DENILIQUIN Ute Muster fans were treated to a sneak-peek of Cold Chisel’s new material during their only major performance of the year on Saturday night.
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The legendary five-piece rock band confirmed at the muster it was planning a new album and national tour next year.
As part of its set list for the performance, Chisel unleashed All For You – one of two new songs written for the album – in front of the crowd of about 25,000.
Before going on stage, lead guitarist Ian Moss said the mid-tempo song, by keyboard player and songwriter Don Walker, was written only about three weeks ago.
“It’s very Chisel sounding,” he said.
“We’ve been road testing that and will be playing that live for the first time.
“Everything else everyone’s going to know – it’s going to be a big, rocking sing-a-long and we’re ready to play hard.”
Chisel, fronted by Jimmy Barnes, re-formed last year for a concert at the V8 Supercars in Sydney, which was attended by more than 45,000 people.
Moss said the band thought the gig went so well they should stay together and do more.
But rather than booking the regular entertainment centres, they wanted more “out of the way” and unusual venues, and the Deniliquin Ute Muster came up.
“There’s lots of festivals and some of them seem to grab people and grow strongly,” Moss said.
“This one, people said it’s a great atmosphere and it’s really worth doing, so we thought we’d give it a go.
“It’s about utes, the outback and having a couple of cold ones.
“That’s kind of the Chisel audience – good honest rock and roll.”
Moss said the “rough plan” for Chisel was to get writing now and maybe start looking at arrangement, structure and recording in the first half of next year.
The new album and tour will follow later in the year.
It will be 33 years since the release of Chisel’s first hit single, Khe Sahn, but Moss said the band still has what it takes to give an electrifying performance.
“We can still cut it, still hit it with the same energy,” he said.
“It’s probably equivalent to the old days – you were young and had youth on your side, but you’re knocking yourself about anyway with beer and wine.
“These days we’ve knocked back on that, so it’s about even.”
