Cold Chisel rocker reveals normal job after iconic Aussie band abruptly split

One of Cold Chisel’s band members has revealed his string of day jobs after the iconic Australian group’s abrupt break-up in the ‘80s.

Cold Chisel may be one of the most celebrated bands in Australian music history, but their abrupt break-up in the ‘80s saw one of the member’s land a string of day jobs to make ends meet.

Bassist Phil Small joined the beloved rock band from 1975, just two years after they first formed in Adelaide, and enjoyed their breakthrough era with mega hits including Flame Trees, Khe Sanh and Forever Now. He also wrote the hit single My Baby, which was selected as their first American release in 1980.

But Cold Chisel sensationally disbanded at the height of their stardom in 1983, with Small, now 70, revealing what he did in the years afterwards before their ultimate reunion in 1997.

Cold Chisel is a five-part podcast series on the rise, split and rebirth of one of Australia’s most successful and iconic rock bands.

Speaking on the new LiSTNR podcast Cold Chisel, Small says, “After the band did split, there’s a huge void there for everyone. I was like, what the hell am I going to do now?”

He continues, “It was like you’ve just walked out of a big party and slammed the door into a vacant room. Nothing there. So I had to go out and get work.

“I got work wherever I could – at one stage I was an offsider on a truck. I worked at (charity) St Vincent de Paul, and one of my longest jobs was with (record label) Polygram actually, just working in the warehouse. A lot of musicians got work there through word of mouth.”

Bassist Phil Small had to work several day jobs after Cold Chisel’s split. Picture: Peter Lorimer

While Cold Chisel had gone their separate ways, the group found even greater success during their hiatus, with their music becoming a fixture on the then-new format of FM radio, while the rise of the compact disc (CD) saw early fans replacing their vinyl albums.

Meanwhile, frontman Jimmy Barnes’ solo success was greatly benefiting Cold Chisel’s legacy.

Their gradual rebirth began in 1991 with the release of their compilation album Chisel, with the band’s label WEA managing to lure the band back together for a media event to promote the release.

It was a huge coup, with the members previously refusing to reunite despite lucrative offers.

Philip Mortlock, who worked for WEA at the time, was behind the reunion, saying on the podcast the group were one of the most lucrative bands on the company’s roster, despite their split.

Cold Chisel’s Phil Small, Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss and Don Walker.

“We asked (band manager) Rod (Willis) to bring the five members of the band in to do a press conference in the record company,” Mortlock says.

“I actually gave Rod a $1 million dollar cheque as an advance for the sales of the catalogue.”

The gamble paid off. Mortlock says the album sold so well, they recouped the seven-figure sum “within a week or two”.

At this point, Small says he no longer needed to work a day job.

“We made more money when the band split,” Small says. “Were not even playing anymore, we’re not a band as such. And yet this money’s rolling in, it was amazing.”

Cold Chisel did eventually get back together in six years later, and have continued to make new music and tour ever since.

Their 50th anniversary tour, The Big 5-0, wraps in Sydney December 4, with more than 120,000 tickets sold.

Cold Chisel is available exclusively on LiSTNR