The Straits Charity in RAH?

[the visitor]

Hello all

My first post here, good to find this forum.

For me I have no problem with the RAH show. After a few years of denial, I finally realised a couple of years ago I am not a Mark Knopfler fan, but a Dire Straits fan.  This was underlined this year once more for me when watching the Mark Knopfler 'Life in Songs' BBC4 documentary.  I found it interesting that there was no notable references in the documentary to any of the other members of Dire Straits.  

The '96ers' only seemed to be roped in to underline the point that MK doesn't want to reform Dire Straits.  I thought this was disrespectful to the other band members of Dire Straits, and actually only acted to make the documentary a run of the mill snapshot, reeling off those media safe management approved anacdotes we've heard a hundred times, of boogy woogy piano and the revolutionary technique of sitting down whilst playing the guitar.  What of the other band members like David, Pick, Hal, Alan, Jack, John, Terry and Guy who gave the back bone to Dire Straits songs?

When I heard the youtube clip on the Straits website it took me back.  Back to the sound I have been missing for years - a taste of the glory of the BIA tour, and the slickness of the OES tour.  Yet with a fresh feel - that young dude on the keyboard adds a contemporary edge to MFN.  Any doubts I had about attending this gig were instantly dismissed.  

As regard the promotion, it cuts both ways.  MK himself has been living off the Dire Straits machine since his solo career took off in 96. Some people seem quick to forget this.  I still recall the stickers on Golden Heart plastered all over the album stating 'the Voice and Guitar of Dire Straits'.  Don't forget that there was also bass, drums, guitars, keyboards (twice), sax and backing vocals that were also Dire Straits. Admittedly we've only got Alan and Chris at the show who were substantive members.  But let them play.  I am confident it is going to be a rocking show, and offer a glimpse of the Dire Straits sound we've all been missing.

[Pottel]

nice and interesting first post.
welcome here!!
interesting choice of nickname too i may add.

[Banjo99uk]

Interesting post The Visitor, the only thing I'd say is I don't see Dire Straits as a band like Queen or The Beatles where each member is a vital part of the overall sound/image.  For me it was a band that was a vehicle for MK or certainly since Making Movies hence I call myself a Knopfler fan.  I don't doubt the individual contributions of everyone involved with MK/DS its just I think the line between Dire Straits and MK solo is very blurred. Unless you can't stand his solo and film stuff then I can understand your stance.  As for The Straits it's basically a cover band and without MK's voice and guitar it leaves me cold and I can't get excited about it.

[Fletch]

It's pretty funny in the arena documentary to hear Mark answer, "to no extent..." when questioned about 'to what extent is the band just a vehicle for you'?
Probably the most insightful question an interviewer has ever asked him and he can't bring himself to admit the truth when put on the spot. Oh well.

I'd prefer that the old band members weren't brushed off quite so dismissively by folks like Guy, it does seem disrespectful, so good luck to them cashing in - but the truth is the band WAS just a vehicle for MK and his songs, as he has submitted in numerous interviews ever since. Lines to the effect of, "they're just a bunch of songs that need to be recorded..."

The Straits should really rope in David and Jack - now that would be good publicity!

[superval99]

In reply to "the visitor", I would just like to point out that the programme "A Life in Songs" was only one hour long.  To do justice to someone like Mark Knopfler would have needed a series of hour-long programmes!   

I loved the programme, but it was just too short to look at any part of Mark's life in music in any depth and that applies to his time with DS as well as his solo career, of which I would have liked to have seen much more footage.   

I think the programme did a pretty good job, considering the time restrictions!  Let's hope for Part 2!   

[jakehadlee]

Maybe I'm being cynical, but there's a slightly "corporate" voice in that posting by "the visitor"

I would pick up on some of the points made here though about the extent to which Dire Straits was a band. I think to a large extent it really was just Mark Knopfler and backing band, but actually - in their best period - the contribution of the rest of the band is easily overlooked.

Pick's drumming was a big factor in the feel and groove of the first three albums, and later Alan Clark brought quite a bit to the table too. I know MK and his current collaborators make a big thing of how much better they all are now, and from a technical point of view they are possibly right. But, as a band, they never sounded better than they did in the period of first four albums.

After that, particularly live, it all started to get a bit overblown IMHO - culminating in the awful arrangements on the OES tour where MK seemed to be trying to fit as many instruments into as small a space as possible. Yes, they were great musicians, but by that point they weren't a great band - which they had been with the earlier line-ups.
 
Case in point, Paul Franklin - who I rate as not only the best steel player but one of the best musicians full stop - pretty much ruined every song he played on. Not his fault, but the band dynamic was wrong.

MK solo, the DS stuff always sounds stilted and lifeless to me now - rock and roll played by a lounge band.

Having said all that - the band dynamic couldn't be more wrong that not having MK in it, and while MK without the original ban was never as good when he was with it - the original band (or bits of some of the later lineup) without MK is pretty pointless.

[dustyvalentino]

When I heard the youtube clip on the Straits website it took me back.  Back to the sound I have been missing for years - a taste of the glory of the BIA tour, and the slickness of the OES tour.  Yet with a fresh feel - that young dude on the keyboard adds a contemporary edge to MFN.  Any doubts I had about attending this gig were instantly dismissed.  

