{"id":28321,"date":"2015-10-18T15:27:13","date_gmt":"2015-10-18T04:27:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=28321"},"modified":"2015-10-18T15:28:15","modified_gmt":"2015-10-18T04:28:15","slug":"phil-small-of-cold-chisel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2015\/10\/phil-small-of-cold-chisel\/","title":{"rendered":"Phil Small of Cold Chisel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026as long as we all enjoy playing together and coming up with new songs we\u2019ve just got to keep doing it and enjoy it while we can because the realisation of Steve\u2019s passing, were only here for one shot in life so we\u2019ve got to do it while we\u2019re here and enjoy it, so that\u2019s kind of the path we chose and we\u2019re all enjoying it still.\u201d<\/p>\n

From release: The Perfect Crime is the follow-up to Cold Chisel\u2019s 2012 comeback studio album, No Plans. As the title of that previous record made clear, No Plans was initially intended as an open-ended affair \u2013 the original line-up of Australia\u2019s most iconic rock band quietly reconvening in a studio for the first time in some 14 years. If it didn\u2019t work, if anyone wanted out, then no one need ever know the meeting took place and everyone could walk away quietly. It did work, of course. From the first sessions, it was obvious the legendary Cold Chisel chemistry had not evaporated with the passing of time. So it was on: all pledged to make a new album, undertake a massive reunion tour. But then the cruellest twist of fate \u2013 the loss of drummer Steve Prestwich. It could easily have stopped right there. Instead, they decided to continue what the five of them had begun, turning it into a tribute to their lifelong friend, calling on the immeasurable talents of New Yorker Charley Drayton to fill in on drums.<\/p>\n

Phil Small gave us a call to talk about Cold Chisel\u2019s new album \u2018The Perfect Crime\u2019, the upcoming tour and some great memories\u2026<\/p>\n

So it seemed to be announced out of nowhere, and the name suits it perfectly, tell us about \u2018The Perfect Crime\u2019 and how this album came about?<\/strong>
\nWell the album came about, it\u2019s all happened in the last twelve months, we got together in around about June of last year at Jim\u2019s studio over at Botany and we put down about nine tracks I think it was back then and that all came along nicely, but at that point in time we weren\u2019t quite ready to do anything with them so we just sort of shelved them. Time went by and our management managed to get us a couple of gigs towards the end of the year, one of them in February and that was the Clipsal 500, the V8\u2019s in Adelaide, so we rehearsed for that and at that point in time since we last recorded quite a bit of time had elapsed and we were still writing, and we thought now\u2019s a good time because we\u2019re all rehearsed why don\u2019t we just go into the studio off the back off this Clipsal gig that we\u2019ve just played and continue on recording some new songs, so that\u2019s what we did. We went into 301 studios in Alexandria and we ended up putting down eleven more tracks, so it was quite a productive twelve months for us.<\/p>\n

After \u2018No Plans\u2019 and of course with the truly unfortunate passing of Steve Prestwich, were there reservations or was it a difficult task to put this album together?<\/strong>
\nWell no not really, the difficult time we had was more so with the previous album, that being \u2018No Plans\u2019 because that was the transitional period for Charlie coming in and we were also getting over that point in time Steve was still involved with the album, so it was like Steve had recorded on two or three tracks and Charlie came in and finished it off, but it took a while to get into the groove because we were still getting over the fact of Steve not being there anymore, it was quite an emotional time for the band as you can imagine. It just didn\u2019t happen overnight\u2026 So that particular album \u2018No Plans\u2019 was a bittersweet kind of thing because we actually got through it and we all decided that Steve would\u2019ve wanted us to complete it so that\u2019s what we did. At the point in time as things went on it went so good with Charley and out doing that tour, it was an amazing tour for us, we just thought we can\u2019t not keep going, as long as we all enjoy playing together and coming up with new songs we\u2019ve just got to keep doing it and enjoy it while we can because the realisation of Steve\u2019s passing, were only here for one shot in life so we\u2019ve got to do it while we\u2019re here and enjoy it, so that\u2019s kind of the path we chose and we\u2019re all enjoying it still. The fact that Charley has slotted in so well has just been amazing really, we\u2019ve been able to continue in that regard.<\/p>\n

And of course continuing with touring as you\u2019re heading out on a run of shows, have you got an idea of how these shows will come together?<\/strong>
\nWell we\u2019ve got pretty much a basic plan, all the base fans will want to hear all the old songs so there\u2019s all the old goldies that people will demand to hear, they\u2019ll always be there. Obviously we\u2019re going to be throwing in new songs from the album and hopefully they\u2019ll come together well, they should do because it\u2019s not that far off since we played them on the album. Toward the end of the tour especially in Sydney with the closing down of The Entertainment Centre here, we\u2019ll probably do a few of the old numbers that we played on that particular night at the initiation of the band splitting up back in \u201983 \u2013 \u201984. We\u2019re quite open to trying different things and throwing in new songs last minute, we don\u2019t really know how things go until that point in time and just wait to see what the reaction is like and take it from there I think. We\u2019ve got plenty of songs up our sleeves to choose from, to put in and take out as we go along.<\/p>\n

