Cold Chisel Back On Road

Iconic Australian band Cold Chisel will do its first tour in almost 30 years this October to December.

The 26 shows – the band’s largest since its farewell run in 1983 – are a mix of arena, club, amphitheatre and winery dates, with Big Top tents for some regional stops. Tickets are priced at A$99.90 (US$108.63).

Chisel has reunited for one-off dates in recent years. Singer Jimmy Barnes revealed, “Every day for years I’ve had at least one person come up and ask me when Cold Chisel are going to do a proper tour. I’m bloody glad to finally have something good to tell ’em!”

Plans for the tour began after a one-off show to more than 50,000 at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium in 2009.

The band found new managers John Watson and John O’Donnell and set about issuing its back catalogue online for the first time, with 56 previously unreleased tracks.

Plans were put on hold after the sudden death of drummer Steve Prestwich of a brain tumor this January. New York drummer Charley Drayton (X-Pensive Winos, B-52s, The Divinyls) will step in, and one-fifth of the tour proceeds will go to Prestwich’s children.