Diesel @ The GovernorHindmarsh, Adelaide (25/03/11)

Tue 29th Mar, 2011 in Gig Reviews

There are a few artists that I will try my hardest to catch whenever they are in town and Diesel is definitely one of these that comes to mind. I have seen him on numerous occasions over the years and I never tire of seeing his performances.

It’s not just because I’m a fan of Diesel’s songs, the timbre of his voice, and his very under-rated guitar playing. These are all good reasons for anyone to see Diesel, but what makes me want to come back and see him again and again, is that every time, the performance is different – he has toured with a different set up which has changed his sound and the dynamics of the songs, sometimes quite dramatically. One of the last times I caught a Diesel gig in Adelaide was for the Fringe Festival in the Speigeltent at the Garden of Unearthly Delights. For these gigs, it was just Diesel and his acoustic guitar. Even the percussion was performed by the man himself as he thumped the guitar to create a sound bigger than you would expect for such a bare performance.

This time, things were very different to that gig. Joining Diesel onstage this time was a bassist, drummer, backing singer, and even a horn section featuring sax and trumpet. This live band was essentially the band that was recorded on the latest release from Diesel, his EP Seven Axes, which is a taste of the coming album entitled Seven Axes to Grind.

This new release from Diesel is a tribute to the artists who inspired and influenced him, so for this tour, the set list consisted not only of Diesel favourites but also songs by artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, and Neil Young.

Not only do I enjoy seeing Diesel, but I also enjoy these intimate gigs at The Gov. The room has a great feel, the stage is easily visible from most places, and the beer garden must be the best one in Adelaide for a live venue. The strange thing for me was to walk into the room and see seating set up right to the front of the stage. Not only was it odd to see seating at this particular venue, it was interesting that when they had run out of proper chairs, the numbers were made up with plastic outdoor furniture. I guess they were trying to ensure that the gig had a relaxed sit-down feel rather than a rowdy pub rock gig. Whether it was due to the seating, or just the vibe of the band, this was the vibe for the night. Diesel, as usual, attracted quite a decent size crowd who were all very appreciative, whether it was the hits that Diesel is known for such as Tip of my Tongue or Cry in Shame or the covers, such as Hendrix’s The Wind Cries Mary or Neil Young’s Cinnamon Girl, every song went down very well with the crowd. The full band gave the songs a fresh sound and were tight and professional even though it was obvious that the trumpet player was struggling with illness and the female backing singer looked so awkward, bored, and uncomfortable at times, that she distracted from the performance from Diesel.

After the gig, including the obligatory encore, it seemed that most in attendance would have happily sat through a few more songs as there seemed to be a few groans as the lights came up and the DJ music kicked in.

So that’s one more Diesel gig that I have seen, one that was different to every other one that I’ve witnessed, and I’m already keen to hear how the songs will sound the next time the man is back in town.