This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

Jimmy Barnes Tells 'Shitty' Liberals Not To Use His Music

Barnes unloads after minister references 'Working Class Man'.
Youtube/Twitter

Rock legend Jimmy Barnes has again taken aim at the Liberal government, demanding they stop using his name and songs to spruik their "shitty policies".

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and energy minister Josh Frydenberg went to the Bluescope steelworks in Port Kembla, south of Wollongong, on Monday to talk about energy policy, industry and jobs.

"More than 30 years ago Jimmy Barnes came to Port Kembla to make the film clip for Working Class Man. Today the Prime Minister has come to Port Kembla to create jobs for Australia's working class men and women," Frydenberg said proudly.

He was referencing Barnes' famous hit and iconic video clip, which was filmed at the NSW steelmaking facility.

Early on Tuesday morning, Barnes fired back on Twitter.

"Don't use my name or my songs to sell your shitty policies. You don't represent me," he told Frydenberg.

Barnes is outspoken and unabashedly political on Twitter, sharing lots of support for progressive causes. He was a loud supporter of marriage equality during the recent postal survey, as well as criticising Australia's current asylum seeker policy as it relates to offshore detention.

This isn't the first time Barnes has asked a political group to stop using his music and image in their campaigning. In 2015, Barnes told anti-Islam group Reclaim Australia to refrain from playing his songs, including hit 'Khe Sanh', at their rallies. In a Facebook post, he wrote "None of these people represent me and I do not support them".

Barnes told Q&A in 2016 that his family received death threats following his comments.

"The thing that really annoyed me was they all were draped in the Australian flag, and they didn't represent me. It didn't represent my views, it didn't represent the Australia I know," he said.

"I just said 'Please don't use my songs'. Say what you like, but don't use my songs. And you should've seen the mail I got. The comments I got on Facebook and Twitter were absolutely horrific. People threatening my children, you know.

"It was like, because I didn't want to have my songs associated with hate speech, they said I was supporting radical Islam and I should be killed. Ridiculous."

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.