Power play from Wizards of Oz

Diesel, aka Mark Lizotte, likes to keep the music rolling.

It's the attack of the Ocker rockers. And despite the mains voltage being no different on this side of the Tasman, the tour by Aussie guitar heroes Ian Moss and Diesel - Mark Lizotte to his mum - is an acoustic affair.

Known mainly for their respective electric guitar prowess over the years, both have recently released live acoustic albums in the Liberation Blue acoustic series, a project which has unplugged veteran acts and their back catalogues on both sides of the Tasman.

But the singer-guitarists say performing solo and without the support of a band making a big rock noise behind them can be a little disconcerting - and exhausting.

Moss: "You think 'the louder I play the more people are going to be hear me' but the louder you play the more you create a wall which you can hide behind. Or at least you have other players there to take the focus off you. This feels really raw and exposed.

"Somehow you've got to learn to imply a whole band.

Diesel: "I liken it to running a marathon on a spot. I could probably be a bit more relaxed and go 'blah blah blah' between songs for 10 minutes like some people do. But I like to keep the music kind of rolling and because of that it's like I am on some kind of treadmill.

"When I figured out the sky wasn't going to fall on my head if I stopped playing for a second and let the spaces in between the music become my friend instead of my fear, it was okay."

Both also say playing by themselves lets them be more expressive singers.

Moss: "That's definitely a strong advantage - it's hard to do with a band but one night I can just change my mind how a given line can be expressed. One night I might feel this line needs to be screamed at the top of my lungs and the next night I can go 'this line needs to be whispered gently'."

A gentle approach might be needed for Diesel's cover of Fred Neil-Harry Nilsson's melancholy Midnight Cowboy theme Everybody's Talkin' which features on his Singled Out album and has worked its way into his set.

As for Moss, in his acoustic set he takes on Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze, despite the original song being such a fuse-blower.

"Yeah. And I'm still not sure it was a good idea," he laughs.

Both have been touring solo heavily in Australia.

But this is their first time on the road together, though they have a mutual connection via Jimmy Barnes - Moss played alongside him in Cold Chisel, Diesel has been a regular sideman to him in his solo career.

As a teenage guitarist, Diesel remembers trying to work out Moss' Chisel solos.

"It's kind of weird. I wouldn't say I know Mossy up and down but we've had a few chinwags over the years but I'm really anxious to see a whole set of his because I haven't really seen it."


Performance

Who: Ian Moss and Mark "Diesel" Lizotte
Where: Sideline Napier tonight; Waihi Beach Hotel, Sat Oct 14; Kings Arms Auckland Sun Oct 15; Butlers Reef, New Plymouth Tue Oct 17; Hope Bros, Wellington Wed Oct 18
On CD: Ian Moss Six Strings; Diesel Singled Out (both Liberation)