Interview by Kris Peters
Australian music icon Diesel kick-started his Bootleg Melancholy Album Tour in December with explosive shows in Avoca Beach and Kiama, where fans got to experience the special musical language he has developed with his band of stalwarts, Richie Vez on bass and Lee Moloney on drums. Presented by New World Artists, Diesel, alongside Vez and Moloney, will resume the Bootleg Melancholy Album Tour this March in Warragul, followed by Melbourne, Launceston, Hobart, Perth, Batemans Bay, Newcastle, Sydney, Wyong, Adelaide with proceedings drawing to a close on Saturday, May 3 in Elizabeth.
The two set performance showcases Diesel’s impressive career spanning over three decades, with boundless energy and vitality infused into every song, old and new, the audience will be treated to an unforgettable experience shared with music lovers nationwide. “With so much material to draw from, I’m excited to blend new songs with classics,” Diesel shares. “We make quite a bit of sound for a three-piece, and each show will reflect that energy!” Fans can expect a dynamic set list featuring perennial favourites like Tip Of My Tongue, Soul Revival, All Come Together, Man Alive, Never Miss Your Water and Cry In Shame, alongside “new family member” tracks from Bootleg Melancholy.
Diesel is also excited to announce an exclusive guitar giveaway with long-standing partner, Fender. Every ticket purchased for the 2025 Bootleg Melancholy Album Tour —including those who have already purchased tickets—will automatically go into the draw to WIN a signed Squire Sonic Stratocaster Electric Guitar, there’s one guitar to be won at every show. At the conclusion of the tour, Diesel will personally draw a major prize winner, who will receive a one-on-one Zoom guitar lesson with the Australian legend—a truly unique and exciting opportunity for fans and aspiring musicians alike.
One of Australia’s greatest success stories, Diesel, has spent three decades weaving his one-of-a-kind musical magic into his rock and blues-fuelled sounds, both as part of the band Johnny Diesel & The Injectors and, more recently, as a solo artist. With multiple #1 ARIA charting albums under his belt, six ARIA award wins and millions of streams alongside a legion of fans, Diesel’s creative skillset also expands beyond his own projects, with the talented artist also renowned for his work as a producer and multi-instrumentalist.
HEAVY caught up with Diesel on the eve of the first show to find out more. Given the amount of touring Diesel has done throughout his career, we ask if he still gets the same enjoyment out of life on the road.
"There are some things that I've become more aware of that I don't like," he measured "The good thing about that is you become more aware. You can let it bother you or become more aware of it and… accept, maybe, or take steps to try and avoid. That's the good thing about experience, I suppose. When you first start you just go 'why does that happen?' or 'what do you mean?' Now, I wouldn't say that there's very few variables or surprising things. I think the most challenging thing (laughs)… let's get down to the basics. Watching the carousel go around and your gear doesn't come out. That's always a good start to the day (laughs). Which has happened. Then you think, okay, call this person. Call that person. Call music stores. You start begging and borrowing and then you have to calculate it's gonna come on that flight, but will it make it to the gig in time for the crew? This is all things that have happened, and the crowd, they're not to know. it's not their problem. That's always the biggest challenges. You always allow enough time, of course, but then it becomes like a sliding scale. How much time can you allow because you've got commitments before that and it's also the massive expense of going the day before and things like that. So you've got everyone on hold and you have accommodation and cars for an extra day. These are all big factors for a touring party."
In the full interview, Diesel discusses the Bootleg Melancholy Album Tour in more detail, what to expect, the performance time over two sets, balancing each setlist, the other members of his touring band, how to win a signed Squire Sonic Stratocaster Electric Guitar at each show, future music and more including a few music and life lessons learnt along the way.
Tickets and more information www.diesel.com
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