Ellen Fanning joins ABC Radio Brisbane

Award winning broadcaster and journalist Ellen Fanning will host ABC Radio Brisbane Drive in 2025.

A Brisbane native, Ellen started her career in commercial radio in 1988.

At 24, she broke new ground, becoming the first woman to host one of ABC’s prestigious national current affairs radio programs, PM.

After two years at the helm of PM she spent several years anchoring AM and serving as occasional host of ABC TV’s 7.30 Report.

Ellen has also served as the ABC’s Washington correspondent and was co-host of The Drum on ABC TV from 2017 until 2023.

“I’m delighted to be joining ABC Radio Brisbane in 2025,” Ellen said.

“After years reporting big national and international stories, I’m thrilled to be back home in Brisbane. I grew up in Brisbane and Logan and made my start in journalism in this city.

“Over the past 25 years, Brisbane has grown and changed. Since moving back here in 2023, I’ve quickly remembered what makes this city and its people tick. I cannot wait to be telling their stories and sharing the news highlights of the day in Drive. Plus, to hear from you on the daily drive home.”

Current Drive host Kelly Higgins-Devine will move back to Evenings in 2025 and Evenings presenter Rebecca Levingston will finish at the end of the year.

Rebecca said: “20 years of ABC radio has been a million different experiences for me. My time on air has been surprising, lifechanging and hilarious.

“I’m so grateful to my listeners and my colleagues for sharing stories that will stay with me forever.

“I’m thrilled to head off on my next adventure.”

ABC Radio Brisbane Local Manager Anthony Frangi said: “We are delighted to welcome Ellen to ABC Radio Brisbane. A formidable journalist and experienced presenter with a resolute passion for what makes Brisbane tick, she will add considerable weight to our line up in 2025.

“I would like to thank Rebecca Levingston for her work on Evenings this year.”

About Ellen Fanning

Ellen Fanning started a career in commercial radio in 1988, after graduating with a communications degree from the Queensland University of Technology. At 24, she broke new ground, becoming the first woman to host one of ABC prestigious national current affairs radio programs. Two years at the helm of PM were followed by several years anchoring AM and serving as occasional host of ABC TV’s 7.30 Report.

Ellen served as the ABC’s Washington correspondent, returning to Australia in 2000 to report for the Nine Network’s 60 Minutes. She was the last presenter of the Nine Network’s prestigious Sunday program and a columnist on legendary The Bulletin magazine.

She has reported from locations as diverse as Transylvania and the North Pole, under the Indian Ocean aboard an Australian Navy submarine and 30,000 feet over Serbia from a US Airforce refuelling jet. She has interviewed every current and former Australian Prime Minister, and has met and interviewed world leaders from France, Britain, Ireland, Israel and the United States.

Fanning wrote and directed a six-part documentary series titled Fine Line for SBS TV in 2002, and in 2013, returned to SBS to host the 20-episode series, The Observer Effect.

In 2014, she returned to the ABC where she has worked for the past decade, presenting Life Matters on ABC Radio National and more recently hosting ABC TV’s national current affairs program, The Drum, a role shared with Julia Baird.

Fanning returned to her home town of Brisbane in 2023. In 2024, she was a recipient of QUT’s Outstanding Alumni Award.

Chris Bath and Charlie Pickering join ABC Radio Sydney in 2025

Experienced journalist and broadcaster Chris Bath and presenter and comedian Charlie Pickering will be an integral part of the ABC Radio Sydney line-up in 2025.

Bath is set to take over as Drive presenter in the new year, while Charlie Pickering will present Thank God It’s Friday! it was announced at the ABC Upfronts presentation in Sydney today.

Bath was host of Evenings on ABC Radio Sydney from 2016 to 2019. She has periodically filled in for long-term Drive incumbent Richard Glover, who is departing the role after 26 years, and fittingly was introduced by him at the event.

Bath said she was feeling “excited, daunted, a little bit scared and nervous” about taking over as the Drive presenter.

“I’m still in a bit of disbelief. I always thought that Richard was going to be there forever.

“Every time I sit in that chair, I have a pretty healthy dose of imposter syndrome because I don’t know how anyone could be as good a broadcaster as Richard Glover.”

