Ian Moss

I step into the close confines of The Vanguard - the place is all red walls, velvet curtains and absinthe cocktails; a bohemian glamour drips off the walls. There is the comforting warmth of low-lit chandeliers and golden lamps. The ambience is in the same realm as the very best of lounge-bars – with the very important addition of a small theatre stage at the back of the room.

Opening up is local bloke Alex Ryan. His style is nothing new – it’s the same tired old chords, blues-rock covers and ‘originals’ you can hear any night up and down the north coast of Queensland. This brand of toned-down pub-fare just doesn’t inspire. The only bright spot comes when he takes on an Otis Redding song. He finishes up with a song that makes us all laugh, ‘Tucker’s Daughter’. There is much speculation as to whether Mr. Moss had a quiet word in the ear of this guy, perhaps, we think, saving the man from having to play it himself.

Ian is on his second night at The Vanguard tonight, and he takes to the stage, dressed in white shirt and jeans, all unassuming charm. His first song, he says, was, ‘Probably written about 53 years ago’ – the bittersweet ‘Cry Me a River’, to which he brings a subdued, deeply emotional quality. All alone up there on stage, Ian is a magnetic presence. There is no rock-star posturing or show-off guitar-work, but he elicts thunderous applause from the audience nonetheless. You feel that the essence of the song is being distilled into the guitar – that the chords are not mere notes mashed together, but entwined within the heart of the song.

Whatever his technique, he captures the audience from that very first song – they lean forward and absorb his every resonant vocal, every brash guitar swipe. As everyone in the audience hoped (yes, I’m guilty) he performs a decent selection of Chisel songs, the standout having to be the excellent ‘Saturday Night’ which everyone (who, me?) sings along to. Favourite ‘Telephone Booth’ is pulled off in flawless style, his voice bringing forth memories of driving around this large, brown country. Ian is one of those artists that should be listed as a National Treasure, Phar Lap and Ned Kelly style. Why? He manages to evoke feelings of national pride, and I’m not just talking in the heart region of the army guy I brought along with me. The cynic in me feels a little better about this nation because we have artists like Moss.

And, yes – he does play ‘Tucker’s Daughter’.

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