Jimmy Barnes, Taylor Sheridan @ Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide 7/6/2025
There is no denying the statement that Jimmy Barnes is DEFIANT! In the face of adversity and challenge and like the rising phoenix Jimmy Barnes is triumphant. There are few that have the inner resolve to bounce back even stronger from what Jimmy has over the last twelve to eighteen months. With a new album in tow and if it wasn’t a sold out home town crowd it must have been close, the DEFIANT Tour was off to a flyer.
Taylor Sheridan opened proceedings in fine style and is proving to be a formidable talent deserving of this massive opportunity to support Jimmy Barnes around the country. Thirty minutes was just enough to win over Adelaide fans with some great tunes that are uniquely Taylor Sheridan. August Moon was first up followed by the reflective Hometown Love about loving the house you grew up in to wanting to buy this house later on, to wanting to get “out of this dump” to returning to catch up with family. Somebody’ Dad was poignant reflecting on his baby daughter Mabel who was described as “just perfect” despite sleeping for thirty seconds at a time the night before.
The stories behind the songs were equally compelling and relatable. Troubadour was a beauty as was ABBA cover S.O.S. The crowd took a bit of encouraging and coaxing to give “twenty-five percent more”. Closer Stories was written specifically for the tour leaving crowd with “I am Taylor as in Swift, Sheridan as in the sheets, a name you can’t forget”. That we won’t and well done Taylor, that was fantastic.
Taking to the stage to hometown hero welcome Jimmy Barnes hardly needs an introduction and wasting no time at all it was straight in to Flesh and Blood followed by crowd lifters I’d Die To Be With You Tonight and Cold Chisel classic Choir Girl. With his trademark greeting “How the fuck are ya?” Barnesie said he was going to play almost the entire new album (nine of the ten songs) as he was DEFIANT. That was the clear theme for the show and there are so many layers and personal meaning and depth to these songs they became even more impactful live. New Day was stellar and half written in hospital and the feather in the cap for Adelaide was hearing these songs live before anyone else around the country. The Long Road is anthemic as much as it is optimistic and the way Barnesie commanded the stage showed he was on a mission. His work ethic is admirable and one thing anyone can be sure of going to his show is that he gives everything to the performance leaving it all on the table and nothing in reserve.
Arguably all these new songs could be set staples which is huge given the calibre and strength of his back catalogue. Damned If Do, Damned If I Don’t, That’s What You Do for Love, Never Stop Loving You and Dig Deep (based on living in Elizabeth) are fantastic songs and are window in to the world of Jimmy Barnes with the underlying message that he still has a point to prove. His band, keeping it in the family, sound and look fantastic and are nothing short of elite. Sea Of Love was a little “more cheerful” and a “love song” followed Beyond The River Band which was about his relationship with wife Jane (who played the bagpipes). Defiant was a hundred percent bona fide Jimmy Barnes! I can’t see this one leaving the set list any time soon.
Having treated Adelaide to the new tunes it was on to the classics which lifted the collective energy ten fold getting fans up out of their seats and crammed down the aisles to marvel in the brilliance of Jimmy Barnes. I’m not going to lie, this was classic Jimmy Barnes in action! Flame Trees was epic, Shutting Down Our Town was perfectly placed and so relevant to Adelaide kicking it up another gear with Lay Down Your Guns and No Second Prize. To hit this one out of the ball park Barnesie went wack bringing out some big guns in Ride The Night Away and Working Class Man to close the main set in brilliant fashion. Clearly spent, Barnesie had more than made his presence felt in the encore with Driving Wheels and the iconic Khe Sanh. Now that was a rock show!
Live Review By Rob Lyon