Renowned rock guitarist and singer Diesel has headed out to regional areas of the country in solo mode.
He is giving fans the opportunity to hear his tracks raw, the way he first approached them, but with the added experience of having just recorded a new album.
Appropriately, for an artist born in America and raised in Australia, the concept for his new album is Americana.
Mark Lizotte, known far and wide as Diesel, will be paying tribute to the artists that influenced his own musical stew on his new album Americana – and on tour – by putting his unique stamp on some classic songs.
“It’s such a broad term, Americana – it means different things to different people,” Diesel said.
“From moving out here from America, then moving back and forth again.
“I wonder if I would have as much fascination and love for American music if I had just stayed in America all my life and never made it out to Australia?
“It’s safe to say I probably wouldn’t.”
The music may be American, but Diesel will approach it the only way he knows how.
“It’s very Australian what I’m doing,” he said.
“That mongrel thing, taking music - whether it’s from England or America - then crossing things over.
“We’re not scared of mixing things up here and breaking the rules.
“Never have been.”
The selection process has been torturous yet also fearless, as for example he had the daring to tackle Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen.
“It’s like someone saying, ‘I’m going to rewrite the bible’,” he laughed.
“You just don’t touch it! But I thought, if I’m gonna make an Americana album, I may as well get in the ring with Muhammad Ali – the featherweight’s gonna take on the heavyweight and we’ll see what happens.
“So, if Born to Run is a stranger, I’m going to go right up to that stranger on the street and kiss ’em on the lips. That’s it.”
So now, a quarter-century after he busted out of the garage and into the Australian psyche with Don’t Need Love and Soul Revival, it is time for fans to hear the songs that made the man.
He will be supported by singer-songwriter Imogen Clark – an alt country/Americana singer/songwriter from Sydney.
Diesel will perform solo at Club Sapphire, Merimbula on Friday, May 27 with doors opening at 8pm. Tickets for the over 18 event are $35.
