91-612: Cold Chisel are an Australian pub rock band, which formed in Adelaide in 1973 by mainstay members Ian Moss on guitar and vocals, Steve Prestwich on drums, Lez Kaczmarek on bass and Don Walker on piano and keyboards. They were soon joined by Jimmy Barnes (at the time known as Jim Barnes) on lead vocals and, in 1975, Phil Small became their bass guitarist. The group disbanded in late 1983 but subsequently reformed several times. Musicologist Ian McFarlane wrote that they became "one of Australia's best-loved groups" as well as "one of
182-757: A brain tumour in January 2011. Cold Chisel originally formed as Orange in Adelaide in 1973 as a heavy metal band by Ted Broniecki on keyboards, Les Kaczmarek on bass guitar, Ian Moss on guitar and vocals, Steve Prestwich on drums and Don Walker on piano. Their early material included cover versions of Free and Deep Purple material. Broniecki left by September 1973 and seventeen-year-old singer, Jimmy Barnes – called Jim Barnes during their initial career – joined in December. The group changed its name several times before settling on Cold Chisel in 1974 after Walker's song of that title. Barnes' relationship with
273-401: A brass section , experimental percussion, and complex arrangements) to a more straightforward rock sound with emphasis on drums, bass, and simple guitar riffs; it was a sound that more suited the beer barns they were to play in over their extensive touring career. Though Australia has a relatively small population, the proportionally high number of venues that bands could play in, mainly along
364-549: A "spirited combination of R&B, country and red-hot rock'n'roll was imbued with a delightful sense of time and place" according to McFarlane. As the pub-rock phenomenon expanded, hundreds of hotels in capital cities and major towns began providing regular live music, and a thriving circuit evolved, enabling bands to tour up and down the eastern and southern coast of Australia from North Queensland to South Australia . A band like Hunters & Collectors , for example, saw their sound harden from their arty origins (which included
455-504: A bottle of vodka each night while performing. In late 1979, severing their relationship with Batchens, Cold Chisel chose Mark Opitz to produce the next single, " Choirgirl " (November). It is a Walker composition dealing with a young woman's experience with abortion . Despite the subject matter it reached No. 14. "Choirgirl" paved the way for the group's third studio album, East (June 1980), with Opitz producing. Recorded over two months in early 1980, East , reached No. 2 and
546-710: A cover version of Willie Dixon 's " Good Morning, School Girl ". They developed a heavy sound and in July 1970, Warren 'Pig' Morgan (piano, backing vocals) had joined and the band recorded The Hoax Is Over , which was released in January 1971. Thorpe described their sound: "[It was] like we were standing on a pair of Boeing 747 engines. It cracked the foundations and broke windows in neighbouring buildings". By early 1971, Blackfeather consisted of Neale Johns on lead vocals, John Robinson on lead guitar (ex-Lonely Ones, Monday's Children, Dave Miller Set ), Robert Fortesque on bass guitar, and Alexander Kash on drums. Their debut album, At
637-531: A factor often cited as a major reason for the band's lack of international appeal. "Saturday Night" and "Breakfast at Sweethearts" were observations of the urban experience of Sydney's Kings Cross district where Walker lived for many years. "Misfits", which featured on the b-side to "My Baby", was about homeless kids in the suburbs surrounding Sydney. Songs like "Shipping Steel" and "Standing on The Outside" were working class anthems and many others featured characters trapped in mundane, everyday existences, yearning for
728-620: A few weeks, on co-lead vocals with Swan – they were a Sydney-based hard rock group, which had evolved from Blackfeather . A farewell performance for Cold Chisel, with Barnes aboard, went so well that the singer changed his mind and returned. In the following month the Warner Music Group signed the group. In the early months of 1978 Cold Chisel recorded their self-titled debut album with their manager and producer, Peter Walker (ex- Bakery ). All tracks were written by Don Walker, except "Juliet", where Barnes composed its melody and Walker
819-599: A fourth studio album, Circus Animals (March 1982), again with Opitz producing. To launch the album, the band performed under a circus tent at Wentworth Park in Sydney and toured heavily once more, including a show in Darwin that attracted more than 10 percent of the city's population. It peaked at No. 1 in both Australia and on the Official New Zealand Music Chart . In October 2010 it
910-637: A locally based artist for that year; it was certified platinum. The majority of its tracks were written by Walker, with Barnes and Walker on the lead single, "Goodbye (Astrid, Goodbye)" (September 1978), and Moss contributed to "Dresden". "Goodbye (Astrid, Goodbye)" became a live favourite, and was covered by U2 during Australian tours in the 1980s. Cold Chisel had gained national chart success and increased popularity of their fans without significant commercial radio airplay. The members developed reputations for wild behaviour, particularly Barnes who claimed to have had sex with over 1000 women and who consumed more than
1001-787: A man's ability to make something of himself through love." The track "I Got Things to Do" was written and sung by Prestwich, which Fitzpatrick described as "the bittersweet finale", a song that had "a vocal track the other band members did not know existed until after [Prestwich's] death." Midway through 2012 they embarked on a short UK tour and played with Soundgarden and Mars Volta at Hard Rock Calling at London's Hyde Park. The group's eighth studio album, The Perfect Crime , appeared in October 2015, again with Shirley producing, which peaked at No. 2. Martin Boulton of The Sydney Morning Herald rated it at four out of five stars and explained that
