Cold Chisel - Pooraka Hotel 1978 (Live Audio)

[@Gbhbbgvsbnjhhdchhb]

This recording was made by my small portable cassette recorder…. People used to laugh at me for recording gigs. Who’s laughing now? Yes I was at this gig. Took me a while to figure out how the hell you got your hands on it. My mate had the cassette and put it up on Soundcloud and you’ve downloaded it and done a great job of remastering it. I have another recording made around this time one in particular at the Arkaba Hotel In Adelaide 1978. Where Jim’s brother gets up and sings with him. Been trying to get my hands on the Pepper Studios demo that landed them a record deal. They’ve only released 3 songs from that session, there are two more but damned if I can find them. My mate and I were in bands with the original founder Bass player Les Kaczmarek. Chisel were a force of nature and at the peak of their powers in this era. The audience would stand transfixed at these gigs. Anywaze…. Contact me re the other gig.

[@BenjaminBarnes]

Mate thanks for getting in touch and contributing a part of history!! I'm really keen to hear the Arkaba Hotel gig, please send me an email at [e-mail]

[@chisel83]

Thanks buddy, the world owes you a debt of gratitude. I comeback and listen to this gig often.

[@paulpaddison4115]

Wow, the stories you could tell, thanks for the upload

[@Wandafulofit]

I love you......................🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@paulrichardson6500]

Would love to be a fly on the ceiling for this one!!

[@peterwist5754]

Chisel were always at the top of their game, but this gem of a recording has got me mesmerised. Raw energy to burn with Mossy wringing that Strat's neck like no one else can. Bloody brilliant!!!

[@PeterNolan-m7j]

Neck wringers! Can ya dig it!

[@minik1971]

One Long Day has to be their most underrated song, it has everything that is great about classic Cold Chisel. Never seen them perform it at a concert I have been at.

[@PeterNolan-m7j]

Never seen them perform it either, wild man!

[@chisel83]

That's fucken awesome ben. The Pooraka hotel, where Bon got up with AC/DC and the rest is history.

[@skinnyt1971]

I can visualise the whole thing having spent many speed-laced nights at The Bridgeway in my wasted youth. Angels, Choirboys, Mossy, Diesel, Mickey Finn, Don's Catfish, Tex's Beasts, Kim Salmon, Front End Loader. Wild days. This sounds like a homecoming gig. The crowd is into it without the hyped up gaga of teenyboppers who flooded their later years gigs. Pooraka is just up the hill from where Jim grew up. Hard streets. I've only ever seen him in stadium sized crowds, which were great shows anyway. This recording has me mesmerised. Thanks Ben and Tony Lewis. Top stuff, lads. Will be sharing this like hell.

[@chisel83]

Many a great night at the bridgeway. Saw jimmy there a few times. Early 90s possibly around the two fires period he pulled me and my mates up on stage to sing flame trees. Picked up many a hot slut at a jimmy show haha. Best gig I ever saw was the black sorrows harley and rose tour but all the jimmy gigs rocked. The NAB shows with Swanee, mickey Finn and the Zep boys were always killer but I preferred the Glynde hotel nights with everybody I knew packed into the now sports bar area and dope smoke so thick you couldn't see two feet in front of you

[@roostersbays95]

dont forget Iron Horse and Woodstock..so called 2nd tier ..still good and grunty bands plying their wares ...yep ...ya...

[@ianmorrison5476]

The photo was taken by a friend of mine, Geoff Moore, at the Mawson Hotel at Caves Beach in Newcastle in 78.

[@macturkey101]

Anyone else think Mossy might have been listening to the Van Halen I album released earlier that year? Check out his riffing at 8:45 on the intro to "Teenage Love". Hints of "I'm the One" in there....kzbin.info/www/bejne/oavOiXp_h8armas

[@skinnyt1971]

Yeah agreed. And there's Eddie VH all over another of these early live tapes. Think it was February 1980 at the Bondi Lifesaver. Mossy had definitely hooked into VH for a bit.

