[Interview] DIESEL

Whether you know him as Mark Lizotte, or DIESEL, his unmistakable sound is recognised all over the country. As an iconic Australian musician it is no surprise that after 25 years, 35 singles, 13 albums and six ARIA awards, Diesel is fuel to the fire that is the Stone Music Festival. COURTNEY LAURA had the chance to have a chat about his life, his music and his upcoming festival appearance.

What is your favourite song to play that you just can’t leave it off a set list?
I guess things like ‘15 Feet of Snow’, ‘All Come Together’, ‘Soul Revival’, ‘Big’, ‘Angel Face’, ‘Crying Shame’, ‘Don’t Need Love’, ‘Man Alive’, Tip of my Tongue’, I’m just reciting my whole set list now… (laughs)… ‘Never Miss Your Water’, ‘Love Junk’, you know the rest

Perhaps any that you cant resist on a technical level?
I guess on a technical level when I am making a set list I try to utilise all the different sounds I can get to. As you know I travel with a variety of guitars, 12 strings, baritone, slide, open d tunings, so I try to use my whole palette of colours. When I have got to do a really short set, it makes it a bit of a challenge. I have to figure out how do I squeeze all of the crayons into this painting?

You now have quite an established collection of guitars, which one is your favourite?
That is a tough one, I really love my strat, it is so expressive and versatile. It was my main axe for a while, through the early part of my career. It wasn’t by choice, however, it happened by someone lending it to me at a gig and seeing me playing whatever I was playing, I think it was a Yamaha Humbuckers. He came up and gave me a Fender Strat and told me that he thought it would suit my playing. I found it abrasive and bright and harsh at first and I experimented with my amp and I could hear all the sounds – being Hendrix for one, and Ian Moss was a big influence growing up and I started to realise this was the guitar that was going to get me those sounds.

I love my Gretsch, my White Falcon, such a big piece of real estate to play but it’s got so much character and it does a lot of random things that surprise me at times, it makes noises that I didn’t bet on, it’s a bit of a wild horse to play.

There is also my 1930 National which I don’t take out on the road too much, but it has got so much mojo to it, it is very ruckus, it can be very sweet as well. Because it is made of solid brass it has got a unique voice.

What do you love about being on stage performing?
I guess the spontaneity of it. It is the opposite of being in the studio where things are analysed, and there is no time for that on stage and I love it. It’s about making the music. Summonsing the music from out of nowhere and you’re making something on the spot every night. The possibilities, the potential of everything that is created really makes me want to keep on doing it. It is never the same. Even in the same venue, every night is different even if you play two or three nights in a row. The atmosphere in the air and the crowd just change dramatically day to day, you never do the same thing the same way.

I still feel like I am learning along the way and growing from it, whether it is a set or a handful of songs. Some artists begrudge playing songs a lot but I have always taken on a rotation sort of program, some get put on the side for a period and brought back in, much like a river or stream that filters itself and feeding back into itself.

From your perspective as a performer, describe what crowds are like when performing in a festival environments like Stone Music Festival
Well I guess it’s different, outdoors is a different dynamic. The time of the day is quite telling to what they are going to be like with their energy levels. As the sun goes down people come alive a little bit more. The afternoon is generally a nice time to play. It gets tougher I think as the day goes on. I believe the acts that go on later have a harder job as the people are getting tired which is just human nature. You’d like to think they were getting more and more excited, which they want to, but physically they just get tired. So I think the later the band goes on the harder the job they’ve got. That’s just something I have noticed, doing a lot of festivals, so I am always happy to hear I am playing in the afternoon, it’s a good time when people are still fresh.

What is the most unusual item in your instrument collection?
My Cigar Box guitar that was given to me by a lovely gentleman who comes to a lot of shows, it was the nicest gift I could ever imagine. I saw Paul McCartney play one at the end of a Sound City movie, and he has a jam with Dave Grohl and he’s got this cigar box guitar and I can’t help but think “I’ve got one of those”. I am actually trying to figure out how to get it on my album next.

Who has been a stand out influence on a bill that you have played?
There have been so many. I just can’t say there has been one in particular. I have gotten to work and play along side that many, I have taken something from all of them. Honestly, I still say my Dad always as my biggest influence. As someone I have played on stage with, out of any artist, he is still the biggest influence on me and always will be. I wouldn’t have had a lot of the music that I have been influenced by, and I wouldn’t be the musician I am, I wouldn’t sound like I sound like without his influence on my early development.

Is there any one on the Stone Music Festival list you’re looking forward to watching?
I haven’t seen Icehouse ever, so I am looking forward to seeing that. He has a beautiful body of work. I have only seen him perform at an awards night which is just one song, not a whole set. Also, Dallas Frasca who I saw about eight years ago. I am really looking forward to seeing what she is doing now. Back then it was mind blowing, so I can’t imagine where she is at now, it should be incredible I am sure.

What are you most looking forward to whilst being apart of Stone Music Festival?
Just getting to see some other bands. The story of my life is there are so many things I have wanted to see and I am either already gigging or on the other side of the country. It’s very disappointing for me. I missed Neil Young again this time around.

Festivals are a good chance for me to just hang around and see other people play, watching other people do their thing. It’s still something I love to do. As a child I was taken to gigs from about seven or eight years onwards and I would watch people on stage and I still feel that it’s a lot of what I am, from watching other people and listening. No matter how far you get in your trade or in your craft it’s always good to see what other people are doing.

Describe what you feel when you step onto stage – do you still get nervous?
Absolutely. I am not much of a surfer. But I love the idea of surfing. The exhilarating nature that has been described to me by people I know that surf. To me it’s like taking a big wave. It’s pure. It’s exhilarating. It’s really kind of like, you’re on a high from it, even before the wave comes in you’re on that high.

What is your current song of the moment? What song do you just start to play when you pick up your guitar to jam or practice?
At the moment I am touring, so I am getting to play them all on a regular basis all the time. There is one song, that I don’t usually get to play it an awful lot because the nature of doing mostly band shows. I don’t get to put it in a whole lot, but there is a song called ‘Angel Face’ that I have been playing with my 12 string. It’s a solo thing, I am really enjoying that, it sort of motors along and it’s a really good song to break in at the start of the night because it gets to a fever pitch and it gets people up, like a bit of caffeine for everyone not just me.

How often do your family join you on tour?
Not as much as I would like but more than you would imagine. I am pretty lucky. If I could have it my way I would have everyone with me all the time but it is impossible. My office just happens to be on the road. People ask me all the time how it is to be away all the time. But I think if you averaged it out, I would end up being home more than someone who worked 9-5 job because when I am home I am really really home. It’s just a different type of office that’s all.

What music are you listening to at the moment personally?
I am listening to a record by Jake Bugg which I really love, it’s a great record. I also really love Solange’s record, that’s Beyonce’s sister. The record is called True and ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ is the single, it’s really understated, beautifully produced music and its just killer, its amazing.

What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t making music?
My family is quite hospitality based or medically based. Definitely something with people, I would be doing something to help people. Music is very related, it’s medicinal in many ways. I probably would have gone into something in that department; it seems to be a trend in the family. Having a guitar from 14, and a cello before that, I was destined to be a part of the music world. Not getting a guitar before 14 made me want it more, if I could have got the coin together and get one I would have.

Diesel performs at The Stone Music Festival April at ANZ Stadium Sunday April 21, 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8vC3n_XGG8