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#17327946299011092-400: A musical director, production and guitarist for a wide array of artists including; John Farnham , Goanna , The Black Sorrows , Swanee , Ross Wilson , Daryl Braithwaite , Brian Cadd , Broderick Smith , Rose Bygrave , Olivia Newton John , Tina Arena , Glenn Shorrock , Dale Ryder, Debra Byrne , Thelma Houston , Men At Work , Marie Wilson , Jane Saunders , and Joe Camilleri and
1183-513: A one-off performance at the Sydney 500 V8 Supercars event on 5 December. The band performed at Stadium Australia to the largest crowd of its career, with more than 45,000 fans in attendance. They played a single live show in 2010: at the Deniliquin ute muster in October. In December Moss confirmed that Cold Chisel were working on new material for an album. In January 2011 Steve Prestwich
1274-557: A plaque celebrating Hamish Henry's 1971 Myponga Music Festival was erected by the Myponga Historical Society near the original site of the event. The plaque pays tribute to both Henry and Fraternity, along with all the other bands who participated. On 18 March 2021, The Grape Organisation held a Fraternity 50th Anniversary concert held at Adelaide's historic Thebarton Theatre. To celebrate Bon Scott's 75th birthday, members of Fraternity contributed testimonials to
1365-517: A poignant piano ballad about prison life, "Four Walls". The cover art showed Barnes reclined in a bathtub wearing a kamikaze bandanna in a room littered with junk and was inspired by Jacques-Louis David 's 1793 painting, The Death of Marat . The Ian Moss-penned "Never Before" was chosen as the first song to air on the ABC's youth radio station, Triple J , when it switched to the FM band that year. Supporting
1456-459: A recording contract. John returned to New Zealand in late 1983 throughout the 80s, John battled his demons and found Christianity. By 1988 John Bisset had formed a new version of his first band The Mods with Kevin McNeil. The Mods II played the pubs around Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua and South Auckland. John returned to playing the guitar and discovered his love for blues style music. In 2001, John
1547-537: A reputation previously uncharted in Australian rock history. By virtue of the profound effect the band's music had on the many thousands of fans who witnessed its awesome power, Cold Chisel remains one of Australia's best-loved groups. As one of the best live bands of its day, [they] fused a combination of rockabilly, hard rock and rough-house soul'n'blues that was defiantly Australian in outlook." The Canberra Times ' Luis Feliu, in July 1978, observed how, "This
1638-612: A roadie, he was fired. In mid-1975 Barnes left to join Fraternity as Bon Scott 's replacement on lead vocals, alongside Swan on drums and vocals. Kaczmarek left Cold Chisel during 1975 and was replaced by Phil Small on bass guitar. In November of that year, without Barnes, they recorded their early demos. In May 1976 Cold Chisel relocated to Melbourne , but "frustrated by their lack of progress," they moved on to Sydney in early 1977. In May 1977, Barnes told his fellow members that he would leave again. From July he joined Feather for
1729-501: A sales rep required him to move back to Adelaide in 1975, where he would join a reformed Red Angel Panic with Fraternity bandmate John Freeman. Bruce Howe’s Fraternity MK II had split after the departure of Jimmy Barnes and John Swan, he formed jazz rock outfit Some Dream in 1977 inviting Mick and John Freeman to join. Mick no longer wanted to tour and Bruce left Some Dream to join Mickey Finn . Mick left Some Dream just as it
1820-408: A solo band with a variable membership, which included Moss, Charlie Owen and Dave Blight at times. Catfish's recordings during this phase attracted little commercial success. During 1988 and 1989 Walker wrote several tracks for Moss including the singles " Tucker's Daughter " (November 1988) and " Telephone Booth " (June 1989), which appeared on Moss' debut solo album, Matchbook (August 1989). Both
1911-559: A solo career), and his brother Jimmy Barnes ( Cold Chisel ). Their biggest local hit was a cover version of "Seasons of Change", which peaked at No. 1 in Adelaide, but nationally it was overrun by the original Blackfeather version. The group won the 1971 Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds with the prize being a free trip to London. Fraternity went through various line-ups and was renamed as Fang (on British tour), Fraternity (again). In
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#17327946299012002-547: A teenybop Countdown audience and still reap the benefits of the live circuit by packing out the pubs". He found that Cold Chisel "fused a combination of rockabilly, hard rock and rough-house soul'n'blues that was defiantly Australian in outlook". He noted The Angels had "a profound effect on the Australian live music scene of the late 1970s/early 1980s. [They] helped redefine the Australian pub rock tradition ... [their] brand of no-frills, hard-driving boogie rock attracted pub goers in unprecedented numbers". The Dingoes provided
2093-451: A three-CD singles package, Three Big XXX Hits , issued ahead of the release of their 1994 compilation album, Teenage Love . During breaks in the tour, Twentieth Century was recorded. It was a fragmentary process, spread across various studios and sessions as the individual members often refused to work together – both Arnott (on ten tracks) and Prestwich (on three tracks) are recorded as drummers. The album reached No. 1 and provided
