the music video features Jimmy’s long-term collaborator and friend country music legend Troy Cassar-Daly.
Jimmy doesn’t shy from moving through musical genres exploring his musical depths. “The Long Road”, written with talented singer-songwriter Michael Paynter, is a hard-hitting bluesy piece about young men running wild, making mistakes and learning to live with them, as Jimmy did. “Damned if I Do, Damned if I Don’t” is another catchy track from “Defiant”that I know I’ll be singing in my head for days. Another Michael Paynter track came with the upbeat and typically Jimmy “That’s What You Do For Love”, which feeds into the messages of “Working Class Man” and “Driving Wheels”. It also gave one of many opportunities for some impressive guitar solos.
Jimmy carefully curates the tracks he plays in his shows and tells us there were some who thought he should not play so much of his new album, but it’s clear it’s what he wants to do. He reassures us “the Perth audience is very sophisticated… don’t worry I’ve seen you at your best and your worst”. The love song “Never Stop Loving You” is a great song with much complexion and tells of the love story of Jimmy and Jane. To watch it performed with Jane singing backups was special.
“Dig Deep” is a track about growing up in tough places like Glasgow and Elizabeth as Jimmy did, telling us they are “not pretty but make us who we are”. “Sea of Love” preceded my favourite “Beyond the River Bend” which Jimmy wrote for Jane, using the river that runs in front of the Barnes family farm home outside of Sydney as a metaphor for their relationship. A lovely surprise was Jane stepping forward all kilted up with bagpipes to add to the mix as a nod to Jimmy’s Scottish ancestry. A fitting end to the new music was the suitably gutsy “Defiant,” a very personal track for Jimmy delivered with power and sass. In his lyrics “…here I am, still going strong” Jimmy summarised the night neatly.
Then came the beloved Cold Chisel track “Flame Trees”, and a mass impromptu sing along by an audience who naturally knew every word. “Shutting Down Our Town” followed on, written by Troy Cassar-Daley after reading Jimmy’s 2016 memoir ‘Working Class Boy’ and about the sad impact of the closing of the Holden Factory in North Adelaide.
1990’s “Lay Down Your Guns” took us back again deep into Jimmy’s songbook. He showed he can still deliver the songs of his youth with great vigour and passion, giving fans exactly what they had come to see. This point was further proved by his stellar performances of 80’s hits “No Second Prize” and “Ride the Night Away.” However, it is 1986’s “Working Class Man” that is perhaps Jimmy’s signature song as one the ‘most Australian’ songs of all time. A fan’s LED lit banner of “Working Class Man”, the song’s rapturous reception and bouncers kept busy with exuberant fans underlined this. This is what many had been waiting for, and Jimmy and his band did not disappoint.
An encore of 1988’s “Driving Wheels” from the album “Freight Train Heart” and another of Cold Chisel’s quintessentially Australian songs “Khe Sanh” and fans were happy to let Jimmy take a well-earned rest. As a long-term Jimmy Barnes and Cold Chisel fan, I enjoyed every minute of this tour de force watching the raw emotion of Jimmy’s performance and how he artfully forms bonds with his audience as a musical storyteller. While it may also be cathartic for Jimmy to share his experiences and wisdom through his music, our lives are better for it. And like an old friend we grew up with, it is great to see him roaring forward bringing the next generations with him.
Jimmy Barnes was very ably supported on the night by Australian country singer-songwriter Taylor Sheridan. His humble, sincere nature and great acoustic guitar performances of songs such as “Home Town Love” saw him very enthusiastically received.
Jimmy Barnes Setlist Perth 2025
Flesh and Blood – Flesh and Blood (2021)
I’d Die to Be With You Tonight – For the Working Class Man (1985)
Choirgirl – East by Cold Chisel (1980)
New Day – Defiant (2025)
The Long Road – Defiant (2025)
Damned If I Do, Damned If I Don’t – Defiant (2025)
What You Do For Love – Defiant (2025)
Never Stop Loving You – Defiant (2025)
Dig Deep – Defiant (2025)
Sea of Love – Defiant (2025)
Beyond the River Bend – Defiant (2025)
Defiant – Defiant (2025)
Flame Trees – Twentieth Century by Cold Chisel (1984)
Shutting Down Our Town – My Criminal Record (2019)
Lay Down Your Guns – Two Fires (1990)
No Second Prize – Bodyswerve (1984)
Ride the Night Away – For the Working Class Man (1985)
Working Class Man – For the Working Class Man (1985)
Driving Wheels – Freight Train Heart (1987)
Khe Sanh – Cold Chisel by Cold Chisel (1978)
9 June 2025.
Writer – Angela Frodsham
Angela is a music lover who has enjoyed live concerts with sister Erica and friends since the early 1980’s, including raving in the pit during the Cold Chisel performance at Perth Entertainment Centre in 1980. A career in Government economic development and transport policy followed a Bachelor of Economics majoring in the Japanese language. More recently, Angela’s love of writing and history has led her back to UWA to study Classics and Ancient History, including the Latin language and ancient Greek.
Photographer – Erica Lorimer
Erica is a freelance photographer who loves capturing images of live music and travel photography. She enjoys shooting film with vintage cameras and making prints in a home darkroom. She has lived in Japan, the UK and Nigeria. Erica holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Western Australia (UWA), majoring in English Literature and Economics, and a Certificate IV in Design.
