Why Jimmy Barnes has formed a new band plus more Sounds Better Together Victorian shows
From writing a book to recording an album, Barnesy is set to have a prolific year.
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Australian rock hero Jimmy Barnes has formed a new band.
The Cold Chisel frontman has started a rockabilly outfit with Chris Cheney of the Living End and Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats.
“We’ve got three quarters of a rockabilly album finished,” Barnes told Confidential.
“It’s half originals, half old covers. Slim Jim and I have been talking about doing this for 20 years. When you think about making a rockabilly album you don’t think about making it over the internet with people in different continents, but that’s how we had to do it because of COVID and it’s actually working out well, we’ve got some great guests.”
Barnes will be incredibly prolific in 2021. He’s writing a novel, a cookbook with wife Jane and recording Flesh and Blood, a sequel to 1993’s acoustic release Flesh and Wood including new songs written by himself, Neil Finn and Don Walker.
“It’s quite current lyrically, when the world is dropping around you you look at your life and what you’ve done and what you want to do.”
2021 will also see Barnes celebrate the 30th anniversary of his Soul Deep album.
“It was such a big record, certainly my biggest record. It’d be good to do a few shows to celebrate it later this year depending how things are – get a great horn section, put a Soul Deep show together..”
This week is the tenth anniversary of the death of Cold Chisel drummer Steve Prestwich; a year ago the band finished what they said was their final tour.
“I was having dinner with Don (Walker) recently and said ‘We could just make a record, that’s not hard’ and Don said ‘Um, remember how hard making a record is!’
“We’ve all been talking this week with the anniversary of Steve’s death, it’s a really sad thing. Maybe that’ll prompt us getting back together for something?
“We wish we could be in the one room playing again. Never say never with Chisel. We had discussed that being the final tour, maybe we could do one off shows somewhere. Every time I play with that band I remember how bloody good they are.”
Barnes is also uploading all the isolation videos he and wife Jane posted on social media to his You Tube channel.
Barnes scrapped plans to release the covers as an album, feeling they’d lose their unpolished charm.
“Sometimes we were out of tune, sometimes I forgot the words, we were flying by the seat of our pants trying to do something to keep everybody entertained. If you went to the studio and polished it you might lose that charm and it’d just become covers. I learnt a lot about singing, we did everything from Van Morrison to Matt Monroe to Doris Day. We almost did Metallica. It stretched me as a vocalist and Jane taught herself guitar, she’s quite accomplished now.”
Barnes is returning to Victoria for two shows as part of Sounds Better Together – this Sunday at Rochford Wines at Yarra Valley with the Teskey Brothers and Vika and Linda and Monday at All Saints Estate Rutherglen with Daryl Braithwaite and Deborah Conway.
The Sounds Better Together series, where all tickets are $49.90, has announced more COVID-safe shows – The Living End at the Forum next Wednesday, Ross Wilson at the Theatre Royal Castlemaine next Wednesday.
There also shows for just $20: Alex Lahey and Scott Darlow at the Espy next Monday, Didirri and Mia Wray at Whalers Hotel Warrnambool next Thursday and the Pierce Brothers and Shannen James at Westernport Hotel San Remo next Thursday.
Tickets for all shows go on sale midday today at soundsbettertogether.com
SOUNDS BETTER TOGETHER SHOWS
Tones and I + Missy Higgins + Gordi + Didirri
Saturday 23 January
Mt Duneed Estate | Surf Coast, VIC
On sale now
ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100 |$49.90
Jimmy Barnes + The Teskey Brothers + Vika & Linda + Darlinghurst
Saturday 23 January
Rochford Wines | Yarra Valley, VIC
On sale now
ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100 |$49.90
Something for Kate + Hayley Mary
Sunday 24 January
The Prince – sold out
Jimmy Barnes + Daryl Braithwaite + Deborah Conway
Monday 25 January
All Saints Estate | Rutherglen, VIC
On sale now
ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100 |$49.90
Alex Lahey + Scott Darlow
Monday 25 January
Esplanade Hotel | St Kilda
On sale: Thursday 21 January 12 noon
moshtix.com.au |$20
Ross Wilson + Fergus James
Wednesday 27 January
Theatre Royal | Castlemaine
On sale: Thursday 21 January 12 noon
oztix.com.au | $49.90
The Living End + Bakers Eddy
Wednesday 27 January
The Forum | Melbourne
On sale: Thursday 21 January 12 noon
ticketmaster.com.au | $49.90
Didirri + Mia Wray
Thursday 28 January
Whalers Hotel | Warrnambool
On sale: Thursday 21 January 12 noon
oztix.com.au | $20
Pierce Brothers + Shannen James
Friday 29 January
Westernport Hotel | San Remo
On sale: Thursday 21 January 12 noon
oztix.com.au | $20
James Reyne, Daryl Braithwaite + Vika & Linda + Mia Wray
Saturday 30 January
Mallacoota Oval | Mallacoota, VIC
On sale now
ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100 |$49.90
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