2184-695: Is not just another Australian rock band, no mediocrity here, and their honest, hard-working approach looks like paying off." While "the range of styles tackled and done convincingly, from hard rock to blues, boogie, rhythm and blues, is where the appeal lies." Influences from blues and early rock n' roll was broadly apparent, fostered by the love of those styles by Moss, Barnes and Walker. Small and Prestwich contributed strong pop sensibilities. This allowed volatile rock songs like "You Got Nothing I Want" and "Merry-Go-Round" to stand beside thoughtful ballads like "Choirgirl", pop-flavoured love songs like "My Baby" and caustic political statements like "Star Hotel", an attack on
2275-555: Is the second highest selling album by an Australian artist for that year. The Australian Women's Weekly ' s Gregg Flynn noticed, "[they are] one of the few Australian bands in which each member is capable of writing hit songs." Despite the continued dominance of Walker, the other members contributed more tracks to their play list, and this was their first album to have songs written by each one. McFarlane described it as, "a confident, fully realised work of tremendous scope." Nimmervoll explained how, "This time everything fell into place,
2366-708: Is their highest-charting single in two Australasian markets: No. 4 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart and No. 2 on the Official New Zealand Music Chart. "When the War Is Over" is the most covered Cold Chisel track – Uriah Heep included a version on their 1989 album, Raging Silence ; John Farnham recorded it while he and Prestwich were members of Little River Band in the mid-1980s and again for his 1990 solo album, Age of Reason . The song
2457-608: The APRA Music Awards of 2016 . In March 2021, a previously unnamed lane off Burnett Street (off Currie Street ) in the Adelaide central business district , near where the band had its first residency in the 1970s, was officially named Cold Chisel Lane. On one of its walls, there is a 50-metre (160 ft) mural by Adelaide artist James Dodd, inspired by the band. Current members Current touring musicians Former members Former touring musicians The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by
2548-665: The ARIA Charts ; the latest being their 2024 compilation 50 Years – The Best Of . Their top 10 singles are " Cheap Wine " (1980), " Forever Now " (1982), " Hands Out of My Pocket " (1994) and " The Things I Love in You " (1998). At the ARIA Music Awards of 1993 they were inducted into the Hall of Fame . In 2001 Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), listed their single, " Khe Sanh " (May 1978), at No. 8 of
2639-622: The Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters". They commenced in 1982. The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music . They commenced in 1987. Cold Chisel was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993. Pub rock (Australia) Pub rock is a style of Australian rock and roll that peaked in popularity throughout
2730-826: The Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds – a national performance competition between the best bands representing each state – with the prize being a free trip to London. Scott's previous band, The Valentines, had been a finalist two years earlier. By September, Fraternity were touted as "The Next Big Band" by teen magazine, Go-Set . In 1971, Fraternity performed live versions of "Seasons of Change", "Sommerville" and "Raglan's Folly" on GTK (TV series) . Sam See ( Sherbet , The Flying Circus ) joined on piano and slide guitar. They recorded their second album, Flaming Galah , produced by Hamish Henry's Grape Productions, which appeared in April 1972. The same year, Fraternity performed "Love 200" at
2821-833: The Myponga Music Festival which was also financed and staged by Hamish Henry. Fraternity also issued a new single, "Livestock" in January. They followed with their arrangement of "Seasons of Change" in March. The song sold well and became a No. 1 hit in Adelaide – it reached No. 51 on the Go-Set National Top ;60 . Upon learning of Fraternity's success in Adelaide, Blackfeather quickly released their version, which overran Fraternity's and reached No. 15. John Eyers (ex-No Sweat) joined on harmonica, recorder and vocals in May. Fraternity won
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2912-594: The Sydney Symphony Orchestra and died on 22 November 2008. After Fraternity split, Bon Scott had a motor bike accident and gradually went back to doing odd jobs. His friend Vince Lovegrove from The Valentines had heard from former Easy Beat George Young that an up-and-coming band from Sydney called AC/DC were looking for a new singer. Vince got Bon to join the band onstage at the Pooraka Hotel (now The Bridgeway) in Adelaide and there
3003-468: The 1970s and 1980s, and that continues to influence Australian music into the 21st century. It is named after the live music circuit in which most associated bands developed their sound: inner-city and suburban pubs . These often noisy, hot, small and crowded venues favoured loud, riff-based heavy rock. Australian pub rock emerged in the early 1970s, with bands such as Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs , Buffalo , Coloured Balls and Blackfeather pioneering
