Ian Moss has come a long way from his early days as a boy born and raised in Australia’s Red Centre. As a teenager he struggled at school and ultimately made the decision to head to the big smoke of Adelaide to give formal education another go – but it wasn’t meant to be. Upon answering an advert in a shop window to join a little-known band some 45 years ago, Mossy (as he is affectionately known) has never looked back. That band was Cold Chisel.
Nearly half a century on, and Mossy is a household name, and enjoying his work as much as ever before. “My regional tour kicked off again earlier in the month, and it’s fantastic!” he smiles, as we sit down to chat on one of his rare days off. “It’s been really well-received and I’m looking forward to playing more dates over over the next few months.
Mossy’s solo acoustic set-list planned for these shows reads like a ‘Best-of’, featuring songs from his 2018 self-titled album as well as some of Cold Chisel’s much-loved classics, and a few of his favourite jazz-blues ballads. “I’ll cherry-pick a few from my new album. It’s the first time I’ve written the lions-share of the songs which I am pretty proud of.
Produced by old friend Peter Walker, Mossy’s latest album showcases an exceptional musician and songwriter at the top of his game. “Pete and I have a long standing connection. He produced the very first Cold Chisel album and he actually produced my second solo album too, World’s Away. He’s great an old friend, he has a great ear and he is a wonderful arranger. It’s really hard to find a producer with no only the musical sense but the musical knowledge.
Mossy also pays tribute to the late great, Cold Chisel alumi, Steve Prestwich on the album with the inclusion of the Prestwich-written song ‘My Suffering’. “It means a lot to me to have released that song. I’ve always loved it and it’s a great tip of the hat to Steve and his ability as a writer.
“Also, 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of my Matchbook album,” Mossy adds as he continues to reminisce. “That album features songs like ‘Tucker’s Daughter’, ‘Telephone Booth’, ‘Out of the Fire’ and ‘Such a Beautiful Thing’ are the four big hits from that album, so I’ll definitely play those,” he adds.
“Then the rest of the show is my version of the songs that I’m famous for singing with Cold Chisel such as ‘My Baby’, ‘Bow River’, and I do my version of songs like ‘Choir Girl’ and ‘When the War Is Over’, then I like to share my love for the old jazz-blues ballads like ‘Cry Me a River’ and ‘Georgia On My Mind’ – so it’s a fairly well-rounded show. I will play two sets and I certainly don’t renege in the encore, that’s for sure. I’m officially meant to play two songs [for the encore] but I always go well past that – and I’ve still got a long way to go.”
When & Where: Capital Theatre, Bendigo – March 15 & Mildura Arts Centre, Mildura – March 16.
Written by Natalie Rogers
Photo by Daniel Boud
