In-form Jimmy Barnes, family and friends thrill 5000 Gold Coast fans at Under the Southern Stars

From local trio The Rich and Famous, who opened the event, to soon-to-be 62-year-old superhero headliner Jimmy Barnes, the Gold Coast leg of new outdoor music festival Under the Southern Stars was all killer, no filler.

JIMMY Barnes was almost upstaged by his infant granddaughters on Saturday night when new touring festival Under the Southern Stars made its Gold Coat debut.

Close to 5000 mostly older (and wiser) music lovers braved the searing heat and rocked up at Southport’s Broadwater Parklands well-prepared (Bunnings hats, folding chairs) for a long, drama-free afternoon/evening of ripper tunes and super singalongs.

Jane and Jimmy Barnes at Broadbeach. Picture: Instagram @jimmybarnesofficial

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From local trio The Rich and Famous, who opened the event, to Ash Grunwald, Richard Clapton, Diesel, Tex Perkins, Ian Moss and soon-to-be 62-year-old superhero Barnes (complete with Chisel classics), the festival was all killer, no filler.

Perkins’ set included a nod to “fallen comrade” James Cruickshank — “He was from around here ... This one’s for Crookers,” Perkins declared, throwing and shaking himself into Cruel Sea favourites It’s Alright Cause She Loves Me and later, Delivery Man — while Diesel joined Barnes for AC/DC’s High Voltage in honour of another fallen brother, music legend Malcolm Young.

Richard Clapton braves the heat on stage at Under the Southern Stars at Broadwater Parklands. Picture: Richard Gosling

Diesel — brother-in-law Barnes is right, surely one of the world’s most underrated guitarists — never fails to shower new love on old favourites. Saturday’s tantalising version of I Don’t Need Love in particular was a terrific example of why there’s no such thing as too much when it comes to seeing him live.

Testament to Under the Southern Stars’ relaxed, friendly vibe from the front to back gates, artists including headliner Barnes were cheered on by some of their youngest family members.

Perkins was flanked by sons-of-a-gun Roy and Louis while The Rich and Famous frontman Jeffrey Hoad walked his talk extra tall with music-loving ‘billy lids’ Duke and Cleo side of stage.

The Barnes family’s shared love of sweet, sweet music has become a Partridge family-style celebration of life.

Crowds braved the heat and turned out early for Under the Southern Stars at Broadwater Parklands. Picture: Richard Gosling

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From drummer son Jackie James Barnes to adopted son/keys guru Lachlan Doley and backing vocalists Mahalia and her mum Jane Barnes, the family that rocks together rocks.

Barnes’s trio of young granddaughters — Jackie’s two daughters and Mahalia’s youngest of two — almost stole the family patriarch’s show, dancing and in the case of chip-off-the-old Barnes Rosie, roaring along in song until the last refrain.

The musical tribes stayed in Broadbeach, with Jimmy and Jane posting a happy snap of themselves at the beach this morning — on message (as usual) with the red and yellow flags flying behind them — a money-can’t buy endorsement for holidays on the Coast.

Barnes will be back soon — he brings his Spoken Word show Working Class Man: An Evening of Stories and Songs to The Star Gold Coast on April 14 (sorry, it’s sold out!).

Here’s hoping Under the Southern Stars comes back next year too — and that it helps convince more promoters to use an outdoor space that has well and truly cemented itself as a great place to perform for a great crowd.