Ian Moss preps first solo album in eight years, unveils Aussie, European tour dates

Cold Chisel guitarist Ian Moss is releasing his first studio album in eight years on March 2. The self-titled set is also s first of all original material in 22 years.

“It’s a little overdue,” Moss says in histypical understated way.

The guitarist co-wrote eight of the songs with Sydney singer-songwriter Sam Hawksley, who’s now based in the US, where he’s a member of The BoDeans.

A highlight is ‘Broadway’, which he wrote about missing his son, Julian when he’s on the road.

The beautiful ‘My Suffering’ was written by Chisel bandmate and close friend Steve Prestwich, who died in 2011.

“It means a lot to me that there’s a little bit of Steve on this album,” Moss says.

Other Chisel links are Charley Drayton playing on ten tracks. Don Walker’s piano punctuates ‘A Girl Like You’, which name-checks one of Chisel’s favourite haunts when they moved to Sydney from Adelaide in the ’70s, the infamous Manzil Room.

The album was produced by Peter Walker, who also produced Cold Chisel’s self-titled debut in 1978.

Moss will do a series of solo acoustic shows across the UK and Europe.

These seven dates start on May 9 with two shows in Germany before heading off to Glasgow, Wolverhampton, Manchester and London before winding up on May 19 in Dublin.

After these dates wind up, he returns to Australia and does ten theatre shows with his band. These are:

Friday, June 22 – Wrest Point Showroom, Hobart

Saturday, June 23 – Country Club Showroom, Launceston

Friday, June 29 – The Tivoli, Brisbane

Saturday, June 30 – The Tivoli, Brisbane

Friday, July 6 – The Palms At Crown, Melbourne

Saturday, July 7 – The Palms At Crown, Melbourne

Friday, July 13 – Canberra Theatre, Playhouse, Canberra

Saturday, July 14 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Friday, July 20 – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide

Saturday, July 21 – Astor Theatre, Perth