It's a week of firsts for Jimmy Barnes. Not only is the Australian rock icon releasing his first ever book, but he’s also announcing his first ever ‘spoken word’ tour throughout New Zealand in February 2017.
Working Class Boy: An Evening of Stories and Songs will see Jimmy leaving behind the arenas and rock gigs where he’s blazed a trail for decades. Instead, he will now be telling his life story for the first time on nine stages across New Zealand, including special venues like the Civic Theatre in Auckland, Regent Theatre in Dunedin and the St James in Wellington.
This unique live theatrical production is a companion piece to the eagerly anticipated first volume of his memoirs - Working Class Boy, released by Harper Collins on Monday 19 September. The book was written entirely by Jimmy Barnes. It tells the raw and confronting story of fleeing the poverty of Scotland only to endure violence and abuse as an immigrant in the suburbs of Adelaide. The book explains what drove Jimmy to ultimately escape everything via rock’n’roll and its associated lifestyle. Fittingly, the childhood memoir ends with an 18-year-old Jimmy and the fellow members of his new band, Cold Chisel, fleeing South Australia in the back of a truck full of musical equipment.
“Just like the book, this live show will tell the story of an imperfect childhood that has led to me becoming an imperfect adult”, explains Jimmy. "I spent most of my life running from my childhood, and now it seems like my time to face it. So this is the story of a lifetime spent running away. Running from fear. Running from shame but at the same time running from hope. I’m not running anymore."
This special live event will see Jimmy sharing stories from his troubled childhood and delinquent adolescence. It will also see him accompanied by his musical companions, delivering intimate performances, of some key songs drawn from his earliest years. This tour will be a treat with lots of storytelling providing a real insight into the events that shaped Jimmy's life and his music.
Jimmy Barnes
Invercargill - Mon 6 Feb - Civic Theatre
Dunedin - Tue 7 Feb - Regent Theatre
Christchurch - Wed 8 Feb - Isaac Theatre Royal
Wellington - Sat 11 Feb - St James Theatre
Napier - Sun 12 Feb - Pettigrew Green Arena
New Plymouth - Tue 14 Feb - TSB Theatre - TSB Showplace
Tauranga - Thu 16 Feb - ASB Baypark
Hamilton - Fri 17 Feb - Claudelands Arena
Auckland - Sat 18 Feb - The Civic
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