Well the new album is a rocker so they should have no problem slotting into the set\u2026<\/strong>
\nYeah, it\u2019s going to be interesting to see how they shape up and fit in with the older ones as well, and you know, there\u2019s all that to consider how they\u2019ll fit in and what are the different keys and it\u2019s quite an art. Don\u2019s quite good at arranging a set list so it builds and compliments each other and it\u2019s not too similar a key or similar sounding so it sounds like one continuous song you know what I mean?<\/p>\n

You also have the honour of playing the last ever show at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, what does that feel like for the band?<\/strong>
\nThey in particularly invited the band to play for the final shows, it\u2019s a real honour really to be included with the Elton John\u2019s especially, he holds the record there I think he played six nights in a row, Chisel happened to do about five I think it was and they invited us I suppose for old sentimental reasons.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen the band a number of times now and it\u2019s always fun watching a pub band just play really big pubs, has anything changed in the way that the band take to the stage after so long?<\/strong>
\nWell I suppose we\u2019re all quite a bit older now, there\u2019s a lot of history with the band, the band first got together and we were quite young, I\u2019d only just turned twenty one when I joined the band and the band had been going for roughly eighteen months before I joined and that was \u201974\u2026 so it\u2019s quite a long time ago, we were quite young back then, quite youthful and of course we\u2019re all well passed middle age now so obviously our mental attitude has changed quite a lot, we\u2019ve all been affected by life and family life and we still enjoy the music and still enjoy the moments on stage playing together, there definitely is something very special within the band, especially in a live context because hopefully something magical happens, that\u2019s what we achieve and enjoy. It\u2019s like a mental telepathy through music on stage, it\u2019s something that\u2019s hard to explain, you know when it\u2019s happening you know when it\u2019s all clicking.<\/p>\n

\u2018Flame Trees\u2019 is and always will be one of my all-time favourite songs, after so long and knowing that many feel the same about that song and others of course, does it still give you a buzz when you play these classics and get such a great reaction?<\/strong>
\nYeah it just evokes so many memories and that\u2019s the thing about music, it\u2019s about being in that point in time, and that\u2019s the good thing about music, it evokes memories, smells, feelings and you don\u2019t get that with many other things and music inspires all those feelings and emotions. Each night\u2019s different, you can play the same song over a period of weeks or tours or whatever and for some reason one night it can affect you more for some reason than another time. I can\u2019t explain why but these things can happen.<\/p>\n

Then of course you\u2019ve got Khe Sanh which is one of the biggest karaoke songs in the entire of Australia, so that must be a buzz?<\/strong>
\n*laughs* Well it transpired that one, it\u2019s become a real iconic, folklore kind of strong hasn\u2019t it\u2026<\/p>\n

Now \u2018East\u2019 turned 35 this year, it\u2019s the band\u2019s biggest album, looking back now, what are some of your best memories of when it was released?<\/strong>
\nIt was a great period of time for the band, that was the period around 1980 I think it was up at the top of The Cross there at Paradise studios with Mark Opitz and I think that\u2019s when everybody really got into it and there was just such a great vibe in that studio at the time and everyone started to get into the writing side of things, and it was just a really good, up time for the band. Previous to that we had \u2018Breakfast\u2019 and we\u2019d been touring quite extensively around Australia and we were quite tired and it was good to get in the studio, I don\u2019t think it was a good representation of the band at that point in time, we weren\u2019t that thrilled with the result of \u2018Breakfast\u2019, but on the other side of the coin, \u2018East\u2019 was a real shot in the arm for us all because it was a real vibey time and it seemed to come through with the material that came off the album I think.<\/p>\n

The music industry is a much different place now, even though there was a big break for the band, what for you has been the most notable difference in the industry that has affected the band?<\/strong>
\nWell we\u2019ve all just grown, I think we\u2019ve all grown to appreciate in that hiatus and yes it was a long period of time, a long time to reflect on what\u2019s gone under the bridge and I\u2019m sure we\u2019ve all admitted to ourselves that yes we missed those old times and yes it was a great band and a good period of our lives, and that I guess that\u2019s why we\u2019re still enjoying it now. We do enjoy playing as a band and we\u2019re like family really, we\u2019re like brothers and even though we don\u2019t live in each other\u2019s pockets like we did in the old days we still get together every now and then and keep in touch, it\u2019s just great and great to be a part of something that we can all enjoy.<\/p>\n

With the new album it feels like you guys are firing on all cylinders, are Cold Chisel well and truly back for the foreseeable future?<\/strong>
\nI don\u2019t know\u2026 we kind of keep it open, we don\u2019t like to sort of delve too much into the future because if things are going well we\u2019ll just concentrate on the moment and no one knows what\u2019s going to be around the corner and the realisation of that is what happened with Steve. So we\u2019ve just got to take it day by day I think and touch wood things are going good at the moment, so we\u2019ll just live in the moment and enjoy it for what it is. I think that\u2019s the attitude we have to have and I think that\u2019s the attitude we\u2019ve always had, enjoy the moment, do the best you can, put on a good show and that\u2019s all you can do.<\/p>\n