Bath has spent the majority of her career in television but is looking forward to being on radio full time.

“The thing I love about radio is something that I just don’t think you can create in television and that’s a sense of community that you can actually have live on air.”

Pickering said of his appointment as host of Thank God It’s Friday! “It’s an honour to be trusted with a beloved ABC Radio Sydney program and introduce it to the Melbourne audience on 774 and Australia wide on Radio National.

He reflected on Richard’s legacy “Richard was kind enough to have me as a guest on TGIF many times over the years and I have always been an enormous fan of his show. It is a testament to his stature as one of Australia’s leading broadcasters, that it took me years of secretly undermining him at the ABC to finally to get this job”.

ABC Radio Sydney acting Manager Pat Emmett said: “This is a real coup for ABC Radio Sydney and bolsters our already strong roster of presenters.

“Audiences will delight in the return of Chris Bath to Sydney airwaves with her warm and relaxed style resonating easily with listeners.

“Charlie Pickering is set to continue the incredible Thank God it’s Friday! legacy by rounding out the week with his trademark wit and enthusiasm to ease listeners in Sydney, Melbourne and on ABC Radio National into the weekend.”

About Chris Bath

Chris Bath is an Australian journalist, news anchor and radio and television presenter. Born and raised in Sydney’s west, she has been a journalist and news reporter/anchor since 1988. She began her career at Sydney’s Radio 2UE then moved to newsreader and reporting roles at Prime TV in Albury and NBN Television in Newcastle before spending two decades at the Seven network based in Sydney. She presented Evenings on ABC Radio Sydney from 2016 until 2019.

About Charlie Pickering

Charlie is an award-winning comic and TV and Radio presenter who has hosted on radio and TV. He was one of the founding hosts of The Project where he was a presenter for 5 years, has presented The Weekly with Charlie Pickering since 2015 and has been a regular host for ABC TV’s New Year’s Eve coverage. Charlie previously hosted ABC Radio Melbourne Breakfast on Friday’s.

ABC Canberra announces 2025 line-up

Headshot of Georgia Stynes and Saskia Mabin

ABC Radio Canberra has announced the 2025 presenting line-up that will bring listeners local stories, information and lively conversation throughout the day.

Ross Solly will continue to let listeners know everything they need to start their day in the Breakfast timeslot with Alice Matthews continuing in Afternoons.

Moving into Drive is former Mornings presenter Georgia Stynes, who joined ABC Radio Canberra in 2012 and has been weekday presenting since 2021.

“I’ve been listening to drive time radio most of my life — as a child in the backseat at school pick up and at the kitchen table as mum cooked while I did my homework,” says Georgia. “As an adult it’s where I catch up on what’s happened during the day, often while I’m driving my own children. I’m looking forward to chatting to Canberrans at the end of their day — and the sleep-ins will be nice, too.”

Current Drive producer Saskia Mabin will present Canberra Mornings.

“I’ve worked alongside some incredibly intelligent, talented and creative presenters at ABC Radio Canberra over the past two years in my role as a producer,” Saskia says. “It’s a great privilege to be hosting Mornings next year, I’m really looking forward to it!”

Emma Bickley will continue to present Saturday Breakfast with her Gardening co-host Graham “Willow” Williams”.

Kim Hyunh and Kate Midena will share presenting duties in Sunday Brunch.

As previously announced, Greg Jennett is joining the team as the ACT 7PM News presenter, after previously hosting Afternoon Briefing for the past three years.

Adrienne Francis will continue to present the Friday and Saturday night bulletins.

Editor, ABC Canberra Julie Doyle said the 2025 line-up is a fantastic mix of experienced presenters and new talent.

“In 2025 we’ll be focusing once again on telling great local stories and keeping the Canberra community informed and entertained,” she says.

Rory McClaren to spend Mornings with ABC Radio Adelaide

ABC Radio Adelaide has announced Rory McClaren as the host of ABC Radio Adelaide Mornings in 2025.

Rory will take on the role following the announcement that long time presenter David Bevan will retire at the end of the year.

“I’m thrilled to have been trusted to take over the Mornings program from David Bevan. Rory said “It’s equal parts exciting and daunting to follow his lead.”

