Jimmy Barnes Cafe Deco, The Peak Galleria Wednesday In an era of rock music spanning AC/DC to INXS, Cold Chisel and their vodka-swilling frontman Jimmy Barnes matched these blokes for popularity on the Aussie scene. 'Barnesy' brought his diesel-fuelled brand of rock and blues to the city that inspired the title of his new album Double Happiness. The album of duets with friends old and new - which debuted at No1 on the Australian album charts this year - showcases a range of styles, moving away from the stomping pub rock and laconic ballads that were the hallmark of Cold Chisel. For the sell-out crowd knocking back hefty volumes of free, high-strength Bundaberg Rum, the set's early soulful offerings were an opportunity to muscle into a prime viewing location and get loose. From above, the sea of bald heads gleaming under the stage lights resembled an ice-rink. This was a crowd that had grown up listening to Chisel classics of the 1970s and 80s in sticky-carpet pubs. The opening salvo consisted of Resurrection Shuffle, a homage to Otis Redding and cover of The Band's The Weight. A couple of samplers from Freight Train Heart (1987) and Soul Deep (1993) and the crowd was ready for the Cafe's main course. And so, with neck veins throbbing, hunched and screaming into the mic in trademark stance, Barnesy transported the crowd back to the beer-barn pubs of their Aussie youth. Working Class Man, Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye), Flame Trees and the country's alternate national anthem, Khe Sanh, had the heaving mass of fans in raptures. Yet despite having at their disposal a pantheon of tunes that defined Australian culture to people of a certain age, the band, with his son Jackie on drums and daughter Mahalia on backing vocals, committed a grave sin. They played Beatles songs. And, unforgivably, ended the gig early with one. Barnes justified their inclusion. 'Yeah, the band is still in its early days together. We just added them in to have a bit of fun.' It was a decision, to borrow from 1984's 20th Century album, that made No Sense. Barnes is a man who has exorcised a few demons - 'mate, I haven't had a [alcoholic] drink in four years' - and he remains a brilliant live gig. But preferably when he's giving the Bundy drinkers their shot of classic rock.