Reviewed on Saturday May 9
Diesel is an Australian staple. If you live on the east coast of Australia, chances are that Diesel has either just passed through your vicinity, or has a gig coming up. He’s released 13 albums over the past 26 years, with a smattering of charting singles. If you switched on a radio even now, there’s an outside chance they’re playing one of his songs.
The man otherwise known as Mark Lizotte has spent the better part of the last decade exploring the more intimate sides of music, focused more on the acoustic guitar, and playing smaller shows (mostly at his family’s Lizotte’s venues). This Amplified tour does as the name suggests, however, seeing Diesel front a three-piece band in a more traditional venue, Newtown Social Club.
Earlier, Rin McArdle opened up the show with a handful of soul-inspired tunes. Switching between different synth sounds and an acoustic guitar, McArdle had a warm presence and a great voice, which only solidified the songs she was performing.
The headliner himself played guitar like he had kept every instrument he owned and locked them in a basement for ten years, and this was the first time he’d taken them out to play again. Diesel swapped guitars and pedals like a restless child, using each one for extended guitar solos and jam sessions. Even the one acoustic guitar he brought onstage eventually got swamped in a layer of distortion.
The set was fun and easy-going, but still tight as hell. Diesel was backed up by a rhythm section that could have played this set upside down and underwater. He made sure they went through all the major hits, and threw a few surprises in too. A collaborative cover of Patti Smith’s ‘Because The Night’ was a set highlight. Other wildcards include a cover of ‘Have Love, Will Travel’, and a song that segued into Hendrix’s ‘Spanish Castle Magic’. Encores included some more familiar favourites, ‘Tip Of My Tongue’ and ‘Can’t Stand The Rain’.
One of the best parts about the evening was the positive energy that was in the room. You could tell that Diesel enjoyed being onstage, and it was a feeling that was reflected back to him by the audience. In a career that is enjoying its third decade, it’s comforting to see that the passion is still there, from performer and audience alike.
