The Hunter Valley knows how to turn on a summer’s day, but the lead-up to Jimmy Barnes’ Working Class Man 40th Anniversary show at Bimbadgen felt like some kind of stress test. Heat emanated off the vineyards, the mercury pushed towards 40 degrees, and the afternoon went from shimmering to savage as a storm cell rolled in like a freight train. It set the tone for a night defined by extremes. It had it all, blistering heat, wild winds, pounding rain and one of Australia’s most powerful voices weathering it all.
Armed with sunscreen and a cold bottle of water, we headed to the valley early, but in the chaos of parking, hydration and survival tactics, we missed opening act John Rooney, which was a genuine regret given his remarkable history with Barnesy. Rooney, who supported Cold Chisel the night Jimmy married Jane, went on to become one of the country’s leading orthopaedic surgeons before circling back to his first love, music. His new solo album Hoodwink boasts a lineup of heavyweight players, and judging from the buzz afterwards, his set was something special.
Kate Ceberano took the stage next and stared down the heat with the kind of poise most of us can only dream of. She was still a teenager when For The Working Class Man hit number one, but she arrived at Bimbadgen with decades of artistry behind her and a killer band featuring the electrifying Darren Hart on guitar. Ceberano dipped into her Australian Made repertoire, mixing Aus-rock staples with her own hits, her voice cutting through the thick air with the confidence of someone who has nothing left to prove and plenty left to give.
Ian Moss followed with that unmistakable blend of velvet vocals and instinctive guitar work that earned him the title of Australia’s greatest guitarist in a 2014 News Corp poll. His set moved through Moss originals before landing on Cold Chisel classics My Baby and Bow River. Moss closed with a beautiful rendition of Georgia on My Mind as his bandmate and headliner, Jimmy Barnes, looked on from side stage.
As the sun dipped behind the hills, Icehouse emerged bathed in twilight glow for a set that would feature more sexy sax solos than a Kenny G convention. Led by the enigmatic Iva Davies, the band launched straight into Electric Blue, followed by a stirring Hey Little Girl. The set dug deep into their formidable catalogue, even touching on material from the Flowers era. Barne’s band member, Michael Paynter’s guest appearance on Touch the Fire was a genuine show-stopper, his multiregistered voice gliding through the melody with astonishing precision.
With the Icehouse set coming to an end, you couldn’t help but notice the dark clouds moving in and not long after the last notes of Great Southern Land rang out, the wind picked up to frightening speeds, and the rain came down. And while the cool rain was a welcome relief from the 40-degree heat we’d all been sitting through, the wind was something else. What started as a cool breeze became a full-blown gale, sending giant screens swaying and staff scrambling. The conditions became perilous enough that organisers instructed the crowd to retreat to their cars and buses. The front section was evacuated entirely, and for a moment, it genuinely looked as though the headline set might not happen.
But as quickly as it came, the storm passed. Thirty minutes later, the stage was declared safe, the crowd poured back in, and a relieved cheer rolled over Bimbadgen as the time-capsule audio-visual intro began. With the temperature finally humane, Jimmy Barnes strode out and launched into I’d Die to Be with You Tonight and Ride the Night Away, his voice carrying the grit and authority that made For The Working Class Man a defining Australian record when it was released in December 1985. The crowd, cooled and newly energised, roared every lyric back at him.
The opening set delivered the album with all its bruised ballads and big-hearted anthems. No Second Prize lit up the hillside, while Working Class Man closed the section with predictable, but still enormous, catharsis. His rasp shows no signs of dulling; if anything, the years have deepened its authority. With a powerhouse band behind him and Jane Barnes among the backing vocalists, the performance felt both celebratory and defiant, a nod to where he’s been and a statement about who he still is.
With the anniversary album complete, Barnes shifted into a run of classics, Lay Down Your Guns, Driving Wheels and the Troy Cassar-Daley-penned track Shutting Down Our Town before bringing the night home with the Cold Chisel cornerstone Khe Sanh.After a day that delivered both furnace-level heat and a near-evacuation storm, it was a triumphant finish from an artist who has never once shied away from adversity.
Jimmy Barnes’ Working Class Man 40th Anniversary tour continues around the country until April 2026 with special guests ICEHOUSE, Ian Moss and Kate Ceberano, including this Wednesday night, 10 December On The Steps of the Opera House – with Jimmy Barnes and Kate Ceberano. Tickets for all shows on sale now. For tickets and event details mg.live/jimmybarnes and facetofacetouring.com.au.
GALLERY: JIMMY BARNES’ WORKING CLASS MAN 40TH ANNIVERSARY AT BIMBADGEN
PHOTO CREDIT – MCH | MUSHROOM CREATIVE HOUSE
