As the lead guitarist in Cold Chisel, Ian Moss is one of Australia’s most recognisable musicians. However, in his own right, he is also an extraordinary performer, with an extensive solo catalogue and a reputation for virtuosic guitar. 

After Cold Chisel’s historic tour last year, Moss has been touring around Australia with a jazz trio and returned to Sydney to play a gig at the City Recital Hall, which is renowned for its fabulous acoustics. 

With no support act, and instead, a nearly 3-hour long set, Moss started with an acoustic version of “Angel Eyes” dedicated to his sister before continuing onto “Telephone Booth” which he sung particularly well, with his soaring vocals in fine form. He brought out a crowd favourite very early in “When the War is Over”, which had the entire audience singing along as Moss and his band performed a superb rendition of the track. 

This was followed soon after by “Flame Trees”, which Moss and his band stripped back before they tackled the Ray Charles version of “Cry.” The instrumentals of the trio were strong throughout, with Zoe Hauptmann on the strings, Harry Sutherland on keys, and Kerry Jacobson on the drums. It was clear that Moss is an absolute perfectionist with his music and every musical choice was carefully considered through the night, which ensured that this concert was a music aficionado’s delight.

Moss closed his opening set with a mashup of “Never Before” and Steve Winwood’s “Can’t Find My Way Home” which was a great opportunity to showcase some of Moss’ higher vocals (which he still nails at age 70). 

After the interval, Moss returned with an electric guitar solo of “Islands” before moving to “Janelle”, which was a highlight, showing off his smooth voice and his mastery of the guitar. Moss also sprinkled some of his newer works through the set, which were generally well received, even if the Cold Chisel songs drew the biggest cheers. 

Moss clearly greatly admires the songwriting of fellow Chisel band mate Don Walker, playing a number of his solo works. “Empty Dance Hall” was a particular highlight, with Moss giving the audience a virtuosic electric guitar solo at the end of the number, which had them marvelling at his skill. 

As the second set drew to a close, Moss performed “Cry Me A River”, which showed off his standout voice before getting the audience clapping for “Tucker’s Daughter” after initially performing a jazz version of the song. As arguably Moss’ biggest solo number, the crowd loved Moss’ rendition and deservedly gave him a standing ovation. 

For the encore, Moss saved some of the most beloved Cold Chisel songs, getting the audience to sing along to “Choir Girl” before closing out the night with a soulful version of “Bow River”, which the crowd absolutely loved. After a huge ovation, Moss was persuaded to do an additional encore of “Georgia on my Mind” which was handled incredibly well and a great way to finish the night. 

Moss is still one of Australia’s great performers and this concert was a testament to that. He performed a wide variety of jazz, rock and blues music and did so with flawless execution and musicianship. This is a concert for music lovers and Moss made sure that everyone in the audience got what they were after. A fabulous night of the highest quality music. 

Rating: ★★★★★

Ian Moss – City Recital Hall – May 2025