Jimmy Barnes performed at Spark Arena on April 19. Photo / Tom Grut
After multiple health scares in the past few years, no one would criticise rock and roll’s hardest-working (class) man for slowing down. But Jimmy Barnes’ Auckland show proved he’s back with a bang - and better than ever.
In June last year, I met one of my heroes – something they say you should never do because they will almost always disappoint you.
This man, without a hint of dishonesty or disingenuity, told me it didn’t matter how many times you get stopped and knocked down, it’s about how many times you get back up.
Last night, with sweat pouring down his face and hands clenched tightly around a microphone, Jimmy Barnes proved those words he had told me to a packed Spark Arena.
Hip surgeries, back surgery, open heart surgery, staph infections – despite being through the absolute wringer, Barnsey had got back up, and done so in spectacular fashion.
It was two hours of all gas, no brakes (or breaks), and an unbeatable voice that could stop a freight train in its tracks. A trip down memory lane not to bring up old ghosts, but to celebrate the journey and the defiance of a man who, at 69, continues to inspire by the sheer power of his battler spirit.
Yes, we were there to celebrate 40 years of his ground-breaking album For The Working Class Man, but that wasn’t even half of what the Aussie-Scottish rocker wanted to give us. Heck, even bombastic opening act Ian Moss (of Cold Chisel) brought Barnes out on stage before his set even started to sing their hit Bow River.
“If that is a sign of what’s to come, this is gonna be unreal,” I told my mate. I wasn’t wrong.
“How the f*** are ya? Welcome to 1985, I can remember some of it,” Barnes yelled with a devilish grin, after finishing the album-featured classics I’d Die to Be with You Tonight and American Heartbeat.
Chest showing, skin-tight pants – it’s almost as if we’re witnessing the same working-class man that generations fell in love with decades ago through the music videos, albeit without that beautiful mop of hair.
Hit after hit, there was little time to even take a breath as Barnes powered through the album in full, culminating with the arena-deafening singalong of Working Class Man, complete with drinks raised and chests thumped around me.
As with most of Barnes’ shows, it was a family affair, and boy is that family talented.
Son Jackie Barnes was seamless on the drums, and daughter EJ Barnes was absolute class with backing vocals. Other daughter Mahalia Barnes brought the house down dueting with her dad for Too Much Ain’t Enough Love, and Jimmy’s wife Jane even had a starring role on the bagpipes.
For many of us, this family was like our family during the Covid lockdowns, when Barnes invited us into his home via social media. Jane learned to play guitar, and the family sang together while isolating. Seeing this come full circle, live and in the flesh, was a touching sight and a tribute to the sheer power of collaborative music.
The opening set wasn’t the last we’d see of Barnes’ Cold Chisel “family” either. Ian “Mossy” Moss returned for Merry-Go-Round, the pair clearly grateful for their longstanding friendship and what it’s endured.
Fans who missed Cold Chisel’s explosive summer concert tour a few years back were also in luck, because both Flame Trees and Khe Sanh turned the arena into an overpacked Aussie pub, probably not too dissimilar to one that gave the band their wings to fly all those years ago.
Was a five-song encore pushing the boat out too much? When it included one of my most listened-to songs during the pandemic (Shutting Down Our Town) of course I’m going to say no. The activism anthem is part of why I love Jimmy and the fighting spirit he continues to bring to the table.
Defiant, the title track from his latest album, was also belted out, and I couldn’t think of a more fitting title. It alone could have even been the headline of this review.
Early on in the show, Barnes somewhat inadvertently set myself and the other reviewers in the crowd a challenge as he launched into his song Thick Skinned.
“You can say what you like about me, I have thick skin.” We know this to be true, as he’s faced a barrage of pain, suffering, and personal demons throughout his career.
It’s my job to be honest, and I can honestly say that Barnes was better than ever – his firebrand authenticity and ferocious fight a beacon of hope for anyone thinking they can’t get back up.
Never meet your heroes, they say. Yeah, right.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.