Welcome Visitor.

Each to their own but I find this quite an amazing statement. There's nothing "wrong" with the clip and they are all clearly excellent musicians but I don't know how this can take anybody back to the "sound" of DS when it's missing what is for me the number one vital component of Money for Nothing - MK's guitar.

Reis is a good player but he lacks MK's touch IMO and it doesn't really fool anybody. There are others out there who can nail MK's sound closer IMO, Marco whatshisname, Stefan Price etc etc.

Buying a Pensa Suhr does not turn you into MK unfortunately. 

[Rollergirl]

Buying a Pensa Suhr does not turn you into MK unfortunately. 

 It does NOT?? 

[Banjo99uk]

In reply to "the visitor", I would just like to point out that the programme "A Life in Songs" was only one hour long.  To do justice to someone like Mark Knopfler would have needed a series of hour-long programmes!   

It was also about Mark Knopfler not Dire Straits.

[superval99]

In reply to "the visitor", I would just like to point out that the programme "A Life in Songs" was only one hour long.  To do justice to someone like Mark Knopfler would have needed a series of hour-long programmes!  

It was also about Mark Knopfler not Dire Straits.

Quite right!        Errr, wasn't he Dire Straits too?   

[Banjo99uk]

In reply to "the visitor", I would just like to point out that the programme "A Life in Songs" was only one hour long.  To do justice to someone like Mark Knopfler would have needed a series of hour-long programmes!  

It was also about Mark Knopfler not Dire Straits.

Quite right!        Errr, wasn't he Dire Straits too?   

I believe he was (let me check wikipedia), but only for 15 out of 34 years so far.

[the visitor]

Hello again

Glad to see this is a lively forum.

First of all in response to the description of my post described as being 'corporate', I assume you are implying that I am in some way associated with the Straits and the promotional campaign that accompanies their show.  I'm not.  My only association is I like Dire Straits songs.   I have in fact been knocking around the Dire Straits internet community since about 1997 - I still remember the news section on Neck and Neck being updated, and I was a member of the Telegraph Road Mailing list.   I call myself the visitor because my interest in MK has waned to such an extent that I no longer visit forums such as this on a daily basis and I no longer consider myself part of the MK 'scene'.  

As far as MK goes, no I do not like his solo material. It is not to my taste and verges too far into the 'Easy Listening' arena for me.  He's moved too far away from his guitar for me and the strength and frequency of MKs guitar solos since 1996 has tailed right off.   The only three guitar solos that do anything for me in this solo work are Imelda, Speedway and the Hillfarmers Blues, and this is simply not enough to keep me intrested.

That said he is still a top, top guitarist. I do agree that just because you have a Pensa Suhr doesn't mean you can be Mark Knopfler. I also agree that Reis will not be able to compare to Knopfler in his guitar work.  But the RAH gig serves a purpose for fans like me.   It offers me the chance to hear the songs of my favourite band played in the style I want to hear them.  Yes the lead man may be missing, but to be honest I am really not that concerned.  Bob Marley's band, the Wailers have been touring since Bob passed in 1981. I have seen them on a number of occasions. Of course it is not the same as seeing Bob Marley in concert, but there is enough left of what surrounded him to make it a good night out.  It's clear Dire Straits are not going to be reformed, so I am going after what I can.

On the documenatary - ok it was about Mark Knopfler, not Dire Straits.  And a two hour programme would have been much better.  I was just suprised not to see any recollections from his bandmates who helped get him where he is now.  I also was under the impression that David and John formed the band - however, MK appears to take the credit for that in the documentary.  
 

[jakehadlee]

Hello again

Glad to see this is a lively forum.

First of all in response to the description of my post described as being 'corporate', I assume you are implying that I am in some way associated with the Straits and the promotional campaign that accompanies their show.  I'm not.  My only association is I like Dire Straits songs.  

OK - apologies for the insinuation, you just have a very "press release" style of writing! 

Agree with much of what you are saying, I'm also more of a fan of early (pre-BIA) Dire Straits than any of the later or solo work.

For me personally, I don't think I'd get much out of seeing The Straits - the one thing I would want out of a Dire Straits tribute band (which is what they are) is that they sound like they are fronted by Mark Knopfler. If this band were advertised as a tribute band featuring some ex members then fine.

The Wailers advertised themselves as The Wailers (which they were, as in Bob Marley and the..) Dire Straits weren't Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits (although perhaps they should have been). Plus, Bob is dead - Mark is still playing DS stuff live.

I don't think anyone objects to the band, just the marketing which skates close to the edge of deception. But I'm sure you know who they are, and I'm sure it'll be a good show so I hope you have a great time there.

[ds1984]

Mark is still playing DS stuff live.

When reading this I don't know if it makes me smile or cry.

I mean Mark always plays the same Straits stuff for years now and the only changes in tour is "this time another one dropped but not replaced". Considering the Straits back catalogue, Mark has enough song to be relieved on each tour. Let him keep SOS if he still has fun whith it but R&J and the BIA stuff could stay home to get something else.

Who would complain that TOL is back and give a rest to TR? Communiqu

[dustyvalentino]

Agreed, set has been too static since 2005.