Concert review: Together Alone with Ian Moss and Troy Cassar-Daley lifts the crowd at Geraldton’s QPT

Two icons. One stage. It sounded like a match made in heaven on paper. But heading into Troy Cassar-Daley and Ian Moss’ concert, I didn’t know what to expect, as I was not a massive follower of either musician’s back catalogue.

Their Together Alone tour was a performance unlike any I’d seen before, and although Moss did not perform his best, I now share a closer connection to the musicians thanks to Cassar-Daley’s storytelling.

The two talented guitarists had their first gig after a tour break at Queens Park Theatre on Wednesday. The performance saw the country and rock duo collaborate with their musical differences, turning up their songs another notch.

Cassar-Daley, an Australian country music songwriter, brought the entertainment in between songs, offering an insight into the stories behind the lyrics. I believe he tied in Australia’s cultural differences with this tour to send the message that we are all one.

Australian rock musician and renowned guitarist Moss — despite being unwell on stage — gained lots of traction from the audience, who were left wanting more.

The musicians worked in tandem, taking turns performing their best-known songs while the other performed the harmony and background singing to create a fabulous acoustic tour.

“I love you, Mossy,” an audience member screamed.

“I love you more, Mossy,” said another.

The good mates hit it off with their cover of Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine. Cassar-Daley’s voice was harmonic and matched with the bluesy song, while Moss toned down his usual tough rock strums for a mid-song solo.

The duo’s humour could have kept the audience entertained in its own right. Cassar-Daley took out a banjo and explained how he had been given the instrument by the blue Wiggle, and pumped out some Wiggles classics.

At the beginning of the performance, Moss seemed to be struggling to get his tune right, seemingly frustrated when his guitar was playing up. As I watched, I secretly hoped he’d do something outrageous. Instead, he remained calm and made do with what he had.

Moss had a sore throat and struggled with his vocals, which was a shame. However, Cassar-Daley lifted the crowd when he asked the audience what songs they wanted to hear.

The crowd screamed out their song requests, and some were lucky enough to get what they’d asked for. Cassar-Daley said they hadn’t done that in any other show. I think it was a motive to draw the crowd in because Moss was so unwell, but it worked in their favour.

Moss played some solo hits and some from his Cold Chisel days, including Tucker’s Daughter, Flame Trees and Telephone Booth, which weren’t on the Together Alone Tour EP. Cassar-Daley sang Going Back Home, Born to Survive — on which he played the harmonica — and, my personal favourite, River Boy.

The friends left the stage, and the crowd screamed “one more” until Cassar-Daley returned to the stage, telling the audience Moss was grabbing a beer. They finished their performance with one last song for the encore.

The Perth show was cancelled because of the sudden loss of a family member last Thursday.