[@michaelduthie264]

Thank you so much for uploading this! Love this era. They sound fully formed even at this stage. And Mossy- has to be our greatest guitarist.

[@PeterNolan-m7j]

Fully formed neck wringers indeed! Go Mossy Go Jimmy!

[@lindasherlock1100]

Swingshift is the first album I ever bought. Still love these songs. 🎼❤️🥂

[@PeterNolan-m7j]

Great set, said the Bishop to the actress!

[@stepheneverett7164]

Great place to watch live oz rock in the late 70's early 80's...saw chisel there a few times in 1978...can't say for sure if i saw this one....awesome recording

[@benlester9637]

Wow that's amazing! Chisel's the best band. What a set list too, holy fuck. Cheers mate

[@paulhoward4402]

Great memories of Chisel gigs from this era, although I never saw them at the Pooraka, but mainly at the Mawson and Orana hotels in southern Newcastle area. I reckon this gig would have opened with Juliet or Home and Broken Hearted and probably Suicide Sal. Great nights, great band, great songs and they were keen to have a drink with the punters afterwards.

[@BenjaminBarnes]

Thanks for the insight Paul, wish I was there myself. Cheers

[@PeterNolan-m7j]

Old rockers never die they just creak with the floorboards!

[@RealtreeGrizzlyBear]

Love it 🙏 how good did goodbye sound. That’s awesome.

[@tonylavis4660]

Hi guys, just a bit of history on this recording. I came across this tape I recorded on a Sony Walkman. At the time it was over 30 years old. I knew I had to digitise it. Unfortunately the tape was so old it was stretching distorting the sound. In the end had to spray electrical spray on heads as it was running to create less drag. Final result on my computer was very dull so had to use all EQ facilities in Garageband to bring it back to life. This I believe captures Chisel at their hard rock'n best. They were having a great night.. even the overhead drum mike fell to the floor in time in H-Hour at the beginning of Mossy's solo.

[@BenjaminBarnes]

Mate thank you for salvaging this absolute gem!! It seems to be the only available live version of H-Hour Hotel, too. From what I understand, a mate of yours originally recorded this show and the cassette found its way to you. This profile here kzbin.info/door/ayLcKs-zl671ByszYvzcSQ I was wondering if you could contact me at [e-mail] to help me reach them, regarding another unheard gig from the Arkaba Hotel, Adelaide 1978. Much appreciated.

[@chisel83]

I'll buy you a pint anywhere anytime Tony. Cheers mate.

[@PeterNolan-m7j]

Had the same problem with an old ACADACA tape I found in an old Datsun 180B, Same result exactly!

[@BeAGoodDoga]

Damn this is a killer gig! This should’ve been The Live Tapes Vol 5! As for what’s missing... Juliet was their usual set opener during that time, and Home And Broken Hearted would’ve most likely followed... Shipping Steel is also absent (I assume they didn’t play it anyway)... H-Hour Hotel & Teenage Love Affair kill live! Far better than the demos! And Kings Cross Kid is far superior than Plaza... Don’t know why it was re-worked... Maybe to give Mossy another song to sing? Thanks for this, mate!

[@violetfrank581]

Good analysis

[@BeAGoodDoga]

@@violetfrank581 thanks dude👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@Ulbre]

sounds like you got to see them at this time........awesome.....lucky you....cheers from Chiang Mai

[@BeAGoodDoga]

@@Ulbre dude I wasn’t even born until 1993, long after Chisel broke up…

[@Blackscorpion1963]

