‘I’m definitely wider and older!’

Jimmy Barnes found fame fronting ‘pub rock’ act Cold Chisel in the 1970s. The band tapped into the mentality of the Australian working class and were renowned for their debauchery and volatile relationships.

Since leaving the band in 1983, Jimmy’s solo career has seen him become one of the best-selling Australian artists ever – with eight Number One albums in his homeland.

‘Out in the Blue’, the 52-year-old’s latest album, was written while Jimmy was recuperating from open-heart surgery to fix a birth defect. It quickly became his tenth record to go platinum.

He has now undertaken his first major world tour in more than a decade – and it promises be a family affair. Eldest daughter Mahalia will join in proceedings on stage while son Jackie is playing the drums in his old man’s band during summer break from college.

City Times called Jimmy as he was on a train to Paris with his family for a concert.

How different do you find touring nowadays compared to your earlier career?

I’ve had years of learning how to tour properly and pace myself. I’m not 21 anymore. I now tour most of the time with my family. But it’s still pretty full-on. Touring sounds glamorous and it is in some ways, but a lot of it is getting back to your hotel room at 1am then getting up at 7 o’clock the next morning. It’s relentless but I love it.

Do tempers still flare occasionally when you’re on the road?

You’re really pushing yourself but the most important thing is to put on great shows. Tempers do flare up sometimes but after years of touring you learn how to scoot around the issues and avoid fights.

Do you ever still long for the wild parties of yesteryear?

I stopped drinking and partying about seven years ago. Gigging is much more intense now. It’s a fairly well-oiled machine. Back in the day it was about fooling around on stage and impressing girls. Now our energy is focused on the performance rather than the after-party, so the intensity has gone up about 300 per cent. We’ve just done 15 shows in Europe over the last 20 days so the band is rocking and we’re all very sharp.

Why do you think you have had such continued success over the years?

I love what I do. Also, I’ve always tried to keep changing and staying on top of the game. I’m still learning things all the time.

Do you feel wiser or just older?

What’s that? Wider? I’m definitely wider and older! I apply myself a lot better these days. There’s a certain recklessness you lose as you get older, but at the same time I wouldn’t go back to that for anything in the world.

Will you be bringing out any old classics for your Dubai show, or are you just going to focus on new material?

I’m going to play stuff from the new album, a bunch of solo hits and some Cold Chisel as well. I just want people to have a good time at the show, when you go see a band you always want to hear their classic songs.

Information

Tickets for the Jimmy Barnes concert at the Events Centre, InterContinental cost Dh150. To book, call 04-3913462. Alternatively, visit www.timeouttickets.com or www.boxofficeme.com.

adam@khaleejtimes.com