“David has made an immense contribution to the state’s media industry over decades. He’s been a standard setter.

“I’ll seek to build on his work, and of those who have gone before him, when I start in the Mornings chair.

“I firmly believe local voices and stories matter. Local audiences matter, and they will be my priorities.”

Rory joined the ABC in 2021 and is the state political reporter with ABC News South Australia.

He has covered politics full time at state and federal level since 2015, including stints in Canberra.

No stranger to ABC Radio Adelaide audiences, Rory has been a regular contributor to ABC Radio Adelaide’s landmark “Spin Cycle” program which examines SA politics on Friday morning.

Before he joined the ABC, Rory worked across a variety of commercial broadcast and print media organisations.

Rory is also the President of the South Australia Press Club.

ABC Radio Adelaide Manager Graeme Bennett said: “We are delighted to have Rory as part of the ABC Radio Adelaide team.

“Rory’s great strengths in political and news coverage across broadcast and online mediums are complemented by his passion for the community he serves.

“He is an incredible, fresh talent who has already laid the foundations of connection with our audience and he is natural fit for our long established role in holding those in power accountable and reflecting the life of our city.”

Rory will start on the program in January.

ABC audiences grow in October podcast ranker

Audiences across the ABC’s podcast slate grew by 51,000 listeners in October according to the Triton Podcast ranker release today.

The ABC had more titles featured than any other publisher and was the third most listened to publisher in Australia last month.

October was a strong month for news titles and the ABC had the number 1 and number 2 most listened to news titles (ABC News Top Stories and News Top Stories). These titles also performed strongly in the overall list with ABC News Top Stories at number 3 position and ABC News Daily recording its biggest audience of the year landing at number 10.

The ABC’s most recent true crime series Unravel: Mr Big landed at number 39 on the October list after the full series was released.

Hosted by ABC reporter Alicia Bridges, Unravel: Mr Big investigates a secretive crime boss caught on tape touting his corrupt connections to police and the courts. But like the recording which sparked the investigation, nothing is what it seems.

ABC Director Audio Ben Latimer said: “The results from October once again demonstrate the ABC’s trusted role in delivering news and information to Australian audiences”.

“The ABC is now turning our focus to our summer broadcast plans to ensure audiences have enough first run and favourite content to see them through the break.”

The full Triton Australian Podcast Ranker can be found here.

Audiences can enjoy all the ABC’s podcasts for free and ad free on ABC listen.

The Australian Podcast Ranker is a regular monthly snapshot of Australia’s most popular podcasts. The Ranker has been reporting podcast listening in Australia since 2019 and includes a wide cross section of Australian podcast publishers, from both radio and non-radio backgrounds.

HAMISH & ANDY HOST ‘CONCON’ – A CONFERENCE FOR ALL

BUT WERE THEY TOO ENTERTAINING FOR AUSTRALIA’S TAX ACCOUNTANTS?

21 November 2024

For the penultimate Hamish & Andy episode of 2024, Hamish Blake and Andy Lee, plus 300 conference delegates (aka listeners), descended on the RACV Royal Pines Resort Gold Coast for a unique conference event called ConCon.

Run over two days, ConCon was planned to be packed with ‘insightful’ business education sessions, delegate networking opportunities, premium biscuits, and expert-led discussions. But did Hamish and Andy’s audacious plan to host a business conference prove too entertaining for Australia’s tax accountants?

The latest episode from Hamish & Andy reveals all from ConCon and answers some burning questions:

Were there enough biscuits for the Biscuit Hour at ConCon?

Hamish: “Biscuit hour, absolutely rocking out there.”

Andy: “There’s a lot of biscuits.”

Andy: “Man, they’ve got a replenishment team. They’re like ball boys.”

Hamish: “Once I saw all the biscuits in the flesh or in the crumb, I went, it’s possible, and I’m not saying it is true, but it’s possible we have too many biscuits!”

Did the presentations successfully educate the delegates of more than 100 industries?

Hamish: “Pretty powerful stuff.”

Hamish to Jack: “Have you just printed out ChatGPT?”

Did Conrad Sewell’s ‘re-worked’ song go off without a hitch?

