#54 DTRW TOUR - July 18 2019 - Arena della Regina, Cattolica, Rimini, Italy

[superval99]

Most perfect MK show ever IMO, especially compared to the 2005 Amsterdam show I attended, boy, that was full of greenies and mistakes in lyrics... 

 What ??
Actually the 2005 Amsterdam (and Rotterdam) shows are amongst my favorites. Very powerful gigs I thought and didn't they play the ultra-rare "Back to Tupelo" there?

"Back to Tupelo" was also played at another wonderful concert in 2005 at Edinburgh Playhouse.  One of my most favourite concerts.   

[Knopflerfan]

Most perfect MK show ever IMO, especially compared to the 2005 Amsterdam show I attended, boy, that was full of greenies and mistakes in lyrics... 

 What ??
Actually the 2005 Amsterdam (and Rotterdam) shows are amongst my favorites. Very powerful gigs I thought and didn't they play the ultra-rare "Back to Tupelo" there?

"Back to Tupelo" was also played at another wonderful concert in 2005 at Edinburgh Playhouse.  One of my most favourite concerts.   

Beautiful!

[localhero1986]

Most perfect MK show ever IMO, especially compared to the 2005 Amsterdam show I attended, boy, that was full of greenies and mistakes in lyrics... 

 What ??
Actually the 2005 Amsterdam (and Rotterdam) shows are amongst my favorites. Very powerful gigs I thought and didn't they play the ultra-rare "Back to Tupelo" there?

Hahahaha, it was my first MK concert, but still remember the greeny in STP vocals and Richard’s wonderful entree in BIA. Cologne 2005 was way better IMO.

[TheTimeWasWrong]

The question is: are we bored if we were offered free tickets to attend every show? I guess the answer is “no” and everyone would say “yes”. Why bother? I attended the Lucca show and I did not have the inpression he was bored, old, no longer capable of performing songs the “right way”. Most perfect MK show ever IMO, especially compared to the 2005 Amsterdam show I attended, boy, that was full of greenies and mistakes in lyrics... 

In 2005 I attended both the second night in Amsterdam (16th) and the second night in Rotterdam (18th). He was in a really bad mood the 16th, up to the point where I thought it would be his last tour as he had clearly no fun that night. The 18th was great though, stunning BLT + Speedway + TR (best three songs to end the main set with imho).

[ds1984]

The question is: are we bored if we were offered free tickets to attend every show? I guess the answer is “no” and everyone would say “yes”. Why bother? I attended the Lucca show and I did not have the inpression he was bored, old, no longer capable of performing songs the “right way”. Most perfect MK show ever IMO, especially compared to the 2005 Amsterdam show I attended, boy, that was full of greenies and mistakes in lyrics... 

In 2005 I attended both the second night in Amsterdam (16th) and the second night in Rotterdam (18th). He was in a really bad mood the 16th, up to the point where I thought it would be his last tour as he had clearly no fun that night. The 18th was great though, stunning BLT + Speedway + TR (best three songs to end the main set with imho).

I attended the four 2005 Dutch shows, I don't remember exactly which night but I have memories of one Sultan being erratic during the final solo, no real greeny but seemed to not know where he wanted to go. Overall they were really good shows.

[dmg]

I think you are right, during the final Dire Straits tour he knew that he had had enough of it and wanted to doing something different, thereby re-igniting the flame in him, which is what he did. But I feel we need to get over this whole set list thing, the fact is, each tour Mark has ever done has had some different songs than the previous tour, so what is the issue? And the fact is not every fan will go to more than one concert per tour, some won't go to every tour either, so it will vary, so Mark can't constantly change the set, but more than that, it is Mark's tour, so it's his choice what he wants to play, the fact it doesn't please some people is not really his fault.

I think you're right.  The setlist have always been pretty static so it's nothing new and none of us should be surprised.  The only thing is that back in the 80s unfortunately there was no AMIT to voice our frustration over it!

To be fair, I think most of us are pointing out that if Mark is seeming bored then this may be the reason why, so it's constructive criticism if anything.

________________

@Val & Knopflerfan:  I remember that day very well indeed.  League won on the final day of the season and show in the evening - both in Edinburgh too! 

[Pottel]

I think the static set is just his interpretation of what a show should be like. I guess the songs are carefully selected to do "something" as a whole, and that adding/replacing tunes therefore is a difficult thing, as it breaks that "something", somehow, and that the first few shows are used to calibrate "something".

Many, many bands have done the same thing before - just repeating the same show over and over again, like it is some kind of play with a written manuscript with strict limitations in terms of on-the-fly changes. In a sense, I get the idea, and if he didn't want the monotony, he could EASILY do something about it. Both him and his band are good enough musicians to rehearse a new tune backstage every night and play it reasonably well in concert. That's what "world class musicians" should be capable of, at least. Several other bands deliver the same quality with varying set lists.

the great Knut is still alive? sweet, long time n o hear old friend!