Jimmy Barnes

Jimmy Barnes has announced the final two shows on his Working Class Man: An Evening of Stories & Songs tour in Sydney at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith on Friday, 1 June and the Concourse Concert Hall in Chatswood on Saturday, 2 June 2018.  Tickets to both shows go on sale at 10.00am on Friday, 16 February 2018.

Jimmy’s critically acclaimed new memoir “Working Class Man” went straight to #1 on the Neilsen Bookscan chart and, like its predecessor “Working Class Boy”, has already been nominated in the Non-Fiction category in the 2018 Indie Book Awards.

Although only launched at the end of October, “Working Class Man” was the bestselling title in the Biography/Autobiography category in 2017 and the best selling title in the Australian market for the first two weeks of sales. To date (to the 20th Jan 2018), a staggering 115,000 Australians have bought a copy of “Working Class Man”.

The new Working Class Man: An Evening of Stories & Songs tour has already struck a chord with fans around Australia with shows in Thirroul (x 2), Canberra (x 2), Devonport, Newcastle, Bathurst, Brisbane, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Port Pirie, Adelaide, Frankston, Geelong, Melbourne, Bendigo, Cairns (x 2), Townsville and Caloundra all SOLD OUT.  One Sydney Town Hall show has also sold out and very limited tickets remain for the other show at that iconic venue on 2 May.

Working Class Man: An Evening of Stories & Songs and the brand-new book - both written entirely by Jimmy – each begin in 1974 as he leaves Adelaide in the back of an old bread truck with a then unknown rock group called Cold Chisel. They trace the legendary band’s long climb to the top and their subsequent implosion. The story then picks up as Jimmy carves out a new solo career for himself. He becomes the country’s biggest rock star before drugs and alcohol bring him to his knees and he eventually rebuilds his life thanks to the love of his wife and his family. Critics agree it’s a spellbinding and searingly honest reflection on success, fame and addiction:

“It’s a fascinating insider’s view of the Australian music industry and the highs and lows of fame … He constantly flirts with self-destruction and death (but) this is not just a tale of doom and gloom. It has passages that are uproariously funny.  But in the end Working Class Man is a torch song to the healing power of mateship, love and family” – Herald Sun

Tickets for all remaining dates are selling fast. Fans are reminded to only buy tickets by following the direct ticket links here. People who choose to ignore this clear advice and who instead use search engines like Google to find tickets typically get steered to unofficial reselling sites like Viagogo that often lead to rip offs.

Tickets for the new shows in Penrith and Chatswood will go onsale at 10.00am on Friday, 16 February 2018

The Working Class Man: An Evening of Stories & Songs tour will also help promote the good work of Lifeline (www.lifeline.org.au) as Jimmy will be drawing further attention to the issues of addiction and mental health in both his new book and live show.

To coincide with the release of “Working Class Man”, Bloodlines/Mushroom has released a limited edition, commemorative version of one of the greatest Australian rock albums of all time, For The Working Class Man, which includes a never before released DVD from the legendary Playroom in Queensland in 1984.

Jimmy Barnes’ highly anticipated new memoir Working Class Man will be accompanied by a special national tour. 

Working Class Man: An Evening of Stories & Songs will be the sequel to the acclaimed and hugely successful live show Jimmy performed alongside his first bestselling memoir - Working Class Boy. Like that previous production, this new tour will see Jimmy telling his life story and singing stripped back versions of songs that have shaped his journey. However, unlike its predecessor, this live show - and book - will cover the Oz rock icon's entire adult life, revealing the successes and excesses of Australia's greatest rock ’n roll story.

In Working Class Boy, Jimmy revealed the previously untold details of a profoundly troubled childhood. That memoir - which he wrote entirely on his own - won the ABIA Award as the Best Biography of 2016. It was also the country’s #1 selling non-fiction title last year with sales now topping 150,000 copies. The harrowing companion piece Working Class Boy: An Evening of Stories & Songs was performed over 40 Times in Australia and New Zealand and its staging at the Sydney Opera House won him both a Sydney Theatre Award and a Helpmann Award nomination.

The new Working Class Man live show and book - again both written by Jimmy - begin in 1974 as he leaves Adelaide in the back of an old bread truck with a then unknown rock group called Cold Chisel. They trace the legendary band’s long climb to the top and their subsequent implosion. The story then picks up as Jimmy carves out a new solo career for himself. He becomes the country’s biggest rock star before drugs and alcohol bring him to his knees and he eventually rebuilds his life thanks to the love of his wife and his family. It’s a spellbinding and searingly honest reflection on success, fame and addiction.

Working Class Man: An Evening of Stories & Songs is presented by Triple M and MAX. The tour will also help promote the good work of Lifeline (www.lifeline.org.au) as Jimmy will be drawing further attention to the issues of addiction and mental health in both his new book and live show. As he says in the preface to Working Class Man:

“In book one I faced the damage that a broken home and a broken heart can bring. In book two I face the impact that a childhood like mine can have on a man. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not blaming anyone for any of this. We all do the best with what we have. But in book two the blame rests squarely on my shoulders, and until I work a lot of things out I carry a lot of baggage around with me ...

I have done a lot of great things. I have a beautiful family and wonderful friends. But there were many times, dark times, that I almost let it all slip through my fingers. In the end I asked for help. I used to think that if someone asked for help they were weak. But the toughest thing I ever did was reach out and ask for help. And that was when I started to heal."

What the critics said about Working Class Boy: An Evening of Stories & Songs:

“A powerful, deeply emotional and transformative production” – The Daily Telegraph

“A sophisticated and very moving piece of storytelling” – The Daily Review

“… anyone seeking an emotional, dark, funny, exciting theatrical event — and a powerful singer still in great voice — will be thrilled” – Sunday Mail SA

“You know you’ve been to a pretty good gig when the songs of your youth are redefined. That is just what this old Cold Chisel fan is feeling right now after spending a wonderful 150 minutes listening to Australian rock great Jimmy Barnes tell his life story with yarns and song” – The West Australian

To coincide with the soon-to-be bestselling book of the same name, Bloodlines/Mushroom will release a limited edition, commemorative version of one of the greatest Australian rock albums of all time, For The Working Class Man on 20 October 2017.