3094-737: The ARIA Charts. The thirty-date Light the Nitro Tour was announced in July along with the news that former Divinyls and Catfish drummer, Charley Drayton , had replaced Prestwich. Most shows on the tour sold out within days and new dates were later announced for early 2012. No Plans , their seventh studio album, was released in April 2012, with Kevin Shirley producing, which peaked at No. 2. The Australian ' s Stephen Fitzpatrick rated it as four-and-a-half out of five and found its lead track, "All for You", "speaks of redemption; of
3185-596: The Adelaide Festival of Arts, a Peter Sculthorpe composition, featuring Jeannie Lewis and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. By that time, the band had taken their trip to London and attempted to crack the United Kingdom market. Bisset left to return to Australia and was followed out of the band by See who rejoined The Flying Circus (now based in Canada). Fraternity were renamed as Fang in early 1973, but
3276-474: The American market represented a major blow... [their] earthy, high-energy rock was overlooked." In early 1983 they toured Germany but the shows went so badly that in the middle of the tour Walker up-ended his keyboard and stormed off stage during one show. After returning to Australia, Prestwich was fired and replaced by Ray Arnott , formerly of the 1970s progressive rockers , Spectrum , and country rockers ,
3367-613: The Blackfeather track "Seasons of Change" for that band's debut album, At the Mountains of Madness . John Freeman (Levi Smith's Clefs) replaced Buettel on drums and Fraternity recorded their debut album, Livestock , which was produced by Doug Ashdown and Jimmy Stewart. In October 1970, Fraternity toured with Jerry Lee Lewis. Whilst in Adelaide they signed with a new manager, Hamish Henry of The Grape Organisation. The band relocated to Adelaide by January 1971 and performed at
3458-491: The Dingoes . After this, Barnes requested a large advance from management. Now married with a young child, reckless spending had left him almost broke. His request was refused as there was a standing arrangement that any advance to one band member had to be paid to all the others. After a meeting on 17 August during which Barnes quit the band it was decided that the group would split up. A farewell concert series, The Last Stand,
3549-513: The Eastern coast , meant that a band could tour extensively, often playing every night for long periods. This would allow bands such as AC/DC , Cold Chisel, INXS , Midnight Oil , Rose Tattoo and others to build their reputation and take their live skills into large venues in the US and Europe with ease. Several Australian pub rock bands, including Cosmic Psychos and feedtime , directly influenced
3640-871: The Mountains of Madness , appeared in April 1971. In May they had a hit with "Seasons of Change", which peaked at No. 15 on the Go-Set National Top ;40 Singles Chart. Buffalo formed in August 1971 by Dave Tice on co-lead vocals (ex-Head) with Paul Balbi on drums, John Baxter on guitar and Peter Wells on bass guitar. Their debut album, Dead Forever... , appeared in June the following year. According to Australian rock music journalist, Ed Nimmervoll , "The seeds for Australian heavy rock can be traced back to two important sources, Billy Thorpe's Seventies Aztecs and Sydney band Buffalo". In 1972, Aztecs member Lobby Lloyd formed Coloured Balls , which became
3731-417: The US market as a solo performer; senior music executives there continued to hold it against him. Like its predecessor, Circus Animals , contained songs of contrasting styles, with harder-edged tracks like "Bow River" and "Hound Dog" in place beside more expansive ballads such as the next two singles, " Forever Now " (March 1982) and " When the War Is Over " (August), both are written by Prestwich. "Forever Now"
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3822-962: The Under the Southern Stars concert. John Bisset parted with Fraternity in 1973, when the group temporarily renamed themselves Fang . A majority of Fraternity would move back to Australia, but John Bisset remained in England. John had a short stint in Mungo Jerry before becoming a dairy farmer for Headley Farm, a polisher for Ronson Cigarettes, a rugby player and a computer programmer for Pepper Construction (Saudi Arabia) and Shell Oil. In 1981, John returned to Sydney and met bassist Bill McMahon through Fraternity bandmate John. John Bisset and Bill McMahon recruited guitarist Brett Hamlyn, vocalist Terry Barker and drummer John Affleck becoming Diamond Cutter . Diamond Cutter were signed to CBS records for
3913-509: The album and "Tucker's Daughter" peaked at No. 1. Moss won five trophies at the ARIA Music Awards of 1990 . His other solo albums met with less chart or award success. Throughout the 1980s and most of the 1990s, Cold Chisel were courted to re-form but refused, at one point reportedly turning down a $ 5 million offer to play a sole show in each of the major Australian state capitals. Moss and Walker often collaborated on projects; neither worked with Barnes until Walker wrote "Stone Cold" for
4004-460: The album does what Cold Chisel always does: "work incredibly hard, not take any shortcuts and play the hell out of the songs." The album, Boulton writes, "delves further back to their rock'n'roll roots with chief songwriter [Walker] carving up the keys, guitarist [Moss] both gritty and sublime and the [Small/Drayton] engine room firing on every cylinder. Barnes' voice sounds worn, wonderful and better than ever." The band's latest album, Blood Moon ,
4095-664: The album reached the lower region of the Billboard 200 in July. The group were booed off stage after a lacklustre performance in Dayton, Ohio in May 1981 opening for Ted Nugent. Other support slots they took were for Cheap Trick, Joe Walsh, Heart and the Marshall Tucker Band. European audiences were more accepting of the Australian band and they developed a fan base in Germany. In August 1981 Cold Chisel began work on
