COLD CHISEL

EARLY DAYS: 1973-7

Beginning in Adelaide in 1973, it wasn't until 1975 that Cold Chisel consolidated into its definitive line-up: Jimmy Barnes (vocals): born in Glasgow, Scotland Ian Moss (guitar/vocals): born Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Steve Prestwich (drums): born in Liverpool, UK. Phil Small (bass): born Adelaide Don Walker (piano): born in Ayr, Queensland. Cold Chisel moved to Sydney via Melbourne in 1976. Impassioned hard rock covers got the band gigs while Don Walker developed original songs. He zeroed in on the hopes, fears, anger and alienation, as well as the humour, of the working and student under-classes. Appreciative Cold Chisel armies formed. They followed the band from venue to venue, appearing just before Cold Chisel played and leaving directly afterwards. In late 1977 WEA (now Warner Music) signed the band to a modest contract, just in case there was a hit record somewhere in the mayhem.

LIGHT A LONG FUSE: 1978-9

The first two albums, Cold Chisel and Breakfast at Sweethearts presented the live classics "Khe Sanh", "Home and Broken Hearted", "One Long Day", "Merry-Go-Round", "Shipping Steel", "Breakfast at Sweethearts" and "Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)". But the band was happy with neither album. Cold Chisel suffered from studio debutante nerves. Production difficulties on Breakfast left a bitter aftertaste. "Khe Sanh", originally banned from commercial radio for its lyric content subsequently became Australia’s ‘unofficial national anthem’ and the Australian cricket team’s victory song. In late 1979, they found studio satisfaction recording "Choirgirl" with young producer/engineer Mark Opitz.

#1 WITH A BULLET: 1980/82

The 1980 Top 10 single, "Cheap Wine", previewed the album East, where all band members contributed songs. East peaked at #2 then stayed in the Top 10 for 26 weeks and in the chart for a record 63 weeks. "Choirgirl", "Cheap Wine", "Star Hotel", "Rising Sun", "Standing on the Outside" and "Four Walls" became embedded into our national identity. The double live Swingshift hit #1 in 1981. Two months later the band toured America. Live performances rattled headliners including Joe Walsh and Cheap Trick but East went missing from the charts before the band arrived and it never returned. Back in Australia, the band recorded Circus Animals, which was led-out by Barnes’ vehement "You Got Nothing I Want". Walker’s songwriting advanced into the compelling, spleen-venting rock of "Taipan", "Houndog" and "Letter to Alan". The melodic uplift of Prestwich’s "Forever Now" and "When the War is Over" and Moss’ "Bow River" became radio staples. "Forever Now" made #4, Cold Chisel’s only Top 5 single.

UP & DOWN & OUT: 1983

1983 began with a triumphant headlining performance at the Narara Festival before a jubilant crowd of 30,000. But by August the band had begun to splinter, with Prestwich the first to go and tensions between the other members reaching breaking point. Cold Chisel decided it was ‘time gentlemen please’ and recalled Prestwich to complete a final album and for a 26-date arena tour, The Last Stand. The album, Twentieth Century, added the title track, "Saturday Night", "Painted Doll", "No Sense", "Hold Me Tight" and "Flame Trees" to the Cold Chisel paradigm. The album debuted #1 early 1984.

CHISEL BY CHOICE: 1984/2010

Barnes hit the ground running with 1984’s Bodyswerve, the first of eight consecutive #1 albums. Walker, Moss, Prestwich and Small took time to reaffirm themselves. In 1989, Walker formed Catfish and released Unlimited Address while Moss debuted #1 with the album Matchbook, the majority of songs written by Walker. Prestwich joined Little River Band for a period and developed his songwriting. Small forsook music for family life. “I’d been in the best band in the world,” he said. But radio and record buyers kept Cold Chisel as present tense. As Barnes’s solo output hit sales of 3 million, so did the Chisel catalogue. The band agreed to reunite in 1995. In 1998, after traversing many speed humps a new album, The Last Wave of Summer, debuted #1 with 100,000 presales. The title track, "Yakuza Girls", "Way Down" and "Things I Love in You" stood tall next to the band's earlier work. The triumphant Last Wave arena tour drew 150,000. Lingering disputes within the band were resolved in 2003/4 by 16 Ringside shows that exhilarated band and audiences. “It’s been fun darlings,” said Barnes, “Let’s do it again sometime.” One-off performances ensured: In 2005, Cold Chisel headlined the Melbourne benefit for Boxing Day tsunami victims. In December 2009, Cold Chisel played to 50,000 at the Sydney V8 Supercars event and in October 2010 the band headlined the Deniliquin Ute Muster to 25,000.

FOREVER NOW, 2011

During 2010, Cold Chisel undertook two recording sessions, their first in 12 years. With plans to continue performing and recording, the band was gutted in January 2011 when drummer Steve Prestwich died suddenly as a result of complications from a brain tumour. After a period of reflection, the band announced in late March that it would continue the plans they'd begun with Prestwich in 2010, engaging drummer Charley Drayton to complete the recording sessions and to be part of the band's 'Light The Nitro' tour. The tour, which has smashed ticket sales records for an Australian band, begins on October 13.