Jimmy Barnes - Wednesday 13th December - Islington O2 Academy

One Line Review: A decent show from Mr Barnes and various family members, but the audience more subdued (sober?) than on many previous appearances - security not called into action! Plus another version of "I Put A Spell On You" to add to the recent collection.

Setlist
Driving Wheels
Ride The Night Away
Love & Hate
I'd Die To Be With You Tonight
Red Hot
Love Is Enough
I'm Still On Your Side
Lay Down Your Guns
Boys Cry Out for War
Too Much Ain't Enough Love
Little Darling
Resurrection Shuffle
Merry-Go-Round
Flame Trees
No Second Prize
Seven Days
Khe Sanh
Working Class Man
+
Four Walls
I Put A Spell On You
Good Times 
Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye) 

Cold Chisel - Wednesday 11th July - Shepherd's Bush Empire

After a brave decision to meet in one of the errr.. most traditional pubs in London - The Stewart Arms (a mere stones throw from the Westfield Shopping centre) - average age of clientele 60+, we moved for a nice couple of Bitburgers in the The Bull - once of the nicest shopping centre pubs I know.

Having ascertained stage times and decided to give the support a miss, we turned up at about 8:50pm for the 9:00pm start. This is where the problems started. 2 of us had remembered our tickets and 2 hadn't! (guess who the gig regulars are!). Anyway, this meant I had to go into "dad" mode, explaining to the nice girl in the ticket office what fools my friends were (...insert your own Australian abuse here...) and she very kindly did some checks and issued 2 passes. Beyond the call of duty, so thank you Shepherd's Bush Empire (and apologies to those in the queue behind picking up tickets).

So, we missed the first 2 songs, but the venue wasn't sold out, so got a reasonable view in our normal spot by the left hand bar. Double beers were promptly supplied by he who forgot the tickets and we enjoyed the rest of the show. I found it a bit weird as I know much more Jimmy Barnes solo material than Cold Chisel, but it all seemed well received by the predominantly Aussie crowd. Ian Moss sang vocals on some tracks - he's certainly a bit less "shouty" than Mr Barnes, but Jimmy seems to get the better songs. Khe Sanh was a predictable highlight.

Anyway, after the show we decamped to the Walkabout (groan...) for a pint of Snakebite (double groan...). They at least had the decency to close at 11 (why?), so if was on to O'Neills for a nightcap of a lager variety. The normal bus combination home worked well, so a 1:30am bedtime could have been much worse.

Setlist:

Standing on the Outside

Cheap Wine
No Plans
HQ 454 Monroe
Saturday Night
Everybody
Forever Now
Yakuza Girls
My Baby
Rising Sun
Summer Moon
All For You
You Got Nothing I Want
Merry Go Round
Flame trees
Khe Sanh
Bow River
+
When The War Is Over
Four Walls
Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)

Jimmy Barnes - Saturday 6th July - Shepherd's Bush Empire

After 6 weeks without a gig, I was looking forward to this one. Aussie legend Mr Barnes belting out his hits in front of lively - mainly Australian - crowd. Added bonus for us was the support being provided by "The Union" - hopefully warming up for some headline shows of their own later in the year. Luke, Peter and the boys played a solid 40 minutes or so and I'm hoping that those in the crowd who hadn't see them before were impressed. They wisely stuck to the heavier end of their material and it seemed popular.

After a short break, Jimmy and his band appeared. The normal selection of family members included (daughters on backing vocals, son on drums etc) and the band were on good form. Pleased to say he played pretty much everything I was hoping to hear and a good time was had by all. I'm guessing the SBE's bar takings do well when the aussies are in!

Texted an Australian friend to find out which is the "Unofficial Aussie National Anthem" - "Working Class Man" or "Khe Sanh"? I am told it is the latter - just!

Tried to go and watch the David Haye fight afterwards, but not prepared to pay ten or 20 quid to get to a packed pub to watch the last few rounds. Ended up watching the final round through the window of the Larrick in Putney whilst an alternative brawl took place around us involving one bloke who was so drunk, he couldn't stand up. Sounds like we didn't miss much anyway.

Jimmy Barnes - Friday 26th September - Olympia

Australia's finest was playing the "Toast Australia" festival at Olympia. The festival was basically a trade show for promoting Oz, but with a lot of Wines and Beers available - albeit at high prices. £3.50 for a bottle of beer is a bit steep when you've already paid >£30 to get into the place! We missed the first support act - one of Jimmy's daughters, but were in for the next - Brooke Supple. She played some pleasant tunes and was at one stage subjected to the type of heckling you'd only get when drunken Aussies are present "You're F***ing Hot!" - Reply: "Err... Thanks!". She ended with a good version of AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long". 

We then queued up to meet Jimmy and get his autograph. What a nice chap he is too - happily posing for pictures and signing tickets and CDs. Richard's photo of me was awful beyond belief, but never mind.

Onto the show where it had become apparent that we were amongst the less than 1% of the crowd who weren't Australian. About the same percentage (1%) weren't slaughtered! Anyway, a great setlist and singalong - no hint of trouble and great fun had by all. Come back soon Jimmy!

Jimmy Barnes - Borderline - Wednesday 7th February

An unexpected treat - a chance to see Mr Barnes relatively soon after his last UK appearance. A "warm up" to the Charity show the next day, this acoustic show certainly entertained the primarily Australian audience.

A good choice of hits, album favourites and covers led for a giant singalong. Richard made a new friend (that hair is a pulling machine, I tell you!) and everyone went home happy. Compared to everyone else there, we felt very, very sober.

Jimmy!

Jimmy Barnes - Carling Academy - Monday 7th August

Many moons ago I went into the Sydney branch of HMV and bought a selection of Jimmy Barnes CDs. When I went to pay, I got a smile from the cashier who asked if I "was off home for a bit of shouting?". Mr Barnes has that reputation as a bit of a gravel voiced belter. He can't be all bad though. It is estimated that 40% of all Australians own a Jimmy Barnes record and he had 7 consecutive number one albums there. 

Anyway, this gig was at the Carling Academy, Islington (ex Marquee number 3) and - unsurprisingly - had been turned into a mini Oz convention. What I was more surprised at, was the level of drunkenness - for a Monday night! Many were struggling to stand at the start of the show and soon the Carling Academy had run out of - yes, you guessed it, Carling! Anyway, how can 95% of the Aussies be absolutely slaughtered, leap about all over the place with drinks in hand and never spill a drop? 

So, the gig. Well, basically it was excellent. Loud, in tune, great atmosphere and some really good rock songs (and a few covers). 2 Special Guests (Roachford & Mica Paris) added to the evening as did the spectacle of the 2 punch ups on the floor (both caused purely by drunks). Really impressed by the bouncers - they got the right guys and quickly. One was so drunk, he was still trying to attack the 6ft 8" man mountain that was "escorting" him away - very foolish. 

My favourites were "Working Class Man", "No Second Prize" and the cover of "Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller". All in all, a £17.50 bargain - shame I can't go to the 2nd night tonight!

Setlist

Love & Hate

I'd Rather Be Blind

Shape of Things to Come

Rising Sun

I'm Still on Your Side

No Second Prize

Lay Down Your Guns

Love Is Enough

Sweet Little Rock & Roller

Attention 

I Put a Spell on You

I'd Die to Be With You Tonight

Resurrection Shuffle

Flame Trees

Merry-Go-Round

Khe Sanh

Working Class Man

+

When the War Is Over

Good Times

Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)