As a kid, I always believed that there were three great men in my life: my father, John Farnham, and Jimmy Barnes.As an adult, not much has changed, and on Friday 4th July 2008, I had the good fortune of being in the same room as two of them.
Jimmy Barnes is undeniably one of the greatest Australian rock icons.Ever
since he burst onto the national scene in the late 70s with Cold
Chisel, he has dominated the music charts with anthem hits including
‘Khe Sanh’, ‘Flame Trees’, ‘Cheap Wine’ and of course, ‘Working Class
Man’.His popularity spans across generations, and even
in my generation (people in their early 20s), you will be hard pressed
to find someone who doesn’t know the lyrics to legends like ‘Khe Sanh’,
thanks to countless pub rock bands who love belting out the old classic.But while it is one thing to hear ‘Khe Sanh’ played in pubs, it is quite another to hear Jimmy sing it.
The power in Jimmy’s voice is difficult to describe.Listening to MP3s or CDs (or records, as my father did in his day), hardly does justice to the live event.Jimmy
Barnes live is like plugging your iPod into the largest amplifier you
can possibly find, and then jolting yourself with a defibrillator over
and over again.It is loud and it is electric, and it surpasses all boundaries that you could possibly imagine.The crowd responds with vigour.Even
in the usually fairly reserved Concert Hall in QPAC people were getting
to their feet and singing and dancing throughout the entire concert.And
when the first few notes of ‘Khe Sanh’ sounded through the auditorium,
a unanimous standing ovation occurred, followed by much screaming and
belting out of the lyrics – none of which could compare with Jimmy’s
performance.
The first half of the concert Jimmy plays music from his new album, ‘Out in the Blue’.While his music has lost none of its power, it is less gritty hard rock and more soulful and exploratory.He
seems to have found some personal catharsis in several of the pieces,
while others explore his lighter side, which he himself admits was not
overly prevalent when writing this album.The second half Jimmy performs all the old classics from his Chisel days and solo career.
It is not just Jimmy Barnes who is amazing in this ‘Out in the Blue’ tour.His band are equally talented.Davey
Lane, Ben Rodgers and Mark Punch on guitar, with the amazing James
Gillard on base and acoustic guitars, give exhilarating performances
that are just as entertaining as the lead singer.As Jimmy fondly jests, ‘we’re greedy, we have three lead guitars’.Tony Featherstone on Keys must have about fifteen fingers.And then there’s Jacki Barnes – Jimmy’s son – on drums.This young man has the talent and ferocity of his father, but with looks much more appealing for us younger fans.Jacki is not the only Barnes family member to support his father.Backing
vocals are provided by Barnes’ daughter Mahalia, along with Tina
Harrod, Juanita Tippins and Mr Percival – all of whom also performed as
the support act in Mahalia’s band, The Soul Mates.Like
her father, Mahalia can belt out a tune with just the right blend of
fire and emotion that sets the audience sizzling in their seats.The Soul Mates’
original music, plus their brilliant reworkings of ‘You are my
sunshine’ and ‘Proud Mary’ are an excellent starter for the night, and
Jimmy must certainly be a proud father.
After thirty years, the man still has it.And he has passed it on to his children and family around him.After
all Jimmy’s trials and tribulations throughout his life, it is evident
that his family is the one thing that means the most to him.It
was an absolute pleasure to be part of this historic musician’s tour,
and to witness a man who had been an idol since childhood, enjoy a
night basking in the music of another great idol.Love you Dad.
The Frontier Touring Company presents
Jimmy Barnes Out In The Blue National Tour 2008 Special guest: Mahalia Barnes + The Soul Mates
Why Oh Why Didn't Barnies Come To Townsville In North Queesland, I Don't Go To Many Concerts But I Woulda Gone With My Slippers On Backwards If I Had Too!
Townsvillians Would Hvae Went Wild, Barnies Would Have Been Bigger Than Elton John & He Had To Have 2 Nights Concerts Here ..... Sold Out In No Time ..Barnies Woulda Needed To Stay A Week.. Mt.Isa, Cairns, Darwin Right Up To The Tip ...... Cooktown .. Many Woulda Have Drove Or Flown For Hours To See Him !!
We Go Wild Over Our Football Team Here .. Couldn't Imagine The Uproar That Jimmy Would Cause Up Here It Would Put The Rest Of His Aussies Tours To Shame !!!! Waaaa Waaa , Maybe Next Time .. Rephase That ... Next Tour--- Townsville For Sure !!!!!!!
As a kid, I always believed that there were three great men in my life: my father, John Farnham, and Jimmy Barnes.
