Hobart puts Barnes in party mood

COLD Chisel frontman Jimmy Barnes has had plenty of crazy nights in Hobart since he first visited in the early 1970s — well, he thinks he has.

“I’ve had many a wild night, but I can’t remember them. I won’t talk about them,” Barnes joked.

“We’ve got lots of friends down here. We used to come down here and party with our mates a bit. There have been a few very wild nights.”

Thankfully, the legendary Oz rockers also found time to play music, and Cold Chisel has maintained a loyal fan base in Tasmania.

More than 3000 Cold Chisel fans packed Wrest Point lawns on Wednesday night. And yesterday, a line snaked out on to Murray St from inside Centrepoint as Barnes attended a Working Class Man book signing at Dymocks.

Cold Chisel had not played a show together for more than a year before the Sandy Bay gig, but Barnes said any cobwebs were shaken out in rehearsals.

He said the sold-out show on a perfect November night was a great success.

“It was a beautiful night out there, great crowd, they were all singing along in good voice,” he said.

“We’ve played the casino loads of times – we’ve done the lawns a few times too – and it’s just a great location.

“It’s a really good city, good vibe, good people. It’s a great place to play.”

Barnes will be back in Tasmania with solo performances at Devonport, Launceston and Hobart in March.