Mark played at Range Rover event yesterday...

[Tally]

MK brings in a sax player but doesn't play Your Latest Trick... Vintage Mark 

[dustyvalentino]

I wonder if playing the classics was a sine-qua-non condition for inviting him to the event

[allen]

Great photos...

And this has been my new desktop in my office:

[Rail King]

You need to make the audience happy, whoever they are.

I agree with everything, Dusty, but not with that. Great artists, especially if they're in a position like Mark's, don't just deliver what the audience expects. The do what they think is the right thing to do. If there's an audience for that, great. If not, too bad. Listen to the lyrics of "Follow the Ribbon", he says it all there. Now he just has to live up to it. 

[Love Expresso]

You need to make the audience happy, whoever they are.

I agree with everything, Dusty, but not with that. Great artists, especially if they're in a position like Mark's, don't just deliver what the audience expects. The do what they think is the right thing to do. If there's an audience for that, great. If not, too bad. Listen to the lyrics of "Follow the Ribbon", he says it all there. Now he just has to live up to it. 

It is a little tricky. Mark (and Guy) once uttered that "of course" they absolutely do NOT play for the audience - but only for themselves - because: As long as they like what they do themselves, it will spill over to the audience and the show/performance will benefit from that. So of course they have in mind that there are 500 - 15 000 people who have to be entertained - and the show has to be successful in the sense that there is good vibe and atmosphere - but it comes NOT from playing what the audience wants. It comes from pleasing themselves, getting very happy about that and showing and transporting that happiness to the audience.

That is why set list changes do not automatically mean better atmosphere. As long as Mark is happy playing Done With Bonaparte, you will see him smiling on stage (and the band members, too), and it will be what Mark would call "good concert".

".that would mean doing it for money..." Mark stated at the "Life In Songs" documentary. A corporate gig seems to be nothing but doing it for money.... so that made me thinking more than the unusual set list... But maybe it was an honour to play for RR, can't comment on that,... or it was a personal friendship thing, OR Mark donates everything that he gets for corporate things anyway.... so I can not judge really about that!

LE

[herlock]

You need to make the audience happy, whoever they are.

I agree with everything, Dusty, but not with that. Great artists, especially if they're in a position like Mark's, don't just deliver what the audience expects. The do what they think is the right thing to do. If there's an audience for that, great. If not, too bad. Listen to the lyrics of "Follow the Ribbon", he says it all there. Now he just has to live up to it. 

It is a little tricky. Mark (and Guy) once uttered that "of course" they absolutely do NOT play for the audience - but only for themselves - because: As long as they like what they do themselves, it will spill over to the audience and the show/performance will benefit from that. So of course they have in mind that there are 500 - 15 000 people who have to be entertained - and the show has to be successful in the sense that there is good vibe and atmosphere - but it comes NOT from playing what the audience wants. It comes from pleasing themselves, getting very happy about that and showing and transporting that happiness to the audience.

That is why set list changes do not automatically mean better atmosphere. As long as Mark is happy playing Done With Bonaparte, you will see him smiling on stage (and the band members, too), and it will be what Mark would call "good concert".

".that would mean doing it for money..." Mark stated at the "Life In Songs" documentary. A corporate gig seems to be nothing but doing it for money.... so that made me thinking more than the unusual set list... But maybe it was an honour to play for RR, can't comment on that,... or it was a personal friendship thing, OR Mark donates everything that he gets for corporate things anyway.... so I can not judge really about that!

LE

Nice poste, LE ! My feelings exactly.

If Mark wanted the audience to go hysterical, I'm sure he perfectly knows what to do: play TOL, OES, Skateaway, WDYTYRG...  The fact that he is not doing it shows that he does what he preaches: if I don't enjoy it, you won't. Now the reason why he would not enjoy playing TOL (which is clearly one of his top 5 songs and certainly the one he has more personal connections with) is a mystery to me. He has not become tired of it, just listen to the recent "Life is Songs" documentary, MK cheerfully mentions the song, with his life "like being on a rollercoaster". In the STP EPK DVD MK talks long about the spanish city and stuff.... So why, Mark ?? Don't say you can't do it... I'm sure you could. Even if it is a more laid-back version....

Re doing for money, I think Guy stated that Mark was happy, as a Patriot, to support the british car industry. And yes we don't know what he does with the money, so, who are we to judge ? He should have played Setting me up though - time to get the sport cars out, boys...


 

[a visitor]

I find Mark's oft-repeated statement that he's got to please himself problematic.

One the one hand, he's in a position financially and artistically to do exactly whatever he wants, and I also think that Mark is terrible at pretending, meaning that his displeasure or boredom clearly will shine through, as was evident during the end of the long DS tours. So as long as Mark has a good day at the job, chances are that his enjoyment will spill over to the audience.

On the other hand, there's no denying this attitude comes across as very selfish. He must know how much the fans are longing to hear some of the old gems. Maybe they are not gems to him anymore, but here I agree with some of the comments on Guy's forum, the fans have after all made it possible for him to be where he is today. If he can dig out the played-to-death hits at a slick corporate show - which clearly shows that he can when he wants - why not dig out those treasures to audiences that would go absolutely bananas, not for fancy pants sipping to their martinis while nodding their heads to Walk Of Life, going "Yeah, 85 was a good year"? Wouldn't that tremendous excitement among the audience feed back to Mark, making him having a great day at the job?

I definitely think so. But maybe he fears it, maybe he'd feel as some kind of defeat that the audience would be more thrilled by the "old stuff" ("going back") than the newer songs ("looking forward")?

[DIFFICULTTOBELIEVE]

Pasta Strainer - my understanding of the setlist for the RR show is that Mark played the DS songs that he regularly puts into the setlists of his usual shows. No DS "rarities" for the martini swillers.

[a visitor]

Well, my point exactly - if he can play those over-played hits for a crowd like this (I can't imagine he gets a kick out of this), why can't he pull out some of the rarities for the faithful fans who pay their hard-earned money to see him? Which for sure would generate near-hysteria in the audience

[Rail King]

I asked Guy Fletcher (on his forum) why they didn't play anything new, and all he said was:

"A Straits setlist was decided upon."

Well, I GUESS! But by whom, and why?! He must be embarrassed by the fact himself ...

[Love Expresso]

Typical Fletcher answer.

Same as "I'll ask Ian" -

Ok. But why not tell us also what Ian answered? I bet he forgot about doing it at the same second the "n" of "Ian" was typed...

LE

[ds1984]

I did not bother to ask Guy as I was sure he was not the one to be asked.

Mark could tell us but unfortunatley he remains unreachable.

Better try on RR side if you know the right person to ask about...

[Jarle]

I asked Guy Fletcher (on his forum) why they didn't play anything new, and all he said was:

"A Straits setlist was decided upon."

Well, I GUESS! But by whom, and why?! He must be embarrassed by the fact himself ...

I am pretty sure Mark was hired and paid to play Dire Straits songs, and only that. He was paid to do a job, and he did what he was told... Probably.

[Jules]

Its not the first time MK plays a private concert for money...

I think it was during Shangrila tour that he played for bankers in London, and also a setlist full of DS songs.

And whats that money for? I mean, does he need to do it? I dont know and dont mind, he

[the visitor]

Its not the first time MK plays a private concert for money...

I think it was during Shangrila tour that he played for bankers in London, and also a setlist full of DS songs.

And whats that money for? I mean, does he need to do it? I dont know and dont mind, he