LiSTNR and Cold Chisel have collaborated to document the history of the beloved Australian rock band. Hosted by The Superjesus’ Sarah McLeod the five-part docuseries features in-depth interviews with band members Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss, Phil Small, Don Walker and drummer Charley Drayton, who joined Chisel in 2011 after the death of Steve Prestwich.
Cold Chisel front man Jimmy Barnes said:
“This podcast is OUR story, from late 1973 through to today. It’s warts and all, highs and lows, as told by us and by some of our friends and colleagues who joined us on the ride. 50 friggin years! Who would have thought it? We certainly didn’t.
And it’s brilliantly hosted by our good friend, Sarah McLeod. Strap yourself in.”
Cold Chisel have sold over seven million albums and are currently in the midst of their glowingly reviewed The Big Five-O national tour which has sold over 120,000 tickets. The series covers pivotal moments and reflections on the band’s history. Even die hard fans hear stories not told before like:
• Cold Chisel being rejected by every record label in Australia for having “no commercial potential” before being signed for just $700.
• The surprise reformation for The Last Wave of Summer comeback tour and album – which Jimmy Barnes struggled through. “I was pretty out of it and wild and had a death wish. But I’d get into the middle of Cold Chisel singing and that was the only time I felt comfortable. It must have been painful for the guys to be around. I was like a Tasmanian devil, I just never stopped.”
• The band recruiting Charley Drayton after the tragic passing of original drummer Steve Prestwich. Drayton’s wife was the late Divinyls frontwoman Chrissy Amphlett would make an emotional appearance on stage with Cold Chisel with Drayton saying:
“When she walked out on stage, I’d never heard an applause like it. The place went apeshit, it was incredible, and she felt it and that was exactly what she needed. I was there with her guidance to look out for Chisel, and they were there for me to look out for me for us all having to let Chrissy go.”
Sarah McLeod’s The Superjesus is the opening act for Cold Chisel on their current tour. She said:
“I’ve always felt a connection with Cold Chisel. Not just because their songs speak to me, as they do most Australians, but also because we’re also from Adelaide and The Superjesus were signed to WEA, the same label as Chisel.“
We were signed by Chisel’s tour manager Mark Pope, who would tell us colourful stories about life on the road with them. We admired the band, their grit, rock n’ roll stamina and fortitude to do it their own way. They are the real deal, a proper rock band. To watch them re-emerge all these years later has been inspiring to witness, it’s such a killer story, so of course I want to tell it!”
LiSTNR Music Features Journalist, Cameron Adams, said:
“Doing extensive interviews with the band and people in their orbit has been eye-opening. This is a wild story – incredible highs and devastating lows. They also made some incredible business moves, including owning all their own music and setting a career blueprint for other artists to follow. It is also a testament to a band who knew they had something special and always played by their own rules.”
Executive Head of LiSTNR Audience and Growth, Grant Tothill, added:
“There are not many Australians who haven’t listened to Cold Chisel’s music. To be able to work so closely with the band and management – John O’Donnell and John Watson – to create this audio docuseries is a real honour.
Cold Chisel tells the story of the band from the early days in Adelaide through to the moment everything changed. From constant rejection, and not being able to afford to eat, to becoming one of Australia’s most loved and successful bands that are still together after 50 years. Even if you think you know the story, I can assure you, you don’t know it until you’ve listened to all five episodes and discover what’s special about Cold Chisel and why they keep coming back together to create live performances that are intoxicating.”
Episodes one and two of Cold Chisel are available now, exclusively and for free on LiSTNR. The three subsequent episodes will be released over the following weeks.