DIESEL ANNOUNCES 2024 AUSTRALIAN FOREVER TOUR NEW ALBUM ‘BOOTLEG MELANCHOLY’ OUT NOW
Ahead of releasing his sixteenth studio album tomorrow, Australian icon Diesel has today announced a special run of shows in 2024, with the Forever Tour set to kick off in January next year celebrating Diesel’s brand new outing, the multifaceted masterpiece Bootleg Melancholy – available to preorder now.
Set to perform across Australia next January at Avoca Beach, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Margaret River, Sydney and Brisbane, including an appearance at the hallowed Sydney Opera House while in New South Wales, pre-sale tickets to these unforgettable evenings will be available for Diesel and venue members from 10am on Thursday 19 October until Sunday 22 October, with general public tickets on sale from Thursday 26 October at 9am AEDT. To keep up to date with all things Diesel, including upcoming tour pre-sale opportunities, head to dieselmusic.com.au/mailinglist.
All of the myriad talents of Diesel‘s musical abilities coalesce on Bootleg Melancholy, an unabashedly exuberant 14-track LP that is at once the most diverse and most cohesive album Diesel has recorded to date. Loaded with hooks, these songs greet with the warmth and familiarity of a good friend, songs about family, mortality, childhood, and dreams. Travelling across time, place, and memory, this is rousing yet reflective pop music that celebrates the joys of everyday life while braving the difficult stuff – the challenges we all eventually face – with insights and tenderness. Featuring the single Forever, the listener is going to take from Bootleg Melancholy what they best need, whether the pop rush of an infectious chorus, the reassurances of a heartening lyric sung with Diesel’s trademark soulfulness, or the satisfying interjection of some exhilarating solos on vintage guitars. And for Diesel, this album finally feels like a return to some form of normality after the previous few years and releases, as he explains, “After recording and releasing two albums in a pandemic, it feels great to be releasing this new album! I’m not sure what normal is, but it feels great to be still doing this with others around me. It’s always inspiring for me to see the excitement of people, especially as the recording process starts out as very insular, in this case a one-man journey. It’s always a challenge to put into words what something sounds like, but I feel like there are a lot of influences going on, probably more than any record I’ve made but somehow it feels the most cohesive at the same time.”
Spending the pandemic years revisiting artists like TLC, Elliot Smith, Leon Bridges, Khruangbin and Angel Olsen, Diesel also dove deep into guitar sounds and the first three Prince albums as he worked towards new material amidst a backdrop of extreme uncertainty. Recording, mixing and mastering his latest album entirely on his own, with drummer Lee Moloney appearing on some of the tracks and Bernie Bremond on saxophone for Never Giving Up, Bootleg Melancholy is as much an exercise in catharsis and joy as it is a snapshot of Diesel’s own personal journey; a reflection on places past tread during a time when travel seemed a distant memory, as Diesel reveals, “I would describe this album as almost a travel log recall of all the places I’ve been or lived in, I kind of had to as we weren’t going anywhere! There are also a lot of bright sounding songs with quite close to the bone lyrics, I like to have that juxtaposition.”
One of Australia’s greatest success stories, the American-born Diesel, aka Mark Lizotte, has spent three decades weaving an effortlessly magic musical touch into his rock and blues-fuelled sounds, both as part of the band Johnny Diesel & The Injectors and, more recently, as a solo artist. With multiple #1 ARIA charting albums under his belt, six ARIA award wins and millions of streams alongside a legion of fans, Diesel’s creative skillset also expands beyond his own projects, with the talented artist also renowned for his work as a producer and multi-instrumentalist.
Now set to wow fans once again with his new album Bootleg Melancholy this week, Diesel is definitely not slowing down as 2023 draws to a close, with his extensive national tour in early 2024 marking just the beginning of another exceptional year for this creative powerhouse. “It’s always exciting bringing a song into the live realm,” shares Diesel of the upcoming 2024 Australian tour. “A lot of times I want to record it again after touring it! It’s also like bringing new friends into the fold with old friends. And I’m most excited to feel the reaction from the audience with the new songs, it’s always a ‘butterflies in the stomach’ kind of feeling – but I thrive on that.”
Diesel’s Forever Australian tour commences in January 2024, tickets on sale Thursday 26 October from 9am from dieselmusic.com.au
Bootleg Melancholy is set for release Friday 13 October via Bloodlines, and is available to preorder now.
