Boasting a career spanning three decades that crosses multiple musical genres, Diesel is a household name. From blues and rock to soul and pop, Diesel’s music is a unique blend of its own. The beloved musician celebrates his new album in the Bootleg Melancholy Tour 2024 at The Street Theatre on Saturday 26 October. CD caught up with Diesel ahead of the show to discuss music, highlights and TV.

What can audiences expect from the Bootleg Melancholy Tour 2024?

Bootleg Melancholy marked the release of my 17th album, it’s becoming more of a challenge to place something from every album into the realm of the time you have available at any given show, but I think we’ve got a pretty comprehensive set list that should cover a lot of ground. 

Expect lots of hits (35 singles was the last count) with some new arrivals as well, all brought to life by my band, which for them, will be the first time playing The Street Theatre.

When did you know you wanted to be a musician?

Around the age of 13. I had a visceral reaction to the institution that is high school, you could call it an epiphany, as I suddenly knew I was going to focus on music and nothing else. By the age of 14, I started playing in bands and doing gigs. It could have gone terribly wrong, but thankfully it didn’t.

Do you have any career highlights so far?

Too many I’m blessed to say. The fact that I’ve managed to make a career out of music when the statistics say it’s less than one per cent that can is a highlight in itself!

If I had to pick a recent experience, I would say playing Mundi Mundi Bash to 15,000 people on a crystal-clear day and everything sounded perfect on stage. Playing open air, the oxygen and energy of the crowd, it’s what I imagine big wave surfing to feel like.

Do you have a favourite song to play?

I love playing Moon River. It’s always been one of my favourite songs, in my first ever interview at the age of 14, I stated that in a Q&A, I still love the sentiment of the song and always like to roam around the chords of that one when I pick up a guitar.

Sadly, I’ve played it for the funerals of loved ones but that’s probably added to my connection.

Do you ever get sick of playing the hits or popular songs?

Luckily for me, I keep finding ways to reinterpret songs that I’ve played many times, to say the least.

They kind of have a life of their own, I’m just the one caretaking them. 

What’s next for you?

I’ve been involved in a TV series on SBS airing soon in October called Great Australian Concerts with Diesel, where I’m the host and I get to interview artists and talk about a specific concert that took place. It’s been really fun to make as I love to talk about music anyway!

I’m also working on another body of songs for the next album, which usually happens after the release of each record, it’s a life cycle I’ve become very accustomed to, it’s almost repetitive but each album like getting on stage brings challenges.

I also get to write with and in some cases mentor younger artists, which at this stage of my career, three decades in, it would be a travesty not to pass on whatever I can.

See Diesel live in the Bootleg Melancholy Tour at The Street Theatre on Saturday 26 October; thestreet.org.au

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