# Cold Chisel announce 50th Anniversary Tour – ‘The Big Five-0’ **Latest News** — On Your Markus **Published:** 29 May 2024 **Author:** Markus Hamence **Source:** https://onyourmarkus.au/latest-news/cold-chisel-announce-50th-anniversary-tour-the-big-five-0/ --- **Cold Chisel** revealed today that they will celebrate 50 years together with a truly unique tour … “**The Big Five-0**” ![](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/originals/8665/1833545c67b0c15e3ed66d4ca7259544.jpg) In a surprising – but apt – move, this golden anniversary party will kick off on **Saturday, 5 October** in **Armidale**, where **Cold Chisel** based themselves back in 1974-1975 while **Don Walker** completed his university studies. The tour will then lap around major Australian cities for 7 weeks before culminating on **Sunday, 17 November** in the city where the band formed … **Adelaide**.   “**The Big Five-0**” will be a night like no other. This time, the band isn’t touring to promote a new album; they are touring for the best possible reason … “*because we all love playing gigs together*”. Their anniversary provides scope for a show that features all the classic songs with which **Cold Chisel** carved their unique place in Oz Rock history – *Khe Sanh, Bow River, Flame Trees, You Got Nothin’ I Want, When The War Is Over, My Baby, Cheap Wine, All For You, Choir Girl, Last Wave Of Summer, Saturday Night, Breakfast At Sweethearts, Forever Now* and so many more.   Limited tickets will go onsale to members of **Cold Chisel**’s mailing list (sign up [here](https://facebook.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50c508a822fbfa87e526cc369&id=4dd3cc7073&e=712e79efd9)) from 12.00pm (local times) on Friday, 31 May. General Public onsale will begin at **12.00pm (local times) **on **Tuesday, 4 June**. Go to [coldchisel.com/tour](https://facebook.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50c508a822fbfa87e526cc369&id=dd16727f19&e=712e79efd9) for tickets.   In **Sydney, Brisbane **and **Melbourne**, the shows will be staged under a specially constructed, 10,000 capacity Big Top tent featuring floor and bleacher seating plus a GA standing area across the rear half of the venue. The dates will be a nod to the band’s legendary ***‘An Evening with the Circus Animals’*** shows in 1982 which closed with **Jimmy Barnes** singing *Goodbye (Astrid, Goodbye)* while riding pillion on a motorbike flying up a trapeze wire (you had to see it to believe it).    Those notorious album launch gigs featured an actual circus troupe as the support act. This time around that ringmaster role will be played at nearly all shows by ARIA Award winning chart toppers **The Cruel Sea** (*excluding Gold Coast, Newcastle, Hobart and Wollongong) and soulful singer/songwriter **Karen Lee Andrews**. Outdoor concerts in Armidale, Perth and Ballarat will also feature special guest performances from beloved contemporary rock band **Birds of Tokyo** and 90’s legends **The Superjesus **making for some extra epic nights (presented by **Red Hot Summer**).  And for the tour’s grand finale they will headline the post-race concert after the **VAILO Adelaide 500 Supercars** event. Tickets to the Adelaide show go on sale at 10.00am today (Wednesday, 29 May). For full dates and details please see below.   As piano player and chief songwriter **Don Walker** explains: *“We’ll be going all out to celebrate a milestone birthday like this.  Bookending the tour in the two places where we first welded the band together, building these circus tent shows in 3 cities, bringing along some great guests and doing a set which reaches back across our whole song catalogue should all make “The Big Five-0” a tour to remember.”*   Just over a month prior to the first of these gigs, **Cold Chisel** will release ***50 Years – The Best Of***. The album will land on **Friday, 23 August**, just in time for Father’s Day, and is a 25 song, double-vinyl set that comes in a number of special vinyl formats and a double-CD set – and includes all of their classic songs. Pre-order the album from [here](https://facebook.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50c508a822fbfa87e526cc369&id=302c3e360e&e=712e79efd9) from **7.00am** today.   *“We wanted to celebrate our 50th birthday by revisiting all of our best work from across the years,”* says guitarist and singer, **Ian Moss**. *“As we prepare the setlist, there are a minimum of 15 songs that our audience demands to hear. This time we’ll be playing all of them plus we’ll be throwing in lots of musical surprises as well.”*   *“Gold is obviously associated with 50th anniversaries”* says bass player **Phil Small**, *“so we thought it would be fun to pull the tour into Ballarat – Australia’s gold mining capital. We’re looking forward to playing the Gold Coast, Newcastle, Wollongong and Hobart too because each of those cities have been important to us in various ways over the last 50 years.”* ![](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/originals/8667/c1dd7a2d7cc8222cc2f7edcc6d1f2384cce57831-1.jpg) **Jimmy Barnes** was recently asked: ‘*Are Cold Chisel together or apart?’*   *“Cold Chisel are never apart. We’re as close as brothers,”* he said. *“Some of the best moments of my life have been spent on stage with those boys, and I hope we keep going ‘til the day we drop.”*   For Jimmy, these are not idle words. A near death experience last December when he underwent emergency open heart surgery sharpened his focus. As Jimmy recovered, a key priority was to get back onstage with **Cold Chisel**. “*The Big Five-0 is a landmark moment,”*says the country’s most famous singer. “*There have been plenty of times where I never thought I’d live to see this day so I’m going to make the most of it. I can’t wait to celebrate with my mates and with all the fans who have been such a big part of our story. We’re gonna smash it!”*   The **Cold Chisel** story has stretched from Armidale and Adelaide in 1974 to three new gold and platinum albums over the last dozen years, winning the band multiple generations of fans. Their most recent release – 2019’s ***Blood Moon*** – topped the charts and its lead single, *Getting The Band Back Together*, won the APRA Award for Australia’s Most Performed Rock Work.   As the accolades have piled up – ARIA Hall Of Fame, APRA’s Ted Albert Award, an Adelaide Street named in their honour, even their own postage stamp – **Cold Chisel** has come to understand the special place their music now occupies in Australasian hearts. **“The Big Five-0” **will be a rare chance for fans of all ages to see the band in action and sing their songs to them one more time.   **Don Walker** summed it up succinctly, “*This 50th anniversary tour will be a huge celebration – for all of us.”*   **Cold Chisel** is:  **Jimmy Barnes** – Vocals **Ian Moss** – Guitars & Vocal **Steve Prestwich** – Drums (RIP 2011) **Phil Small** – Bass **Don Walker** – Piano & Organ **Charley Drayton** – Drums (since 2011) ![](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/originals/8664/9546bfd4-5b52-7338-27c5-ffcf2a4b31f7.jpg) Saturday, 5 October 2024 Petersons Winery, Mount View, Armidale NSW Presented by Red Hot Summer Tour Special guests: The Cruel Sea, Birds of Tokyo, The Superjesus and Karen Lee Andrews   Tuesday, 8 October 2024 Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Broadbeach QLD Special guest: Karen Lee Andrews   Friday, 11 October 2024 The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park NSW Special guests: The Cruel Sea and Karen Lee Andrews   Tuesday, 15 October 2024 WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong NSW Special guest: Karen Lee Andrews   Saturday, 19 October 2024 Sandalford Wines, Caversham WA Presented by Red Hot Summer Tour Special guests: Birds of Tokyo, The Cruel Sea, The Superjesus and Karen Lee Andrews   Friday, 25 October 2024 Flemington Racecourse, Flemington VIC Special guests: The Cruel Sea and Karen Lee Andrews   Saturday, 2 November 2024 Victoria Park, Herston / Brisbane QLD Special guests: The Cruel Sea and Karen Lee Andrews   Wednesday, 6 November 2024 Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Broadmeadow NSW Special guest: Karen Lee Andrews   Saturday, 9 November 2024 Victoria Park, Ballarat VIC Presented by Red Hot Summer Tour Special guests: The Cruel Sea, Birds of Tokyo, The Superjesus and Karen Lee Andrews   Wednesday, 13 November 2024 MyState Bank Arena, Glenorchy TAS Special guest: Karen Lee Andrews   Sunday, 17 November 2024 VAILO Adelaide 500, Post Race Concert, Adelaide SA Special guests: The Cruel Sea and The Superjesus Tickets are on sale today (29 May) from [Ticketmaster](https://facebook.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50c508a822fbfa87e526cc369&id=60c7d37e34&e=712e79efd9)