DIESEL – FOREVER NATIONAL TOUR DATES
SAT 13 JAN 24 | AVOCA BEACH THEATRE, AVOCA BEACH NSW | AA | 8-10.15pm
Tickets available from dieselmusic.com.au
SAT 24 FEB | DUNSTAN PLAYHOUSE, FESTIVAL CENTRE, ADELAIDE SA | AA | 8-10.15pm
Tickets available from www.ticketek.com.au | 132 849 | All Ticketek Outlets
FRI 01 MAR | ATHENAEUM THEATRE, MELBOURNE VIC | AA | 8-10.15pm
Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au | 1300 446 925 | All Ticketmaster Outlets
FRI 22 MAR | REGAL THEATRE SUBIACO, PERTH WA | AA | 8-10.15pm
Tickets available from www.ticketek.com.au | 132 849 | All Ticketek Outlets
SAT 23 MAR | HEART THEATRE, MARGARET RIVER WA | AA | 8-10.15pm
Tickets available from dieselmusic.com.au
FRI 12 APR | SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, SYDNEY NSW | AA | 8-10.15pm
Tickets available from dieselmusic.com.au
SAT 13 APR | THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE QLD | AA | 8:00-10.15pm
Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au | 1300 446 925 | All Ticketmaster Outlets
THE CORONAS SHARE NEW SINGLE ‘ONE LAST TIME’ + ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM THE BEST OF THE EARLY DAYS FOR NOV 24 RELEASE + TOURING AUSTRALIA NATIONALLY IN NOVEMBER
Dublin’s finest, The Coronas, return today armed with a new single; a previously unheard song One Last Time, which was recorded in 2009 when the band were just getting going. With sweeping strings, acoustic guitar and the magnetic vocal stylings of Danny O’Reilly, One Last Time also heralds the upcoming release of The Best Of The Early Days; an album that celebrates the early back catalogue of The Coronas, due out November 24, alongside the band’s return down under the very same month. Lined up to charm Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Melbourne alongside special guest Roison O, both the upcoming Coronas album and tour are guaranteed to continue the trio’s reputation as one of the most consistent and impressive acts on the scene.
One Last Time fittingly closes out The Coronas The Best Of The Early Days on an emotional and delectably lush note. Inspired by the likes of The National, Gang Of Youths, Radiohead, Oasis, Coldplay, The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac; One Last Time is an acoustic wonderland that simultaneously uplifts and breaks your heart. With The Coronas detailing deep emotions in this previously unreleased track, as the band elaborates; “We’re delighted to be releasing this album. It’s something that we’ve been planning for a while. It’s a collection of songs from our first three albums. When we remembered One Last Time, an unreleased song from this time that we always loved, it seemed right to add it to the album as a bonus single. It’s a breakup song that describes the tricky time just after a relationship ends, where you meet up and there’s so much emotion and feelings still there. And spending that time together.”
A multi-platinum group who can claim supporting Bruce Springsteen in Hyde Park, playing for President Biden, and making chart history as the only independent Irish band to claim three consecutive chart-topping albums, The Coronas have also previously been voted as the #1 Live Act of the Year by Hot Press. The Coronas are certainly not ones to rest on their laurels, consistently evolving their melancholic pop, singalong-worthy anthems and cinematic indie rock creations; whilst thriving against the odds even despite the unfortunately named virus that momentarily halted the world. Off the back of the pandemic years and releasing their 2022 album, Time Stopped, The Coronas embarked on their biggest world tour to date, christening their seventh full length album – selling out venues in London, New York and Vancouver, as well as a sold out performance at Sydney’s Metro Theatre.
Now set to return to Australia this November to perform at some of the country’s most iconic venues, also armed with some fresh magic with the impending November release of The Best Of The Early Days, there’s plenty to look forward to as 2023 draws to a close – both for The Coronas and fans alike, as the band concludes; “Our last show in Sydney was pretty special. To sell out a venue the size of the Metro Theatre, with all its history, was an amazing moment for us. In the past we’ve tended to just be there for short visits but it’s great that this time we’ll have a few days off in Sydney where we can enjoy a bit of downtime! We always try to put on an energetic live show. Expect big choruses, sing-along moments and fun times!”
One Last Time is out today, Friday October 13.
The Best Of The Early Days is due out November 24.
THE CORONAS – UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
FRI 10 NOV | THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE
Tickets available from moshtix.com.au
SAT 11 NOV | THE ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY
Tickets available from ticketek.com.au
FRI 17 NOV | BADLANDS, PERTH
Tickets available from oztix.com.au
SAT 18 NOV | NORTHCOTE THEATRE, MELBOURNE
Tickets available from moshtix.com.au
360 ANNOUNCES PART 1 OF BACK TO LIFE REGIONAL TOUR & SHARES MOST WANTED FREESTYLE TRACK
Back and more potent than ever, beloved Australian rapper 360 is set to bring his electrifying stage presence and extensive touring chops to regional Australia this November for Part 1 of his 12 date Back To Life regional tour. Following the fully sold out first official run of shows in just under six years in June, 360’s extensive upcoming tour will kick off on Friday November 3 at Village Green Hotel in Mulgrave, before journeying through regional Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT, with more dates to be announced for Part 2.
Tickets go on-sale to the general public at 10am AEST on Tuesday August 29, and fans are invited to pre-register now at 360music.com.au to access pre-sale tickets from 9am AEST on Monday August 28.
