As it became clear that New South Wales would swelter on Saturday, I began to dread Jimmy Barnes’ Working Class Man 40th Anniversary show in Wonnarua Country/Pokolbin. If I hadn’t spent around $200 on the ticket, I might have cancelled. I became even more nervous as we neared Bimbadgen Estate and saw the car’s temperature gauge click over to 43 degrees. I felt nauseous by the time I found my seat and started to worry that this was all a bad idea. But superb music, and a healthy dose of soda water, has a way of making everything better.
John Rooney was a late addition to the bill. Ordinarily I would have made sure to catch an artist I wasn’t familiar with, but I’m sure in the heat he’d forgive me missing his set. One artist I wouldn’t miss is Kate Ceberano. She’s always excellent, but I’m not sure I’ve ever enjoyed a set as much as this one promoting her new Australian Made live album. I wasn’t familiar with this release, so every classic cover was a surprise. Hits of the past like “Boys in Town” and “Barbados” fit her like a glove, while modern tracks like “Chandelier” and “The Joker and the Thief” were unexpected joys. And she was always going to make the Barnesy-loving crowd happy with a cover of Cold Chisel’s “You Got Nothing I Want.” Kate also treated us to plenty of her own numbers including “Bedroom Eyes” and a reggae-tinged take on “Pash.” While she stole focus with her effortless charisma, I’ve got to give praise to her stellar band including the always fabulous HARTS. What a fantastic surprise to see such a brilliant artist in his own right sharing the stage with our Kate.
Kate’s celebration of Aussie music perfectly led in to Ian Moss’s solo set. Another national treasure and Jimmy’s former bandmate, he was always going to go down a treat with this crowd. It’s been some time since I’ve seen Mossy with a full band, so it was a real thrill to hear songs from his entire career given that electric treatment. From Cold Chisel hits like “Choir Girl” and the epic closer “Bow River” to “Nullarbor Plain” from 2024’s Rivers Run Dry, it was top notch. I also loved seeing Ollie Thorpe, who I last saw as part of The Whitlams’ Black Stump Band, with Mossy. He got his chance to really shine sharing vocal duties on “Georgia on My Mind.”
I was really looking forward to Icehouse after they blew Hall & Oates off the stage in 2012. I’m pleased to report they have very much still got it. The blend of founding member Iva Davies and long-term bandmates Paul Gildea and Paul Wheeler with newer members like saxophonist Hugo Lee and keyboardist Michael Best is inspired. They sound so tight, unmistakeably Icehouse, yet so fresh. I also loved seeing the supremely talented Michael Paynter doing double duty with Icehouse and Barnesy. Icehouse has a catalogue that is so rich, you don’t realise how many hits they had until they’re delivering them. They performed so many of them with the kind of energy that makes you forget many of the band members have done these songs for decades. They still seem to relish sharing their music with us. When a band plays with such precision and enthusiasm, you will always have a good time.
Remember how there was that heatwave that had me feeling nauseous? It persisted right up until Jimmy Barnes was due to take the stage. And then the weather took a serious turn. The winds came. The rains came. Oh how they came. Massive droplets that had us soaked to the skin, because of course we had been so worried about packing frozen water, fans, and damp face washers that we hadn’t thought to grab ponchos. We were told the concert would be “paused” and we should seek shelter. It honestly felt worse than the Sting show which was abruptly axed, so I braced myself for a cancellation. Although there was a voice in my head saying “I did not sweat it out only to go home!” And then thankfully, the rain disappeared, at least temporarily, and the show went on. And how.
Given all we had endured, Jimmy seemed determined to make it worth our while. He’s always the kind of guy who gives his all, but he seemed to have a little extra in the tank as he treated us to every song from his breakthrough solo album For the Working Class Man. I loved the opportunity to hear many songs that don’t make his typical sets like “Without Your Love” and “Promise Me You’ll Call.” Given the length of the album, I knew there’d be a few more songs besides, but it was a mystery which tracks would make the cut. There were some old favourites like “Too Much Ain’t Enough Love” and “Lay Down Your Guns” as well as more recent cuts which tie so easily back to early material like “Shutting Down Our Town,” inspired by his upbringing in Elizabeth, and “Beyond the River Band,” a tribute to his love with his beloved Jane who lent her backing vocals and bagpipe skills to the night.
The songs are just one part of the Jimmy Barnes experience. We love them, but we also love him. He’s one of us, our working-class man. In a place like Wonnarua Country/Hunter Valley, a significant coal mining area, his humble beginnings resonate. He might be up on that stage, but he talks to us like we’re old friends. He joked about the “fucking hurricane”, noting that he felt like the president as organisers tried to usher him to a car as the heavens opened up. He said he refused, rebelliously declaring “If we die, we all die together!” That’s our Jimmy.
I am such a fan, I will listen to Jimmy perform anything and lap it up. But there’s something special about being amongst a bunch of Australians as Jimmy belts out monster hits like “Working Class Man” and “Khe Sanh.” I felt it even more intensely on Saturday night, perhaps because we had all gone through so much. The heat, the storms, the joy that made it all worth it. The conditions made me dread this concert, but it was such a beautiful celebration of Aussie talent that I am so glad I put my concerns to the side and attended.
Jimmy Barnes and his ultra-talented mates will continue the Working Class Man 40th Anniversary shows in Eora/Sydney this week and through 2026. And it’s likely to be hot. Bring your water, sunscreen, and hats, and just do it. I promise you, you will not be sorry. Tickets are still available for all remaining dates:
10 December 2025 – Opera House Forecourt, Eora/Sydney
17 January 2026 – Regatta Grounds, Nipaluna/Hobart
31 January 2026 – Peter Lehmann Wines, Peramangk, Ngadjuri, and Kaurna Country/Tanunda
7 February 2026 – Sandalford Winery, Noongar Country/Caversham
21 March 2026 – Sandstone Point Hotel, Ningy Ningy Country/Sandstone Point
28 March 2026 – Centennial Vineyards, Gundungurra Country/Bowral
10 April 2026 – Rod Laver Arena, Naarm/Melbourne
17 April 2026 – Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch
19 April 2026 – Spark Arena, Auckland
Photos credit: Lauren Katulka