4186-542: The all-time best Australian songs . Circus Animals was listed at No. 4 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums (October 2010), while East appeared at No. 53. They won The Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music at the APRA Music Awards of 2016 . Cold Chisel's popularity is almost entirely confined to Australia and New Zealand, with their songs and musicianship highlighting working class life. Their early bass guitarist (1973–75), Les Kaczmarek, died in December 2008; Steve Prestwich died of
4277-884: The band had stalled and was gradually disintegrating, with the remaining members returning to Australia by the year's end. Some members joined the loosely knit Mount Lofty Rangers project with fellow Adelaide-based Headband members. Scott recorded a couple of songs with Mount Lofty Rangers after being seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in early 1974. When Scott had recovered, he joined heavy rockers AC/DC in Sydney. Late in 1974, Fraternity reformed with Eyers, Freeman, and Howe joined by Mauri Berg (Headband) on guitar, Pieter Bersee on violin and John Swan (Hard Time Killing Floor, Pulse, James Wright Group ) on lead vocals. In mid-1975, Freeman left and Swan switched to drums with his younger brother, Jimmy Barnes ( Cold Chisel ) joining on lead vocals. Late in 1975, Barnes returned to Cold Chisel and Fraternity disbanded. John Swan, under
4368-837: The band members co-producing. They supported it with a national tour. The album debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart . In 2003 they re-grouped for the Ringside Tour and in 2005 again to perform at a benefit for the victims of the Boxing Day tsunami at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. Founding bass guitarist, Les Kaczmarek, died of liver failure on 5 December 2008, aged 53. Walker described him as "a wonderful and beguiling man in every respect." On 10 September 2009 Cold Chisel announced they would reform for
4459-608: The band won seven categories: Best Australian Album, Most Outstanding Achievement, Best Recorded Song Writer, Best Australian Producer, Best Australian Record Cover Design, Most Popular Group and Most Popular Record, at the Countdown / TV Week pop music awards for 1980 . They attended the ceremony at the Sydney Entertainment Centre and were due to perform: however, as a protest against a TV magazine's involvement, they refused to accept any trophy and finished
4550-432: The band's hometown of Adelaide on 17 November 2024. However Jimmy Barnes' wife Jane subsequently posted on X.com , that further tour dates including New Zealand would be announced later. McFarlane described Cold Chisel's early career in his Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop (1999), "after ten years on the road, [they] called it a day. Not that the band split up for want of success; by that stage [they] had built up
4641-545: The band's songs as performed by artists including The Living End , Evermore , Something for Kate , Pete Murray , Katie Noonan , You Am I , Paul Kelly , Alex Lloyd , Thirsty Merc and Ben Lee , many of whom were children when Cold Chisel first disbanded and some, like the members of Evermore, had not even been born. Circus Animals was listed at No. 4 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums (October 2010), while East appeared at No. 53. They won The Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music at
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#17327946299014732-587: The best live bands", fusing "a combination of rockabilly, hard rock and rough-house soul'n'blues that was defiantly Australian in outlook." Eight of their studio albums have reached the Australian top five, Breakfast at Sweethearts (February 1979), East (June 1980), Circus Animals (March 1982, No. 1), Twentieth Century (April 1984, No. 1), The Last Wave of Summer (October 1998, No. 1), No Plans (April 2012), The Perfect Crime (October 2015) and Blood Moon (December 2019, No. 1). They have achieved six number one albums on
4823-523: The conclusion of the Highway To Hell tour . Over 40 years later, Bon is heralded as one of rock’s greatest front men of all time. In 2021, newly unheard material uncovered by music historian Victor Marshall through his work with Fraternity and their manager Hamish Henry was released. Marshall also released a book with the band 'Fraternity: Pub Rock Pioneers' in March 2021 through Brolga and Simon and Schuster publishing. On 30 January 2021,
4914-591: The country's most popular male rock singers. Prestwich joined Little River Band in 1984 and appeared on the albums Playing to Win and No Reins , before departing in 1986 to join Farnham's touring band. Moss, Small and Walker took extended breaks from music. Small maintained a low profile as a member in a variety of minor groups Pound, the Earls of Duke and the Outsiders. Walker formed Catfish in 1988, ostensibly
5005-641: The emergent grunge rock scene in the United States in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In the 2010s, a new generation of Australian bands revived the Australian pub rock sound, including Bad//Dreems , Amyl and the Sniffers and The Chats . Fraternity (band) Fraternity were an Australian rock band that formed in Sydney in 1970 and relocated to Adelaide in 1971. Former members include successive lead vocalists Bon Scott (who later joined AC/DC ), John Swan (who also played drums and later had
