Ian Moss & Troy Cassar-Daley Chat Not Taking Live Music For Granted On 'The Green Room'

The phrase "in these uncertain times" certainly became an overused crutch in 2020; so much so that its sentiment almost lost all meaning. When Australia seemingly got a collective handle on the COVID-19 pandemic this year, memories of livestream concerts and the upsetting lack of mosh pits slowly wafted into oblivion.

Sadly, the past few weeks have once again brought the uncertainty roaring back with gusto for many around the country, with the live event industry once again becoming collateral damage in the wake of snap lockdowns and border closures across Australia. But, despite the doom and gloom settling back into short-term plans, a few glimmers of hope sit poised on the somewhat near horizon for the live music scene. One particular ray of excitement starting this October is the prolific team-up of two of Australia's most respected singers, musicians and songwriters: yep, Ian Moss and Troy Cassar-Daley are packing the guitars and hitting the road together for their national Together Alone Tour. 

For Moss and Cassar-Daley, the sheer volume of gigs the two have played in their respective careers could fill a village of stadiums and then some. From Moss' tenure as founding guitarist and occasional vocalist for Aussie rock stalwarts Cold Chisel, as well as an abundant solo career, to Cassar-Daley's prolific history in the country and singer-songwriter realms, there has never been a more contrasting yet complementary pairing of two musical heroes in their own individual rights. But, with such an extensive adjacent history of performing and creating between the two, there's still plenty of fresh experiences in the live arena (especially amid the cloud of COVID-19 lurking in the wings), as the two gents divulged when they dropped by the studio (prior to lockdown) for this week's episode of The Green Room With Tiana Speter.

As talk in the episode turned from collaborating and writing music together to live performances later in their careers, as well as in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, all eyes (and ears) were on Moss who had been recently touring his solo acoustic show. 

"I reckon, Ian, you're doing the most touring out of both of us right now... have you noticed a difference with people showing that appreciation for a live show again?" Cassar-Daley asked Moss.

"Oh, absolutely, yeah, yeah!" Moss concurred. "And they're more than happy to come up and tell you.

"I've sort of found... I didn't realise it, but I'm starting to actually even talk a lot more, and communicate and be on a personal level. Which I've always been too... you know, after all these years, (laughs) a bit nervous about doing. 

"And with the recent tour I've been doing, people have been coming up and saying: 'We've always loved your singing and guitar playing, but what's been fantastic is the way you've relaxed and you've let us in, and you're talking to us!'

"I, kind of, half didn't even realise I was doing it!"

"Maybe it goes both ways, too," Cassar-Daley told host Tiana Speter. "I mean, I think I took gigs for granted before COVID.

"I sort of thought: 'This'll be gone in a minute!' And then, we cruise into 2020, and everything starts falling over like dominoes... and then you've got no gigs. And then, you finally get back and you go: 'I'm not gonna take another one of these for granted again!' Because, you know, you just... you wanna give more. Much as you try to all the time when you're playing, I think I was sort of slackening off a little bit at times. Where I thought I was just going through the motions."

"We're all a bit guilty of that, yep!" Moss nodded.

While the upcoming tour for Moss and Cassar-Daley marks the first time the two powerhouses are joining forces for a live outing, there's no denying the pair's unwavering respect and admiration for each other - both professionally and personally - as well as a unified appreciation for honing and sharing their craft in a live solo (and acoustic) setting. 

"It's a beautiful moment when you can actually just engage a crowd with an acoustic guitar because... the lyrics are different, you appreciate the lyrics a lot more," Cassar-Daley mused.

"Yeah, it forces you actually to go back, 'cos you go: 'Hang on, I've gotta figure out a new way to do this. Even though I've been doing this for twenty years, I've never done it on my own," Moss said. "And it's good, you rediscover the song.

"And I found new meaning in the lyrics because I had to, sort of, really think about how I'm gonna tell this story."

You can watch the full video with host Tiana Speter below or here; and you can also catch up on the full The Green Room podcast episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts (below) or wherever you usually grab your favourite podcasts; and don't miss the chance to catch these two old friends conjure some magic onstage with the Together Alone Tour kicking off this October.

CONTENT WARNING: This podcast contains discussion of mental health. If you are suffering from any of the issues that have been discussed or need assistance, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. 

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Tickets for Ian Moss and Troy Cassar-Daley's Together Alone Tour are on sale now. Head to theGuide for all upcoming tour dates and more info.

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Need more music, film, TV and comedy in your life? Check out all previous episodes of The Green Room here - and did you know you can also watch episodes of The Green Room too? Head here to check out some of the recent videos, and if you're still hunting for content to feed your ears, be sure to check out the below to learn more about some of the other exciting Handshake Agency podcasts!

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