Under The Influence National Tour 2011
Diesel with special guest Krista Polvere
The Palms, Melbourne
Friday, September 23, 2011
Written by Jacqui James
Diesel’s special guest Krista Polvere, a great storyteller, began her set with a song she wrote with Diesel (aka Mark Lizotte) ten years ago and she tributed the track to Mark. Krista interacted with the crowd constantly, having a joke with them; admitting she has just recently discovered beer, but it makes her burp while she sings. Krista puts her heart on sleeve and wasn’t afraid to say how she thought her song Lady Bluebird would be the last song she would ever write.
In July Diesel released Under The Influence (reviewed on Gigs ‘n Interviews) which is an album consisting of covers of Mark’s heroes who influenced him. Last night Diesel combined tracks from Under The Influence with his back catalogue of his since his days of Johnny Diesel and The Injectors.
As usual Diesel looked very smart in a light blue shirt with a black vest and pants. Last night for the first time I noticed how Richie Vez and Leigh Moloney follow Diesel’s cues as he often goes off tanget with his magnificent guitar playing!
As Diesel matures, that shyness he had in the 80’s/90’s has disappeared. Last night he encouraged the crowd to clap, scream and dance during his songs.
As Diesel put a harmonica around his neck the crowd whistled and cheered. He said “He knows it’s going to be a good night when people get excited about harmonica!” This lead to one of my all-time favourites Comin Home from Johnny Diesel And The Injectors alb
um. Comin Home was done with Diesel playing the harmonica and mandolin.
On the Under The Influence tour, Diesel is more focused as an awesome guitarist. The riffs just rockin’ no matter how small or big his guitar is. His magnificent ways of turning a guitar into drums such as in All Come Together is always a crowd-pleaser and last night was no difference!
Before the gig I said to Mum how I couldn’t wait to hear Diesel doing Hendrix’s Wind
Cries
Mary. The wait was worth it. He told how as a young teenage he bought for one dollar on cassette.
Have Love, Will Travel from Under The Influence sounded bloody rockin’! He’s always the perfectionist to ensure his guitars sound how they should.
As a massive Diesel fan that I am, I love when Diesel revisits his classics like Man Alive, One More Time and Cryin’ Shame, Don’t Need Love, Come To Me, Never Miss Your Water (with Bryan Lizotte on trombone), Tip Of My Tongue andI Can’t Stand The Rain. 
The final song of the night was I Can’t Stand The Rain where Diesel went into the crowd and did a full circle. He made the effort of acknowledging a man who has a severe physical disability which was lovely to see.
Diesel left the stage with a standing ovation. He did his trademark gesture to the crowd which is putting his hands together and bowing.
The setlist from last night was:
All In The Game
My Baby Likes To Boogaloo
Please Send Me Somebody To Love
One More Time
Comin’ Home
All Come Together
Wind Cries Mary
Man Alive
Cinnamon Girl
Don’t Need Love
Have Love Will Travel
Rumble
Come To Me
Never Miss Your Water
Tip Of My Tongue
Spanish Castle Magic / Cry In Shame / I Can’t Stand The Rain
my baby likes to boogaloo
please send me somebody to love
one more time
comin’ home
all come together
wind cries mary
man alive
cinnamon girl
don’t need love
have love will travel
rumble
come to me
never miss your water
tip of my tongue
spanish castle magic / cry in shame / i can’t stand the rain
English