Levelling up today’s exciting tour news is the new freestyle track Most Wanted featuring 360’s signature flow and earnest yet playful storytelling, heralding the revered rapper’s welcome return. Performed as an unreleased track during his capital city Back To Life tour in June, Most Wanted finds 360 baring his soul over dark melodics and sparse, glossy tones. A sonically matured yet conceptually tongue-in-cheek outing, 360’s freestyle prowess is on full display both on the track and also via its accompanying music video, consisting solely of tour footage from his June performances. And it was on this tour earlier this year that 360, aka Matt Colwell, was able to not only reconnect with his creative soul and flourish in his natural habitat on stage; it also offered him a chance to trial touring in new ways that would ultimately place his health at the forefront, thus the decision to split Back To Life’s regional adventures into parts, as 360 elaborates, “As much as I love touring, it’s always been quite taxing both physically and mentally in the past. So, since returning after a long break, I made sure to put my health before anything else. I kept the last tour to 1-2 shows per week, which isn’t a lot at all, just to ease into it and dip my toes in so to speak and see how I went. All went well, so this time I’m upping it to 3 shows per week. This will be more gruelling so I decided to do a month of touring through November, have a month off through December and then finish off part 2 early next year, rather than doing them all back to back. I used to never care about my health and wellbeing, at least not like I do now. Now I follow a strict regime, I have to hit the gym for an intense workout on show days, I follow a strict routine before each show to warm up too. I could achieve more if I went all out doing 5 shows a week and fitting in as much travel as possible over multiple months, but for me that’s a quick way to burn out.”
An ARIA Award-winning, multi-platinum pioneer, 360 has never been one to do anything in halves, with the rapper swiftly cementing himself on the Australian scene via his 2008 debut album What You See Is What You Get, before the game-changing 2011 release Falling & Flying catapulted him into a whole new stratosphere. Hailed for its emotive weight, authenticity and genre-fluid finesse, Falling & Flying paved the way for 360’s continued domination with 2014’s Utopia and 2017’s Vintage Modern firmly sealing his legacy. But amongst his renowned battle rapping dexterity, searing creative innovation and collaborations, 360’s path has simultaneously been lined with mountains, from an accident in 2010 that almost upended the release of Falling & Flying to his battle with addiction and mental health issues in later years; all moments in time that ultimately helped guide and strengthen 360’s resolve, leading him to new music as well as his triumphant return to performing in 2023, as 360 explains, “When I was working on these new songs I was still recovering after going through an extremely dark period of my life. I was still fighting my way through the darkness, now I’m in a much better place. There’s been no real agenda with the music, it’s been more about focusing on myself and getting happy/healthy and just releasing whatever songs we make in that process. I’ve been loving that plan of attack, So I’ll keep that same thing going and we’ll see where it all ends up.”
Re-energised by his return to stage, 360 is primed to bring his exhilarating live show to regional Australia, with his Back To Life Part 1 tour guaranteed to satiate past, present and future fans of the magnetic rap maverick. Expect unapologetic and heartfelt storytelling from an artist who can tackle any style and make it his own. And, as 360 reveals, there are plenty more surprises lying in wait for fans across Australia starting this November: “It had been about 6 years since my last tour, so there were a few cobwebs to shake off but once it got going it was super fun to be back up there. I’m keen to see how the new songs go down in each town we play, to see what connects the most. Also, it will be nice to get out of the Melbourne cold for a bit! Expect a banging set chock full of new songs, old classics, mixtape bangers, forgotten bangers and more. I’ve got a few tricks up the sleeve that people won’t be expecting.”
Tickets to the Back To Life Regional Tour Part 1 are on sale from 10am AEST Tuesday August 29 from 360music.com.au.
The past few years have been extremely tough for people who work in music, and for many, continues to be so, so 360 is jumping in with Support Act on his Mulgrave, Frankston, Ipswich, Noosaville, Gladstone, Airlie Beach, Townsville and Cairns shows. Simply purchasing a ticket to these shows will result in a donation of $1 matched by a further $1 from Live at your Local being donated to music industry charity, Support Act. That’s $2 for every ticket sold going directly to Support Act and the amazing work they do with music workers, artists and crew. For more information, visit ausmusictshirtday.org.au or supportact.org.au
360 – BACK TO LIFE REGIONAL TOUR PART 1
Tickets available from 360music.com.au
FRI 3 NOV | VILLAGE GREEN HOTEL, MULGRAVE VIC | 18+
SAT 4 NOV | PIER BANDROOM, FRANKSTON VIC | 18+
MON 6 NOV | LAMBYS TAVERN, GEELONG VIC | 18+ (CUP EVE)
THU 9 NOV | RACEHORSE HOTEL, IPSWICH QLD | 18+
FRI 10 NOV | V ROOM – VILLA NOOSA, NOOSAVILLE QLD | 18+
SAT 11 NOV | HARVEY RD TAVERN, GLADSTONE QLD | 18+
THU 16 NOV | MAGNUMS, AIRLIE BEACH QLD | 18+
FRI 17 NOV | DALRYMPLE HOTEL, TOWNSVILLE QLD | 18+
SAT 18 NOV | EDGE HILL HOTEL, CAIRNS QLD | 18+
THU 23 NOV | BEER DELUXE, ALBURY NSW | 18+
FRI 24 NOV | THE BASEMENT, CANBERRA ACT | 18+
SAT 25 NOV | WAVES, WOLLONGONG NSW | 18+