Jimmy Barnes returned to the stage with his band Cold Sisal in Sydney on Friday night after a medical emergency derailed his tour.
The 68-year-old rock star was forced to cancel two months' worth of gigs after developing a sore throat during a concert in August. New Zealand This led to emergency 'remedial' hip surgery.
He previously underwent open-heart surgery to prevent a staph infection, which later returned and attacked his pelvis, leading to recent trauma surgery and a six-week recovery.
But on Friday night, after his health struggles, Jimmy made his triumphant return to the stage at The Entertainment Quarter with his band Gold Siselle.
He was seen in good spirits as he worked with his bandmates Bill Small, Charlie Drayton and Dan Walker on some of Cold Sisley's greatest hits.
The Khe Sanh hitmaker cut a smart figure in a black shirt and skinny leather-look trousers, which she teamed with chunky black boots.
The frontman looked in good health as he strutted across the stage and delivered a high-energy performance for the crowd.
Ahead of the show, Jimmy revealed he had been waiting a 'long time' for Gold Sissel's first Sydney show on their 50th anniversary tour.
Jimmy Barnes returned to the stage with his band Cold Chisel in Sydney on Friday night after an emergency medical procedure derailed his tour.
The 68-year-old star was forced to cancel two months' worth of gigs in August after noticing a pain in his side while performing in New Zealand, leading to emergency 'relieving' hip surgery.
Tonight is the first of the Big Top shows. It's always great to play in Sydney. A lot of my guys will come forward….I've been waiting for this for a long time,' he said on Instagram.
'Thanks to Karen Lee Andrews and The Cruel Sea for warming up the crowd. I'm ready.'
Dubbed 'The Big Five-0', the Cold Sisal 50th Anniversary Tour has already sold over 150,000 tickets across 16 shows, making it one of the most anticipated Aussie tours of the year.
He returned to the stage just weeks after being forced to postpone two months' worth of shows as he recovered from an emergency 'remedial' hip operation.
In a heartfelt message on Facebook at the time, Jimmy explained the unexpected need for surgery at the time and apologized to fans for the postponement.
As I was leaving Dunedin I sprained my hip and by evening the pain was excruciating. Doctors are moving fast, but I am expected to make a full recovery in six weeks,” he shared.
Fans have shown huge support, and the rocker has promised to reschedule his postponed shows, including dates in Wyong, Toowoomba, Trawl and Sydney.
He canceled concerts in August after emergency surgery as he recovered for more than six weeks.
But on Friday night, Jimmy made his triumphant return to the stage after his health struggles when he took the stage at The Entertainment Quarter.
He was seen in good spirits as he worked with his bandmates Bill Small, Charlie Drayton and Dan Walker on some of Cold Sisley's greatest hits.
The Khe Sanh hitmaker cut a smart figure in a black shirt and skinny leather-look trousers, which she teamed with chunky black boots.
The frontman looked in good health as he bounced around the stage and put on a high-energy performance for the crowd (he's pictured with Phil Small).
To help him recover from home, a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) tube was implanted in his arm to deliver medication to the large blood vessels around his heart.
In late September, Jimmy took to Instagram to celebrate having his PICC line removed after a six-week recovery.
“I was able to leave the hospital and continue most of my recovery at home,” he said. It is simultaneously restraining and liberating.
'With the help of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, family, friends, you and my Jane, my recovery is now over.'
The unexpected hip pain was due to a persistent bacterial infection that had previously attacked his heart and required heart surgery.
Reflecting on the terrifying time before, he admitted he told his wife Jane he wasn't going to do it while lying in Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital.
'I had this horrible sick feeling because I had never felt this sick before. I thought I was gone,' he recently told 60 Minutes.
He previously had open-heart surgery (pictured at the hospital) to prevent a staph infection, which then returned and attacked his hip, leading to recent trauma surgery and a six-week recovery.
A few hours before going to the hospital, an ill Jimmy took the stage at a memorial concert for his late friend and promoter Michael Gudinsky.
He said how he was sick and couldn't remember the show, and that he was sweating and had a fever backstage.
He had planned to go abroad for another concert, but his health worsened and he went to the hospital.
A team of experts discovered that an infection in his blood was causing endocarditis – a life-threatening inflammation of the heart – that his body was shutting down.
By the time he was wheeled into the operating theater for open-heart surgery, his doctors told him he had only hours to live.
In a marathon seven-hour surgery, doctors successfully replaced his damaged valves and repaired his heart.
