Airdate: The Artist’s Story: Cold Chisel

If you are a Chisel fan, next Monday MAX has a doco on the inside story of the band with archival footage and recent interviews in The Artist’s Story.

Cold Chisel is one of Australia’s most revered rock outfits with a history that spans forty years. With a reputation forged through blistering live shows and brilliant albums, the iconic band’s music evokes both the joys and the angst about what it means to be Australian. Their story is colourful, volatile and proud and their music continues to be ingrained in the hearts of generations. Uncovering the blood, sweat and tears, MAX explores the untold story of this legendary band in the exclusive local production, MAX The Artist’s Story: Cold Chisel.

Premiering Monday, April 1 at 9:30pm this documentary utilises a wealth of rare archival footage as well as recent interviews to follow the rock legends chronologically through their illustrious and colourful career. The result: the real inside story of Cold Chisel.

Through interviews with Jimmy Barnes, Don Walker, Ian Moss and Phil Small, MAX explores the band’s early formation in Adelaide; the release of their debut album and subsequent studio and live albums; the internal conflicts which led to the sudden dissolution of the band in 1983 and their Last Stand tour; to their reunion in 1998 and their reformation in 2009 and beyond.

The reunion in 2009, for a one-off performance at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium, saw the band play to 50,000 fans, the biggest crowd of its career. In MAX’s interviews, the band reveals that this event sparked a renewed enthusiasm for working together again – on the stage and in the studio. The untimely death of drummer Steve Prestwich in January 2011 came when the band was recording new material and preparing for a comprehensive national tour. They vowed to continue in Prestwich’s honour, leading to the Light The Nitro tour in late 2011, the biggest tour ever by an Australian band, and the No Plans album in 2012.

So many of Cold Chisel’s songs resonate with people and the band’s music and influence spans generations. The 1978 release, Khe Sanh, remains not only one of Cold Chisel’s most popular hits, but one of the most popular songs ever recorded by an Australian act. It has become embedded as part of the Australian psyche and is an unofficial national anthem. MAX The Artist’s Story: Cold Chisel explores the real meaning behind this classic song and its lasting legacy. Additionally, this documentary takes an in-depth look at the band’s hugely successful breakthrough album, the much-loved East.

The story of Cold Chisel is the second in the new documentary series MAX: The Artist’s Story which sets out to uncover the exclusive, untold story of some of the world’s most revered artists. In November 2012, the story of one of Australia’s most prolific bands, Midnight Oil premiered on MAX.

In addition to extensive interview with the band members, MAX The Artist’s Story: Cold Chisel also features interviews with key figures in the band’s history including Rod Willis who managed the band for 30 years, Mark Pope (Tour Manager) and Mark Opitz (Producer).

The music and legacy of Cold Chisel continue to resonate raucously across this country. Discover the never-before-told story behind this iconic Australian band in, MAX The Artist’s Story: Cold Chisel.

Australian Premiere
Monday, April 1 at 9.30pm EDT on MAX