The real Pensa-Suhr story?

[MK_live]

Hello all,

On MK News I saw this (https://www.mark-knopfler-news.co.uk/project/1984-1989/):

"The 8th and 9th of June see warm-up gigs for the up-coming 11th June Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert at Wembley. Jack Sonni was unable to attend and so his place in the band was taken by someone who Mark tells the audience “has played before” – Eric Clapton. Shortly before the band were due on-stage a package arrived for Mark. It was the now famous Pensa-Suhr carved-top which Mark played at the gig without even having the time to sound-check his new guitar. "

I can not imagine that this is true. After all, he already played the Pensa-Suhr at the Prince's Trust shows on 5th and 6th June 1988.
Am I overlooking something, o is this info on MK News just incorrect?



It also says:
"On the 5th and 6th of June, Mark and Alan Clark perform with Eric Clapton’s band at Princes Trust shows at the Royal Albert Hall and later that month Mark performs at the Witness History II concert at the Ryman Theatre, Nashville where he performs Two Skinny Kids, a song about the Everly Brothers."

That show was not June 1988, but June 1998. Not that accurate...

[dmg]

It has long been a myth that the first time the Pensa-Suhr was first used at the Mandela shows, but the Princes' Trust shows are, in fact the real debut for the guitar.  Perhaps the confusion arises from the fact that the first public showing was the Mandela show on 11th because the Princes' Trust wasn't broadcast live (I don't think).

[Jules]

I'm not sure if MK played the Pensa surh in any of the Clapton gigs before the princess trust...

[TheTimeWasWrong]

This thread might be interesting as well:
https://www.amarkintime.org/forum/index.php?topic=5835.0

[PensaGhost]

Yes Prince's Trust first

[PensaGhost]

Also you can read a very old thread on another website with John Suhr himself (Husky nick)
answering many questions including some by me as Pensaboy

For example Mark wanted a tapered headstock but it was too late

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/any-pensa-suhr-owners-out-there.393313/

[dmg]

I'm not sure if MK played the Pensa surh in any of the Clapton gigs before the princess trust...

From photographs he used the black Pensa-Suhr at the RAH gigs in January/February 1987 and only did a couple of shows on the continent, presumably using the same guitar.  He then joined EC on tour in the USA/Canada after the Mandela show (autumn '88) using his new Pensa-Suhr.