5096-1152: The favoured band of the sharpies youth subculture. Notable pub-rock venues include the Largs Pier Hotel and the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel in Adelaide ; the Royal Antler Hotel in Narrabeen , Sydney; the Civic Hotel in Sydney's city centre; the Star Hotel in Newcastle, New South Wales ; and the Station Hotel in Prahran , Melbourne, which was one of the premier pub-rock venues in Australia for more than two decades. Additionally, Poyntons Carlton Club Hotel in Carlton
5187-483: The follow-up tour sold out almost immediately. In 2001 Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), listed their single, "Khe Sanh" (May 1978), at No. 8 of the all-time best Australian songs . Cold Chisel were one of the first Australian acts to have become the subject of a major tribute album. In 2007, Standing on the Outside: The Songs of Cold Chisel was released, featuring a collection of
5278-402: The good times of the past ("Flame Trees") or for something better from life ("Bow River"). At the ARIA Music Awards of 1993 they were inducted into the Hall of Fame . While repackages and compilations accounted for much of these sales, 1994's Teenage Love provided two of its singles, which were top ten hits. When the group finally reformed in 1998 the resultant album was also a major hit and
5369-462: The group then disbanded. The Sydney shows formed the basis of a concert film, The Last Stand (July 1984), which became the biggest-selling cinema-released concert documentary by an Australian band to that time. Other recordings from the tour were used on a live album, The Barking Spiders Live: 1983 (1984), the title is a reference to the pseudonym the group occasionally used when playing warm-up shows before tours. Some were also used as b-sides for
5460-576: The international version of their third album, East (June 1980). The band's next release was a live five-track extended play, You're Thirteen, You're Beautiful, and You're Mine , in November 1978. McFarlane observed, "It captured the band in its favoured element, fired by raucous versions of Walker's 'Merry-Go-Round' and Chip Taylor's 'Wild Thing'." It was recorded at the Regent Theatre, Sydney in 1977, when they had Midnight Oil as one of
5551-611: The late 1970s government of Malcolm Fraser , inspired by the Star Hotel riot in Newcastle . The songs were not overtly political but rather observations of everyday life within Australian society and culture, in which the members with their various backgrounds (Moss was from Alice Springs , Walker grew up in rural New South Wales, Barnes and Prestwich were working-class immigrants from the UK) were quite well able to provide. Cold Chisel's songs were about distinctly Australian experiences,
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#17327946299015642-469: The late 70s some Fraternity former members created the bands Some Dream and Mickey Finn . Mickey Finn disbanded in 1992. Fraternity were formed in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in early 1970 by four ex-members of the recently split Levi Smith's Clefs , John Bisset on keyboards and vocals, Tony Buettel on drums, Bruce Howe on bass guitar and vocals, and Mick Jurd on lead guitar. The band recorded their debut single, "Why Did It Have to Be Me" which
5733-506: The long-deleted 1978 EP as a bonus disc and a second time in 2001 as a double album. The Last Stand soundtrack album was finally released in 1992. In 1994 a complete album of previously unreleased demo and rare live recordings, Teenage Love , was released, which provided three singles. Cold Chisel reunited in October 1997, with the line-up of Barnes, Moss, Prestwich, Small and Walker. They recorded their sixth studio album, The Last Wave of Summer (October 1998), from February to July with
5824-438: The long-standing ban on women entering or drinking in public bars — were removed, and in the 1970s the age of legal majority was lowered from 21 to 18. Concurrently, the members of the so-called " Baby Boomer " generation — who were the main audience for pop and rock music — were reaching their late teens and early twenties, and were thus able to enter such licensed premises. Pub owners soon realised that providing live music (which
5915-477: The lyrics. Cold Chisel was released in April and included guest studio musicians: Dave Blight on harmonica (who became a regular on-stage guest) and saxophonists Joe Camilleri and Wilbur Wilde (from Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons ). Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane , described how, "[it] failed to capture the band's renowned live firepower, despite the presence of such crowd favourites as 'Khe Sanh', 'Home and Broken Hearted' and 'One Long Day'." It reached
6006-404: The majority of concerts were held in non-licensed venues like community, church or municipal halls. These concerts and dances were 'all-ages' events—often with adult supervision—and alcohol was not served. During the 1960s, however, Australian states began liberalising their licensing laws. Sunday Observance Acts were repealed, pub opening hours were extended, discriminatory regulations — such as
6097-1051: The name Swanee, had a solo career. Bruce Howe, John Freeman, Mick Jurd and Pieter Bersee formed 'Some Dream', whilst John Eyers, Mauri Berg formed Mickey Finn with drummer Joff Bateman (Headband) and bassist Bill McMahon. Mickey Finn later consisted of Eyers, Berg, Howe and Freeman. By 1980, a second guitarist, Stan Koritni had joined. They recorded a self-titled album in 1980 for the Eureka label. After Cold Chisel split in 1983, Jimmy Barnes would invite Howe to join his solo band as bassist, Howe would go on to record Bodyswerve and For The Working Class Man albums and tour with Barnes until 1986. Bruce met former Rose Tattoo guitarist Rockin’ Rob Riley whilst working in Jimmy Barnes’ band. Bruce and Rob would form their own band Megaboys with Steve McLennan (Drums). Upon returning to Australia, Sam See formed Stockley, See and Mason in 1978 with Chris Stockley and Glyn Mason. Since then Sam has been