@@BeAGoodDoga now that is interesting. We have something in common. I was born in '63 across the ditch here in Kiwiville. I turn 60 in Nov. So you'll turn 30 this year. I have to say I am more relieved than anything you are in to Cold Chisel. Most 30 somethings today would think Cold Chisel is a metal thing stuck in the refrigerator. I was responsible for recruiting my rowing buddy [we both rowed for a local rowing club in '83] in to listening to Cold Chisel and we both jumped on a public bus trip to see Cold Chisel play at the Dunedin Town Hall here in the South Island of NZ on Saturday 24th September '83. I was 2 months shy of my 20th birthday. My mate and I were both automotive engineering apprentices [fancy term for mechanic] he worked in a Chrysler/Hillman/Mitsubishi car franchise and I worked at a GM franchise truck shop and it mainly serviced Bedford & Isuzu trucks & buses. Back to Chisel - I pretty much idolized Jimmy Barnes, and Doc Neeson [The Angels], and Iva Davies [Icehouse] I guess mainly because I was a member in the school 'choirs' and I loved to sing. But Jimmy Barnes drew my attention because he just had so much raw energy, passion, and his vocals were so unique. I tended to prefer Australian bands as they sounded 'tougher'/'harder' than our Kiwi bands if you get my drift. There was so much more competition in Australia I guess for bands and you Aussie audiences were pretty tough on bands and would only acknowledge if you liked a band if it really impressed you - and it took a heck of a lot to convince an Aussie audience a band were the real deal. So that meant an Aussie band really had to work hard by playing mega amounts of live gigs before they got recognised publicly. They really had to 'cut their chops' before being rewarded I guess. The Australia/New Zealand 'pub rock' genre of music really appeals to me because it is music that was developed because of a hell of a lot of hard work - blue collar music if you get my drift. Back to your point - 'This should’ve been The Live Tapes Vol 5!' - yes couldn't agree more! I've got all of 'The Live Tapes' in my Cold Chisel collection and they are just gems really. As I write this Ian Moss is singing 'Georgia' - what a classic version! Love Mossy. He's completely the opposite in character to Jimmy Barnes - Moss is a little more introverted than Barnes as Jimmy is more extrovert. Both a highly skilled musicians make no error. However it was all members of Cold Chisel who made up on heck of a group/band. I mean take Don Walker - what a song writer! And then there's the late Steve Prestwich on drums what a strong man! And lastly Phil Small on bass - always played a mean strong groove. That was the original Chisel who I knew. Thank you for being a disciple of Cold Chisel bro - welcome to the religion.

[@bayent01]

Thank you for sharing such a fantastic document in Oz rock.

[@fytakytemusic]

What a great gig with some rare gems! Thanks for sharing!

[@ianmorrison5476]

A friend of mine has a recording of the band from 7th January 78 at the Mawson. Their last show before they went into the studio to record their first album

[@PeterNolan-m7j]

I wish I was Dr Who and could go back and be there myself!

[@jamwhenever]

Good memories there. 👌

[@PeterNolan-m7j]

I have a recording of my cat from last fortnight and it is fucking awsome!

[@davidhumphries1146]

I'm trying to remember a cover they did in north Queensland in 1982 at least. 12 barre blues

[@vancewilson9413]

Best band ever 😎👍

[@PeterNolan-m7j]

Totally agree, totally!

[@PeterNolan-m7j]

Pooraka Hotel Also Known as The Poo! Can ya dig it! Remember Billy Idol performing Monee Monee at the Poo?

[@Ulbre]

If you invent a time machine......go here first!!!!

[@vamqpaplaysroblox]

Not sure if this was the night a hole appeared in the men's toilet wall and all of a sudden people started streaming out the Men's

[@raresaturn]

Kings Cross Kid = Plaza Hotel???

[@skinnyt1971]

Kings Cross Kid ... Plaza Hotel? Think I prefer The early version. Feel the same about F-111.

[@raresaturn]

what other version of F-111 is there? i only know the one from the Teenage Love album

[@skinnyt1971]

raresaturn Listen to the St Leonard’s Park concert from 1978. It’s pretty different. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6S0fZqLe5ihjrs

[@pennywilliams453]

Awesome...Thanks for sharing😍

[@BeAGoodDoga]

@@raresaturn it’s on the St. Leonard’s Park recording.