Conrad: “I am in no way here to entertain, um, I have a message to deliver, and it’s purely educational.”

To listen to exactly what happened at ConCon on the penultimate Hamish & Andy episode for 2024, click here. Download the LiSTNR app and sign-up to listen for free. To access pictures from Hamish & Andy’s ConCon conference click here.

 

About LiSTNR:

LiSTNR is a curated and personalised, free app offering radio, podcasts, music, and sport, creating a new audio destination for all Australians. Featuring a fun and intuitive onboarding process, LiSTNR delivers an audio destination that is built for individual listeners’ routines and preferences. Highly personalised, it provides listeners a new world of audio entertainment, with their own daily feed of audio and easy discovery of new content through curated recommendations. Available across a large array of devices including both iOS and Android, CarPlay and Android Auto, Google Assistant and Alexa and Android TV, LiSTNR enables a fantastic listening experience, anytime and anywhere. Open your Ears to a new world of audio – download the free app today. LiSTNR.com

How to reach listeners through the maze of digital listening devices

“I can play Spotify but I can’t find my local radio station”

Digital Listening Habits Transform Radio Landscape

AM, FM and DAB+ radio transmission are not going anywhere, at least in the short term. But the same can’t necessarily be said for radio audiences.

So where are they going?

They’re not leaving altogether – community radio audiences are staying strong. In 2024 community radio reaches almost 5.2 million weekly listeners – up almost 10 per cent on 2023. (note: this is not necessarily a trend).

But the way audiences are tuning in to radio is evolving, and fast.

People are increasingly listening to online streams, podcasting and on-demand catch-up audio.

Smart Speakers Replacing Traditional Radios

Sales and ownership of “regular radios” is in decline. This Christmas the tree is much, much more likely to have a smart speaker wrapped underneath these holidays. Smart speaker ownership has doubled in four years to 34%. Online streaming of radio services is increasingly popular. Radio streaming among 25-54-year-olds has doubled in three years.

CBAA’s Fight for Digital Prominence

CBAA is working to support stations to reach their audiences through the maze of modern media devices. We are doing this through advocacy to influence policy settings that make sure radio is readily available in the future and by providing easy and affordable tools to help your station be competitive in the modern audio marketplace.

New legislation is being proposed by the Federal Government to secure the prominence of local radio services on smart speakers. This is really important to make sure listeners can easily access local radio services for free on audio devices. It is a vital safeguard to ensure these devices don’t unfairly prioritise streaming services or other sources of audio over local, licenced broadcasters.

CBAA is working closely with Amazon’s Australian staff to increase the audio command skills of Amazon Alexa to provide consumers with easy access to diverse community radio station services from the source. At the moment however, Apple and Google devices take listeners to a stream provided by third party app TuneIn – which add their own ads to your stream.

We don’t think smart speaker provides should be able to add their own, or a third party’s broadcasting, advertising or other content to your station’s stream, not without the consent of the station anyway.

Protecting Local Radio in Cars

We are also working with ABC, SBS and commercial radio to include devices in cars. In-car radio listening is really significant and streaming radio listening in cars rose by 75% in two years to 28%.

Read CBAA’s Submission: Radio Prominence on Smart Speakers

AM,FM and DAB+ remain the dominant form of listening in 2024. But technology is changing fast and we want to make sure stations relationship with listeners is future-proof.

Four Steps to Future-Proof Your Station

CBAA is keen to help you navigate these changes at the station level too.

So, what can you do to make sure your service is best practice on internet connected audio devices?

  • Have a secure stream. Smart speakers require secure streams. If your station needs help to establish a secure stream, contact CBAA and we can provide one for you as we already do for 96 stations.
  • Having a modern, always up-to-date and user-friendly website to help listeners access your online stream and on-demand content.
  • Make sure your radio meta-data is up to date. This is the digital information that helps audiences find your station on digital devices and provides your station name, now playing information and other information audiences want to see on visual displays. CBAA can assist you to do this for Community Radio Plus, Alexa and Sonos smart speakers. Update your info here.
  • Promote the Community Radio Plus App – it is free, exclusively for community radio and you can access the listener data via our dashboards. We have a new competition running with everything you need to promote listening on your station here.

