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If you’re ready for a road trip that’s full of good views, good times and great tunes, we’ve got just the answer. Diesel is halfway through his By Request tour and arriving in Cessnock (Sept 5), Wollongong (Oct 10) and Nowra (Nov 15), all easy road trips for Beaches' music lovers.
“I’ve done something like this before back in 2006,” says Diesel of the By Request concept. “Back then, it was literally pieces of paper where people ticked their song choices. This time, it’s digital. Buy your ticket, get a link, and request your song. It’s pretty streamlined. But the soul of it is the same: I want to know what people really want to hear.”
The result? A setlist that changes night to night. Sure, you’ll hear the hits (Tip of My Tongue, Come to Me), but you’ll also hear songs even Diesel hasn’t performed in years.
“Some of them I’ve never played live before. It’s like doing a cover of your own song,” he laughs. “There’s this sweet spot from the early 2000s – albums like Hear with songs like ‘Faith’ and ‘Gasoline’ – that really resonated with people, and the amount of requests have blown me away.”
With decades of studio experience behind him, Diesel’s now relishing the freedom of playing in theatres and regional venues.
“The energy in regional towns is just different – warm, genuine, and totally up for it,” he says. “And theatres give me the space to really connect. I made the switch just before COVID, and I haven’t looked back.”
Want to know what Diesel’s been listening to lately?
“I love Caroline Polachek, Rosalía, even Harry Styles. I’ve always got time for a great pop song. But I still go back to Prince, Stevie Wonder, Lennon. Artists who reinvent themselves again and again.”
And when he’s not on stage?
“I get on my bike, ride the foreshore, hit the grass and ground myself. During lockdown, I rediscovered how beautiful this country is.”
With spring in the air and Diesel in fine form, there’s absolutely no better excuse for a weekend road trip. And if you’ve got a favourite Diesel track you’ve been dying to hear live? Now’s your chance.