6188-494: The night with, "My Turn to Cry". After one verse and chorus, they smashed up the set and left the stage. Swingshift debuted at No 1, which demonstrated their status as the highest selling local act. With a slightly different track-listing, East , was issued in the United States and they undertook their first US tour in mid-1981. Ahead of the tour they had issued, "My Baby", for the North America market and it reached
6279-520: The others was volatile: he often came to blows with Prestwich and left the band several times. During these periods Moss would handle vocals until Barnes returned. Walker emerged as the group's primary songwriter and spent 1974 in Armidale , completing his studies in quantum mechanics. Barnes' older brother, John Swan , was a member of Cold Chisel around this time, providing backing vocals and percussion. After several violent incidents, including beating up
6370-782: The release of East , Cold Chisel embarked on the Youth in Asia Tour from May 1980, which took its name from a lyric in "Star Hotel". In late 1980, the Aboriginal rock reggae band No Fixed Address supported the band on its "Summer Offensive" tour to the east coast, with the final concert on 20 December at the University of Adelaide . The Youth in Asia Tour performances were used for Cold Chisel's double live album, Swingshift (March 1981). Nimmervoll declared, "[the group] rammed what they were all about with [this album]." In March 1981
6461-583: The restrictions as it was part of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Another ABC program, Countdown ' s producers asked them to change the lyric but they refused. Despite such setbacks, "Khe Sanh" reached No. 41 on the Kent Music Report singles chart. It became Cold Chisel's signature tune and was popular among their fans. They later remixed the track, with re-recorded vocals, for inclusion on
6552-427: The singer's sixth studio album, Heat (October 1993). The pair recorded an acoustic version for Flesh and Wood (December). Thanks primarily to continued radio airplay and Barnes' solo success, Cold Chisel's legacy remained solidly intact. By the early 1990s the group had surpassed 3 million album sales, most sold since 1983. The 1991 compilation album, Chisel , was re-issued and re-packaged several times, once with
6643-783: The singles " Saturday Night " (March 1984) and " Flame Trees " (August), both of which remain radio staples. "Flame Trees", co-written by Prestwich and Walker, took its title from the BBC series The Flame Trees of Thika , although it was lyrically inspired by Walker's hometown of Grafton . Barnes later recorded an acoustic version for his 1993 solo album, Flesh and Wood , and it was also covered by Sarah Blasko in 2006. Barnes launched his solo career in January 1984, which has provided nine Australian number-one studio albums and an array of hit singles, including " Too Much Ain't Enough Love ", which peaked at No. 1. He has recorded with INXS , Tina Turner , Joe Cocker and John Farnham to become one of
6734-434: The sound by incorporating hard rock and blues rock , and occasionally elements of progressive rock and psychedelic rock . It developed separately from British pub rock , with the Australian sound being heavier, bluesier and more hard-edged. Later acts such as AC/DC , Rose Tattoo and Cold Chisel expanded the sound further and achieved mainstream success. In a few Australian cities, particularly Melbourne , pub rock
6825-504: The sound, the songs, the playing... East was a triumph. [The group] were now the undisputed No. 1 rock band in Australia." The album varied from straight ahead rock tracks, "Standing on the Outside" and "My Turn to Cry", to rockabilly -flavoured work-outs ("Rising Sun", written about Barnes' relationship with his then-girlfriend Jane Mahoney) and pop-laced love songs (" My Baby " by Phil Small, featuring Joe Camilleri on saxophone) to
6916-474: The support acts. Australian writer, Ed Nimmervoll , described a typical performance by Cold Chisel, "Everybody was talking about them anyway, drawn by the songs, and Jim Barnes' presence on stage, crouched, sweating, as he roared his vocals into the microphone at the top of his lungs." The EP peaked at No. 35 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart. "Merry Go Round" was re-recorded for their second studio album, Breakfast at Sweethearts (February 1979). This
7007-427: The top 40 on Billboard ' s chart, Mainstream Rock . They were generally popular as a live act there, but the US branch of their label did little to promote the album. According to Barnes' biographer, Toby Creswell , at one point they were ushered into an office to listen to the US master tape to find it had substantial hiss and other ambient noise, which made it almost unable to be released. Notwithstanding,
7098-468: The top 40 on the Kent Music Report and was certified gold. In May 1978, " Khe Sanh ", was released as their debut single but it was declared too offensive for commercial radio due to the sexual implication of the lyrics, e.g. "Their legs were often open/But their minds were always closed." However, it was played regularly on Sydney youth radio station, Double J , which was not subject to
7189-582: Was Melbourne's first Sunday night live pub-rock venue; Charles Hotel in Perth is the only remaining pub-rock venue in Perth. Many city and suburban pubs gained renown for their support of live music, and many prominent Australian bands — including AC/DC , Cold Chisel , The Angels and The Dingoes — developed their style at these venues in the early days of their careers. Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane described how AC/DC took "the raw energy of Aussie pub rock, extend its basic guidelines, serve it up to
