Privateering Tour about to begin - Rehearsals starting in London

[Jules]

STATEMENT FROM PCM RE CAP RIOG GIG:

"There have been misleading reports in the media, stating that Mark Knopfler will be performing a special set featuring at least eight Dire Straits singles. This is not correct.

All ticket purchasers must clearly understand that the list of songs that Mark Knopfler will perform at Cap Roig will be drawn from the sets of the 70 other shows of his European tour and whilst this may include a small number of well-known Dire Straits songs, (as has been the pattern in all of Mark

[Jules]

According to John McCusker's twitter, they finished their first week of rehearsals, and he says that on monday they start production rehearsals.

Normally they do production rehearsals when they have the set rehearsed, so it looks like it only took one week to rehearse their set 

[Love Expresso]

Well, after 2010, 2011 and 2012 they should be able to play that set. 

LE

[Jules]

Thats what I thought before the rehearsals...

[Love Expresso]

Or maybe we will have a bigger production, stage wise (like the big screen 2008 or something, or another "gimmick") and the production rehearsal has to be an integral part of the rehearsal in general.

LE

[Jules]

NAAAAAAAAAAAA   

[Jules]

A very vague entry by Guy in his site...

I understand that they rehearsed the same thing that they used to play between this 2010, 2011 and 2012 tours, with some new (or rescued) additions, and they just rehearsed one week.

[dmg]

I'm really nervous now about this tour.  Mark was very weak on that last thing with Dylan IMO.  Needs to up his game I think.

[Love Expresso]

I'm really nervous now about this tour.  Mark was very weak on that last thing with Dylan IMO.  Needs to up his game I think.

+1

LE

[dannyjun]

I am afraid that this style of touring will be slow ending for MK in some places - if the shows are too much the same... If he wants to play in all those huge arenas, he should really consider attractiveness of his repertoire. For example, attendance in Prague concerts: 2005 - 8,500 people, 2008 - 8,000, 2010 - 6,500 people max. Wonder about the future...

[schmonka]

I hate to say it - but i agree with Danny....there has been too little set list progression and development in recent years with the last three or so tours being largly identical.  People unfortunately dont want to see the same MK show each time - we know we are going to get R & J, Sultans, BIA etc - but the rest are lacking surprise - SFSL, Marbletown, DWB, TR, SAN etc.

Goodness knows (well actually MK knows) why this set list gets wheeled out tour after tour - but it cant be doing anything for the semi hard core fans, who KNOW they are going to get the same tunes they heard last tour - these people will not attend multiple shows like the majority of us - but only a one or two, and if they know they are going to hear the same tracks, then less so. 

Im actually moving abroad to a territory that MK doesnt play regularly and hasnt played since 2005.  If a job comes up and i have to move earlier then i wouldnt be TOO gutted to miss MK becuase i just KNOW there wont be any huge surprises in the set this time around.  Tried and tested songs that the majority dont want to hear for the thousanth time rolled out time and again.  Its unlikely ill see MK again as he doesnt tour where im heading, again if MK has some surprises and gems each tour, i would be pretty miffed only able to listen to live MK on USB sticks.....but my genuine thoughts about maybe not seeing MK live again.....meh....do i care?

[Vesper]

Nice production stage pic by John

http://pics.lockerz.com/s/289626048

[dmg]

Nice production stage pic by John

http://pics.lockerz.com/s/289626048

Hmm...rhombus shaped lighting rig...

I agree with the above statements regarding updating the set. 

I didn't realise his fan base was dwindling away like that dannyjun!  Here in Scotland the last few tours now he's been playing the SECC which is a bigger venue than the Edinburgh Playhouse, where he played in 2005/08.  I'll need to check to see if it's sold out on the night because it's the biggest indoor venue in Scotland, I think.

[Jarle]

Although I agree about the setlists, his popularity in Norway actually seems to be quite good for this tour. This is the first time he will play three nights in a row here, and the total amount of tickets sold is about 20.000. This is a record for Mark's solo tours in Norway. The show in Stavanger was actually sold out in 22 minutes (5100 tickets), which is quite good when it comes to Mark's ticket sales, I think...

[Love Expresso]

Although you can say that MK is quite busy over the last 5 or 10 years - an he really is, in terms of recording and touring - he also has a certain lack of power or better to say a certain comfort - why should he really recall and learn all that new stuff - he has two hours to fill with music. I am sure we will see Donegan's Gone again, A Night In Summer Long Ago, Done with Bonaparte and all that stuff. He is just in a "easy-playing-without-thinking-too-much" modus. He is able to deliever a very high standard in playing and singing (and remembering all the lyrics), and the price for that is less surprise. It is a pity. Marbletown was so great when it came up, a big surprise, together with Hill Farmer, but now they are pretty static parts of the set for eternity.

I would really love to know what Richard and Glen REALLY think about playing all this stuff over and over again...

but I also know that there IS a certain magic about this live music and after the first few notes I will probably be on cloud nine...

LE