Jimmy Barnes has been forced to postpone his upcoming sold-out solo tour of Australia, which was set to begin tonight in Wyong on the Central Coast of New South Wales. The ARIA Hall of Famer broke the news to his fans via social media over the weekend, explaining that what began as a “twinge in his hip” at Dunedin airport lead to “unbearable” pain in the ensuing days.
“The doctors have recommended a remedial medical procedure ASAP, followed by some physio to address the issue,” Barnes wrote. “Providing all goes to plan, I’m expected to make a full recovery in six weeks.” The singer explained that, due to this emergency break in proceedings, his Hell of a Time tour would have to be postponed indefinitely.
He concluded by noting that more updates on new dates for the shows would be coming later in the week, and thanking fans for their support. “As you know, I hate to let anyone down, but I’m also never going to compromise the quality of my gigs,” he said. “I apologise for the inconvenience this will cause everyone, but thank you for understanding.”
Jimmy Barnes – ‘Shutting Down Our Town’
Yesterday (August 5th), Barnes’ wife Jane took to her husband’s social media to thank fans for the ensuing outpour of well wishes. “You are an incredible online community of family, friends and followers who offer up your kindness and thoughtfulness during trying times like these,” she wrote. She also added that Barnes was “out of ICU and recovering well”. A photo of herself, Barnes and their son Jackie – who plays drums in Barnes’ backing band – was also shared.
The Hell of a Time tour was intended as a stripped-back, largely acoustic night of “stories and songs”, as well as celebrating the belated 30th anniversary of his seventh solo album, 1993’s Flesh and Wood. Ironically, it was also set to be Barnes’ first full-scale tour following a run of bad luck with his health: he had returned to the stage back in April at this year’s Bluesfest after an ongoing health scare, which saw him hospitalized and requiring heart surgery.
At the time of writing, Barnes’ extensive national tour fronting Cold Chisel for their 50th anniversary was still scheduled to go ahead as planned. It is set to begin on Saturday, October 5th at Petersons Winery in Armidale. Karen Lee Andrews will serve as the tour’s opener, with support coming in other cities from The Cruel Sea, Birds of Tokyo and The Superjesus.
Further Reading
Aerosmith Announces Retirement From Touring
Paul Kelly Announces 29th Studio Album ‘Fever Longing Still’