7280-458: Was also a No. 1 hit for former Australian Idol contestant, Cosima De Vito , in 2004 and was performed by Bobby Flynn during that show's 2006 season. "Forever Now" was covered, as a country waltz, by Australian band, the Reels . Success outside Australasia continued to elude Cold Chisel and friction occurred between the members. According to McFarlane, "[the] failed attempts to break into
7371-523: Was an instant bond over Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and the shared Scottish roots of the young brothers, Angus and Malcolm. From 1974 to 1979, AC/DC released an astonishing catalog of 6 studio albums. Songs like It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock n Roll) , Big Balls , Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap , T.N.T. , Jailbreak , Let There Be Rock , Whole Lotta Rosie and of course Highway To Hell are undisputed classics in rock history. Bon Scott died on February 19, 1980, just weeks after
7462-478: Was associated with the Sharpies youth subculture. The emergence of the Australian version of the pub rock genre and the related pub circuit was the result of several interconnected factors. From the 1950s to the 1970s, mainly because of restrictive state liquor licensing laws, only a small proportion of live pop and rock music in Australia was performed on licensed premises (mostly private clubs or discotheques );
7553-431: Was diagnosed with a brain tumour ; he underwent surgery on 14 January but never regained consciousness and died two days later, aged 56. All six of Cold Chisel's studio albums were re-released in digital and CD formats in mid-2011. Three digital-only albums were released – Never Before , Besides and Covered – as well as a new compilation album, The Best of Cold Chisel: All for You , which peaked at No. 2 on
7644-400: Was falling apart and he moved back to Sydney, continuing to perform until his death on 3 June 1992. After his time working with members of Fraternity , Pieter Bersee was a well sought after performer and worked as a session musician on a number of well known Australian albums for artists including David Campbell , Grace Knight and Renee Geyer . Pieter went on to become second violinist in
7735-474: Was issued on the Sweet Peach label in October. Howe was looking for a lead vocalist and called on Bon Scott , whose group The Valentines had just disbanded. They signed with Nova Agencies who also managed Sydney rockers, Blackfeather and their guitarist John Robinson would often jam with Fraternity. Early gigs were at Jonathon's Disco on Broadway in Sydney. Scott was invited to play recorder on
7826-408: Was listed at No. 4 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums , by music journalists, Creswell, Craig Mathieson and John O'Donnell . Its lead single, " You Got Nothing I Want " (November 1981), is an aggressive Barnes-penned hard rock track, which attacked the US industry for its handling of the band on their recent tour. The song caused problems for Barnes when he later attempted to break into
7917-505: Was often free) would draw young people to pubs in large numbers, and regular rock performances soon became a fixture at many pubs. In the early 1970s, Sydney -based groups such as Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs , Blackfeather and Buffalo pioneered the Australian pub rock sound. Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs consisted of Thorpe on lead vocals and guitar, Jimmy Thompson on drums, Paul Wheeler on bass guitar and Lobby Loyde (ex- Purple Hearts , Wild Cherries ) on lead guitar. They released
8008-531: Was planned and a final studio album, Twentieth Century (February 1984), was recorded. Prestwich returned for that tour, which began in October. Before the last four scheduled shows in Sydney, Barnes lost his voice and those dates were postponed to mid-December. The band's final performances were at the Sydney Entertainment Centre from 12 to 15 December 1983 – ten years since their first live appearance as Cold Chisel in Adelaide – and
8099-416: Was recorded between July 1978 and January 1979 with producer, Richard Batchens , who had previously worked with Richard Clapton , Sherbet and Blackfeather. Batchens smoothed out the band's rough edges and attempted to give their songs a sophisticated sound. With regards to this approach, the band were unsatisfied with the finished product. It peaked at No. 4 and was the top selling album in Australia by
8190-571: Was recruited by Bryon Steenson’s River Rockers and played many pub gigs and jazz and blues festivals with them until February 2007. John Bisset still writes and records music today in his Hurtle Music Studio. Mick Jurd remained in England gaining employment as a sales rep and picked up some work in playing local bands. After some close calls with IRA bombings, Mick and his wife Carol returned to Australia in mid 1974. After moving back to Sydney, Mick would start performing again with jazz player Jim Kelly playing at venues such as The Basement. Mick’s job as
8281-516: Was released in December 2019. The album debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Album Chart , the band's fifth to reach the top. Half of the songs had lyrics written by Barnes and music by Walker, a new combination for Cold Chisel, with Barnes noting his increased confidence after writing two autobiographies. On 29 May 2024, Cold Chisel announced 'The 50th Anniversary Tour'. With the tour beginning in Armidale on 5 October 2024 and scheduled to end in
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