Neil Diamond [ tickets ] says he has one secret to maintaining the energy of his live performances: the fans in the audience.

"They establish the atmosphere and the ambiance, and I only reflect it," Diamond said during a recent teleconference. "And when they're happy, I'm happy, and when they're excited, I'm excited, and I just want to do a show as well as I possibly can. I want to sing as well as I can, but the energy does come from the audience, and I only reflect it."

Diamond kicked off his latest US tour last weekend in St. Paul, MN. See below for the remaining itinerary. Prior to the tour's launch, Diamond explained that it thrills him to hear fans sing along with his music.

"The audience knows a bunch of these songs, and they want to join in and sing along and I'm happy to have them do it," he said. "I take it as a compliment and I enjoy the experience as well. As long as they know that I'm the main singer, they can do with the songs whatever they like. I've heard some pretty horrendous notes out there, but they're welcome to sing."

Diamond is touring in support of his latest Rick Rubin-produced album "Home Before Dark," however, he said, he will touch on songs from his entire career during his shows.

"I do a bunch of songs from the new album, and a couple from the '12 Songs' album, but I don't do them quite as spare, or as sparse as they are on the album, maybe with the exception of 'Home Before Dark,'" he said

"I've put a little Latin pizzazz into 'Pretty Amazing Grace,' which I like a lot and it's fun to do. The other song is 'Don't Go There.' It's pretty much as we do in the album--they seem to fit very well. The audience responds very well to them and I like doing them."

As for production, the tour features a "completely new stage" with an "impressive" lighting grid, he said.

"I think my lighting director really [out]did herself this time and came up with some spectacular looks, as well as very intimate moments, because the music is varied and it goes to both of those spectrums. I think she did a wonderful job.

"Basically, I'm trying to cover a lifetime of music and to be as close up to the audience as I possibly can. So the stage and the lighting and the choice of the songs that we use in the set, and the sequencing of the songs are all based on that, connecting with the audience in a way, as best I can really."

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