Jimmy Barnes and Band performing live at Big Day Out in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday

Australian rock ‘n’ roll legend Jimmy Barnes screamed at a roaring crowd of hundreds of expatriates at the Big Day Out event on Saturday night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Big Day Out, organized annually by the Australian Chamber of Commerce, is an iconic and highly anticipated event for expatriates from Down Under and all over the world living in Vietnam.

And Jimmy Barnes’ performance truly made it an Australian Big Day Out. It was Barnes’ first trip to Vietnam. On stage, he said it was an honor to finally get to Vietnam and perform.

The gravel-voiced Barnes has performed on the back of a truck in Adelaide, at the Bondi Lifesavers in Sydney, and in pubs, clubs and stadiums across the world.

Speaking at a press conference in HCMC on Friday, Barnes said this trip was significant for him both personally and professionally.

“I’ve been looking forward to coming for a long time. I’ve got lots of Vietnamese friends in Australia; there’s a large Vietnamese community in Australia and they’ve told me all about it.

“And, I’ve had lots of friends who’ve come here over the last couple of years and they’ve told me how great the people are, the cooking is, the wonderful beaches,” Barnes said.

“So it’s really great I got the opportunity, not only to come but to work. Coming to a place for work, I seem to get to know the people a lot better and do what I do best and meet people on their level.”

Hundreds of Australian families and other expatriates who now call HCMC home, were out in droves on Saturday for an afternoon and evening of Australiana.

“We love this day and we’ve had it booked in our calendars since last years’ event,” said one attendee from Australia.

“It makes us feel like we’re at home, because we’d usually be outdoors seeing a live band or enjoying picnics in the park at this time of year back home in Sydney. And, it’s great for the kids to be out-and-about.”

There was an array of Australiana activities for kids and families including a Wet and Wild pool, mini Olympics, face painting, rock climbing and a circus. And for the adults, a smorgasbord of Aussie food and drink – fish and chips, barbeque beef and beer.

The music event, which is named after an annual summer music festival in Australia, featured non-stop music from acts like a Filipino outfit, The Rat Pack, Acoustic Band and Xone-FM Radio.

The highlight of this years’ event was by far the headliner act – Jimmy Barnes and Band live.

Jimmy Barnes, the elder statesman of Australian rock ‘n’ roll, has carved out one of the most successful solo careers of any performer in Australian rock history.

He launched himself on the Australian music scene in 1973 as lead singer of Cold Chisel and, within three years of the release of its first album, Cold Chisel was the most successful band in Australia. After the band split in the mid-1980s, Jimmy Barnes launched his solo career.

Popularly nicknamed ‘Barnesy’ as is pertinent in Australian culture, his songs have become anthems for Aussies of several generations. Barnes’ signature gravel-voice, which he says is “like a Mac truck,” has been pushing out tunes to hundreds of thousands of concert crowds for more than 35 years.

The rock legend, whose life philosophy seems be “work hard, play harder,” is down-to-earth like you’d expect any Australian to be, regardless of his fame.

Over the decades of his successful career, his music has been called the quintessential rock opera and is well-known for its honest and somewhat stark portrayal of Australia’s social life, and in particular its working-class culture.

Barnes said that if he could win over a new audience in Vietnam-and if Saturday night’s performance was anything to go by, he has this trip could be the first of many to come.

“We have a large Vietnamese population in Australia who are fans. Asia as a market for rock ‘n’ roll music is opening up,” he said

Expats in Vietnam can expect to see the 53-year-old rocker again, possibly next year. “I’m going to come back for a holiday and really explore. There’s a lot of history here…”

The Big Day Out is a part of the Australian Chamber of Commerce’s program to support various charities such as the Sunrise School and Saigon Children’s Charity.

Big Day Out, formerly known as Australia Day, usually falling on or around the official day of Australia (Australia Day, January 26), is a celebration for Australians living in Vietnam who are hankering for a bit of culture from Down Under.

Reported by Asha Phillips