Fans love Barnesy’s grand-lids

JIMMY Barnes was almost upstaged by his infant granddaughters on Saturday night when new touring festival Under the Southern Stars made its Gold Coat debut.

Close to 5000 mostly older (and wiser) music lovers braved the searing heat and rocked up at Southport’s Broadwater Parklands wellprepared with hats and chairs for a long, drama-free afternoon/evening of ripper tunes and super singalongs.

From local trio The Rich and Famous, who opened the event, to Ash Grunwald, Richard Clapton, Diesel, Tex Perkins, Ian Moss and soon-to-be 62-year-old Barnes (complete with Chisel classics), the festival was all killer, no filler.

Perkins’ set included a nod to “fallen comrade” James Cruickshank – “He was from around here ... This one’s for Crookers,” Perkins declared, throwing and shaking himself into Cruel Sea favourites It’s Alright Cause She Loves Me and later, Delivery Man — while Diesel joined Barnes for AC/ DC’s High Voltage in honour of another fallen brother, music legend Malcolm Young.

Testament to Under the Southern Stars’ relaxed, friendly vibe, artists including headliner Barnes were cheered on by some of their youngest family members.

The Barnes family’s shared love of sweet, sweet music has become a Partridge familystyle celebration of life.

From drummer son Jackie James Barnes to adopted son/ keys guru Lachlan Doley and backing vocalists Mahalia and her mum Jane Barnes, the family that rocks together rocks.

Barnes’s trio of young granddaughters – Jackie’s two daughters and Mahalia’s youngest of two – danced along and in the case of tiny tot Rosie, roaring along in song.