Australian music legend Mark Lizotte, aka Diesel, brings his latest tour to Geelong, a one-man show featuring tunes spanning the four decades of his career.
Lizotte’s latest album Alone With Blues, recorded by himself during pandemic lockdowns, forms the core of the show, but both lovers of his original hits and fans keen to hear his new material will not be disappointed.
Lizotte said after the isolation of COVID-19 lockdowns he was enjoying exploring his entire catalogue at his live shows.
“It’s the most all-encompassing show I’ve done to date, I feel like I’ve really stretched myself out on this one, which is a great feeling,” Lizotte said.
“Probably taking a break (due to COVID-19) allowed me to do that, because God knows, I hadn’t stopped for a long time; it’s been the tour that never ends.
“To come back after that shutdown of a couple of years, it’s a nice way to (do it). I feel like I’m being really rewarded.”
Recording Alone With Blues during lockdowns gave Lizotte the chance to reconnect with the double bass, which he played before taking up the guitar at age 14, and he features the instrument in the live show.
“That’s when I reacquainted myself with the double bass; it was great, I discovered I can sing and play the double bass, I’d never tried to do that before,” he said.
“It’s amazing, you can leave all this beautiful space hanging because it’s a bass. It really fills the room up with this big hug of a sound.
“So I start off this show with that, take people on a journey, doing songs from 60, 70 years ago that are on the blues record, through things from other records I’ve made, then we roll out the hits.”
Lizotte’s show will also include new tunes from his upcoming album, Bootleg Melancholy.
Diesel performs at Geelong Arts Centre’s Story House at 6pm on Sunday, October 15.