Learn more about how to Grow your Listener Audience Online by viewing our recent webinar.

Australian Podcast Ranker – October

The Australian Podcast Ranker has been released by Commercial Radio and Audio (CRA) and Triton Digital. Below are the top five charts for October. The complete charts can be viewed here.

Australian Podcast Ranker top five podcasts October 2024
      Podcast Producer Monthly Listeners
1 Hamish & Andy LiSTNR (SCA) 934,394
2 Casefile True Crime Audioboom 771,026
3 ABC News Top Stories Australian Broadcasting Corporation 747,728
4 Shameless Shameless Media 593,270
5 Mamamia Out Loud Mamamia 564,874

 

Australian Podcast Ranker top five genres October 2024
     Genre Monthly Listeners
1 Society & Culture 4,763,761
2 True Crime 4,301,686
3 News 3,935,066
4 Comedy 3,529,201
5 Sports 3,220,169

 

Australian Podcast Ranker top five podcast publishers October 2024
     Publisher Monthly Listeners
1 ARN/iHeart 4,565,128
2 LiSTNR (SCA) 3,218,488
3 Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2,766,661
4 SiriusXM Podcast Network 2,346,084
5 Audioboom 2,142,632

 

Top five sales representatives by monthly listeners October 2024
    Sales representatives Publishers represented Listeners
1 LiSTNR (SCA) LiSTNR (SCA), Schwartz Media, SiriusXM Podcast Network, audiochuck, Wondery, DM Podcasts, NBC Universal News Group 7,297,145
2 ARN / iHeart ARN, iHeartMedia, Audioboom, AdLarge Media, Sport Social Podcast Network, The Athletic, The Investors Podcast Network, All Ears English, Sony Music, Clubby Sports, NZME, TED, Johns Media 6,819,070
3 NOVA Entertainment NOVA Entertainment, News Corp Australia, Podshape 2,667,123
4 News Corp Australia News Corp Australia 1,770,195
5 Nine Nine Radio, Nine Publishing 1,373,444

David Bevan departs ABC Radio Adelaide

David Bevan

After a career spanning almost 40 years, ABC Radio Adelaide Mornings presenter David Bevan has announced he will leave the ABC at the end of the year.

For over two decades David Bevan has presented ABC Radio Adelaide’s front page, the all-important 8:30 to 9am segment as part of the Breakfast program before hosting Mornings from 9am, teasing out the daily issues affecting South Australians.

David Bevan began his career with the ABC in 1986 as a cadet with ABC Radio News.

After a brief stint with the Adelaide Advertiser, he returned to the ABC in 1993 where he has remained since.

David originally held roles for ABC TV and ABC News covering state politics including as the ABC’s State Political Reporter.

His 1994 book A Case to Answer, chronicled the extraordinary arrest and trial in Adelaide of Ivan Polyukhovich, accused of Nazi War Crimes in Ukraine.

In 2000 he began producing 891 ABC Radio Adelaide Drive and co-hosted Mornings with Philip Satchell in 2001.

In 2002 he was joined by Matthew Abraham on Mornings before they took over Breakfast in 2011. Their Breakfast program dominated the Adelaide Breakfast market for six years.

David has hosted Mornings on his own since 2017.

Reflecting on his long career, David said: “It’s been a privilege to work with the ABC’s most successful radio station.”

“People in Adelaide might not realise it, but, 891 is more embedded in the life of this city than any other ABC radio station in any capital city.”

“I will be forever grateful to ABC management, my colleagues and our audience.”

David lists reporting on the toppling of first-term Premier Dean Brown in a late-night party coup and the September 11 attacks as memorable moments.

He said “I’ll never forget the phone call from my manager Graeme Bennett at 4am after the September 11 attacks.  “He said, David, I think you’ll need to be in early, some aircraft have flown into the World Trade Centre in New York.”

Bennett said: “David has built a unique and enduring legacy with ABC Radio Adelaide audiences.

“His fearless interviewing and unrivalled analysis of South Australian politics has been a hallmark of what we strive to bring our listeners every day. No doubt those audiences will be disappointed by this news, but can be reassured that what David has worked so hard to create will remain a central theme of our coverage of SA politics in the years ahead.”