Well you certainly do that, I think the last time I saw you was back in 2012 on the \u2018No Plans\u2019 tour and it was great, you guys still had it\u2026<\/strong>
\nYeah I think I\u2019s a realization especially with Steve\u2019s passing it really sort of brought us back to reality, we\u2019ve only got one shot here and I think we\u2019re also coming to the realization is there\u2019s something always with this band that hopefully we just give it all we can and something will happen with it you know? I mean just keep it open ended sort of thing.<\/p>\n

Well hopefully it\u2019ll continue into the future, we don\u2019t want to let go of you guys yet and you\u2019ll be around doing a little bit more for us\u2026<\/strong>
\nWell I hope so, that\u2019s what I think on the quiet we all sort of wish for that as well, but we\u2019ll all take it day by day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Catch Cold Chisel on tour in Australia at the following dates:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday, 24 October 2015
\n<\/strong>The V8 Supercars Castrol Gold Coast 600, Gold Coast, Qld
\n<\/strong>Tickets on sale now from HERE<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\/\u00a013 28 49<\/p>\n

Saturday, 31 October 2015
\n<\/strong>Decades Festival, Strathpine, Qld
\n<\/strong>With\u00a0The Living End, Something for Kate<\/strong>\u00a0and more
\nTickets on sale now from HERE<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0and HERE<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\/\u00a013 28 49<\/p>\n

Thursday, 5 November 2015
\n<\/strong>Cairns Convention Centre, Cairns, Qld
\n<\/strong>Tickets on sale now from\u00a0www.ticketlink.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n

Saturday, 7 November 2015
\n<\/strong>1300SMILES Stadium, Townsville, Qld
\n<\/strong>In association with Townsville Rock Fest
\n<\/strong>With special guests –\u00a0Grinspoon
\n<\/strong>Tickets available now from\u00a0www.ticketek.com.au<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a013 28 49<\/p>\n

Tuesday, 10 November 2015
\n<\/strong>Darwin Amphitheatre, Darwin, NT
\n<\/strong>With special guests –\u00a0Grinspoon
\n<\/strong>Tickets available now from\u00a0www.ticketek.com.au<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a013 28 49<\/p>\n

Friday, 13 November 2015
\n<\/strong>Eadon Clarke Oval, Geraldton, WA
\n<\/strong>Tickets on sale from 12.00pm, Thursday 3 September from\u00a0www.ticketek.com.au<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a013 28 49<\/p>\n

Saturday, 14 November 2015
\n<\/strong>Perth Arena, Perth, WA
\n<\/strong>Tickets available now from\u00a0www.ticketek.com.au<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a013 28 49<\/p>\n

Tuesday, 17 November 2015
\n<\/strong>Adelaide Entertainment Centre, SA
\n<\/strong>With special guests –\u00a0Grinspoon
\n<\/strong>Tickets available now from\u00a0www.ticketek.com.au<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a013 28 49<\/p>\n

Thursday, 19 November
\n<\/strong>Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Vic
\n<\/strong>With special guests –\u00a0Grinspoon
\n<\/strong>Tickets available now from\u00a0www.ticketek.com.au<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a013 28 49<\/p>\n

Saturday, 21 November 2015
\n<\/strong>Hanging Rock, Macedon Ranges, Vic
\n<\/strong>With\u00a0The\u00a0Living End, Mark Seymour & The Undertow<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Stonefield
\n<\/strong>Tickets available now from\u00a0www.ticketmaster.com.au<\/a>\u00a0\/ 136 100<\/p>\n

Saturday, 12 December 2015
\n<\/strong>Hope Estate, Pokolbin, NSW
\n<\/strong>With\u00a0The Living End<\/strong>\u00a0and more to be announced
\nTickets available now from\u00a0www.ticketek.com.au<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a013 28 49<\/p>\n

Sunday, 13 December 2015 \u2013\u00a0SOLD OUT
\n<\/strong>WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong, NSW<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tuesday, 15 December, 2015
\n<\/strong>QANTAS Credit Union Arena
\n<\/strong>With special guests \u2013\u00a0Grinspoon
\n<\/strong>Tickets available now from\u00a0www.ticketek.com.au<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a013 28 49<\/p>\n

Thursday, 17 December, 2015 \u2013\u00a0SOLD OUT
\n<\/strong>QANTAS Credit Union Arena
\n<\/strong>With special guests –\u00a0Grinspoon<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friday, 18 December, 2015 \u2013\u00a0SOLD OUT
\n<\/strong>QANTAS Credit Union Arena
\n<\/strong>With special guests –\u00a0Grinspoon<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Essential Information<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

From:<\/strong> Australia<\/p>\n

Band Members:<\/strong> Jimmy Barnes \u2013 Vocals, Don Walker – Piano\/Keyboard, Ian Moss – Guitar\/Vocals, Phil Small \u2013 Bass, Charley Drayton – Drums<\/p>\n

Website:<\/strong> http:\/\/www.coldchisel.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Latest Release:<\/strong> The Perfect Crime (Out Now)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 
\n