Announcements about ABC Radio Adelaide line ups will be made in the coming days.

 

LiSTNR CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF COLD CHISEL WITH EXCLUSIVE AUDIO DOCUSERIES

LiSTNR has teamed up with Cold Chisel to document the explosive history of Australia’s most loved rock band. In a LiSTNR exclusive, the band tell their remarkable story in their own words in a five-part audio docuseries titled Cold Chisel, hosted by The Superjesus’ Sarah McLeod.

Made in partnership with Cold Chisel, the docuseries features brand-new, in-depth interviews with original band members Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss, Phil Small and Don Walker and drummer Charley Drayton, who took over from the late Steve Prestwich. Covering pivotal moments of the band’s history, the series explores the highs and lows of their extraordinary story including their reflections on the legendary The Last Wave of Summer comeback tour in 1998, which Jimmy Barnes struggled through. “I was pretty out of it and wild and had a death wish,” Barnes said. “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.”

Cold Chisel has sold over seven million albums and are currently thrilling audiences of all ages on their The Big Five-O national tour. The tour has sold over 120,000 tickets and follows their recent no.1 compilation album 50 Years – The Best Of.

“This podcast is OUR story, from late 1973 through to today,” says Cold Chisel frontman, Jimmy Barnes. “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.”

Sarah McLeod fronts the ARIA-winning band The Superjesus, which is opening for Cold Chisel on their current tour as they play sold-out shows across Australia. “I’ve always felt a connection with Cold Chisel,” McLeod said. “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, said: “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 on LiSTNR. Download the LiSTNR app and sign-up to listen for free. Three subsequent episodes will be released over the following weeks.

 

Cold Chisel, LiSTNR’s exclusive audio docuseries, explores:

  • Cold Chisel being rejected by every record label in Australia for having “no commercial potential” before being signed for $700.
  • The Australian classic song Khe Sanh being banned from radio due to offensive lyrics and the song’s producer revealing whether Chisel recorded a ‘clean’ version.
  • Chisel imploding on their first American tour in 1981 after having to start from scratch and battle indifference and homesickness.  “When you’re in business class in your home country and you have to go back to the back of the bus it’s undignified…maybe ego plays part of it,’ says tour manager Mark Pope.
  • The tensions that led to Cold Chisel splitting in 1983, after the fractured recording of the No.1 album Twentieth Century and the legendary Last Stand farewell tour. “It was a relief for me because the band was an unhappy place,” Don Walker says. “I was angry about a lot of things. I thought we should have been the biggest band in the world. I thought that had been sabotaged. It was an overwhelming relief for me to get away from it.”
  • Cold Chisel’s 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 tragic passing of the band’s original drummer Steve Prestwich – and Chisel’s decision to carry on “As time went on,” bassist Phil Small says, “everyone just sort of felt that if Steve was here, he’d probably would want us to continue.”
  • The band recruiting powerhouse drummer Charley Drayton, whose wife – the late Divinyls frontwoman Chrissy Amphlett – would make an emotional appearance on stage with Cold Chisel. “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.”
  • The modern era of Cold Chisel, releasing more chart-topping albums and undertaking huge tours while finding a new way to work together. “These days we’re very careful of each other, to the best of our capacity,” Don Walker says. With each of us our top skill is not social. I don’t think we could be a full-time band again. That wouldn’t go well at all.”
  • The future of Cold Chisel after their 50th anniversary. “I don’t see this as the last tour at all,” Jimmy Barnes says. “I see it as a gateway to what we’re going to do until we hit eighty.”

About LiSTNR:

LiSTNR is a curated and personalised, free app offering radio, podcasts, music, and sport, creating a new audio destination for all Australians. Featuring a fun and intuitive onboarding process, LiSTNR delivers an audio destination that is built for individual listeners’ routines and preferences. Highly personalised, it provides listeners a new world of audio entertainment, with their own daily feed of audio and easy discovery of new content through curated recommendations. Available across a large array of devices including both iOS and Android, CarPlay and Android Auto, Google Assistant and Alexa and Android TV, LiSTNR enables a fantastic listening experience, anytime and anywhere. Open your Ears to a new world of audio – download the free app today. LiSTNR.com