Concert # 15:2013.05.15, Rockhal, Luxembourg, LU # SPOILER AHEAD #

[holaknopfler]

I'm sorry to say this DMG, and I absolutely don't want to be rude... But do you actually like the music MK produces as a solo artist? All I'm reading is very negative.. And of course, that is your opinion and I respect that but I'm very much wondering if you understand anything about musician who writes and plays songs. If you don't like to play a song anymore, you just don't do that. Because THAT is why you are a musician. You play songs that you LIKE to play.

[dmg]

I'm sorry to say this DMG, and I absolutely don't want to be rude... But do you actually like the music MK produces as a solo artist? All I'm reading is very negative.. And of course, that is your opinion and I respect that but I'm very much wondering if you understand anything about musician who writes and plays songs. If you don't like to play a song anymore, you just don't do that. Because THAT is why you are a musician. You play songs that you LIKE to play.

Don't worry Lars, you're not being rude at all.  I know exactly your point and it's very valid.  I actually am beginning to find a lot of his solo work celtic based and this is okay in short spells, however it really has went into overkill with every song now having more involvement from John and Mike than Mark himself. 

I come from an era when I fell in love with the music of DS and the guitar work of MK.  This is all in direct contrast and very hard for me to take.  The only DS treatment I ever got was when I attended a MK live concert and I got to hear that guitar again - it was reminiscent of the old days.  Now I don't get anything but John and Mike are there too and Mark doesn't even stop to think about me.  It's people like me, buying his records, attending his concerts in the old DS days who made him.  Maybe he should think about us.

It's maybe different for the "new breed" of fan who fell in love later with his music but I'm old school and the music is so, so different.  I think he really should be thinking of this when he decides a set for a concert.

I do like some of his new stuff though, I still can't tear myself away!

[boboDS]

Common dmg, Celtic connections! I certainly didn't have that feeling.
In my view Celtic music would contain no drums, electric guitar, or even keyboards, just John McC and Mike and maybe Richard. So I take it you don;t really like father and son or Cal?

I'd say, if it doesn't please you, you might as well quit doing it. Especially someone in MK's position, when he has enough money for several lifetimes. Because if it doesn't please you, you are usually not doing you're best. So I think the setlist should mostly consist of songs that he likes to play and a few of them 'for the fans'.

On the other hand, he could exchange Sultans ('for the fans') for some classics ones like WDYTYG, SBK, whatever ('for the fans'), if he doesn't want to play Sultans every evening.

[man on a track]

You got what you paid for back then, dmg.
It doesn't include a lifelong subscription.
That's what I said a few hours ago.
He can even use YOUR money to play golf instead of guitar
Too late for returns or warranty claims

[superval99]

 dmg  - I have been a DS fan since almost the beginning, so not one of the "new breed", but I have moved on now and enjoy MK's solo work, probably more than the DS stuff!  If I can hear Sultans, TR and R&J occasionally played live that would be perfect, but only as a bonus and not taken for granted!   I think that's the direction Mark's concerts will take in future and that is fine by me!  Just so long as I can still see and hear him play!     I don't think that is selfish on Mark's part at all! 

[boboDS]

Now I don't get anything but John and Mike are there too and Mark doesn't even stop to think about me.

Seriously? anything but John and Mike?
What was was, you can't live on past. Mark's music has evolved somewhere else and you can't have it both ways. I was like this, always hoping to get back the old days, but it's not gonna happen and I accepted it. I still hear that guitar, although less, but I still do, and that's much better as if he wouldn't be touring anymore and I wouldn't hear it at all.

It's people like me, buying his records, attending his concerts in the old DS days who made him.  Maybe he should think about us.

I think that's why, at least from a small part, we had OES tour. But after that, being in the position he was in, he could have said that's it, I'm tired of it, goodbye, no more touring. But I am glad he is still here and I can enjoy amongst others HFB, TR, SAN,...

[man on a track]

dmg  - I have been a DS fan since almost the beginning, so not one of the "new breed", but I have moved on now and enjoy MK's solo work, probably more than the DS stuff!  If I can hear Sultans, TR and R&J occasionally played live that would be perfect, but only as a bonus and not taken for granted!   I think that's the direction Mark's concerts will take in future and that is fine by me!  Just so long as I can still see and hear him play!     I don't think that is selfish on Mark's part at all!

Well said, Val
I am not a newbie either. Not at all.
Maybe it DOES take a certain age to appreciate life long changing?

[Ar (aka Enlight)]

You got what you paid for back then, dmg.
It doesn't include a lifelong subscription.
That's what I said a few hours ago.
He can even use YOUR money to play golf instead of guitar
Too late for returns or warranty claims

golf???
sssstttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt moat

Don't bring Mark to strange ideas, I once told him: "keep playing with your heart and soul geordie boy, thats how I became a fan of you 30 years ago at the first place,  don't be an entertainer, no el macho, even when you have to skip
a hit like Sultans for a while".....well you know what happened

But I am not willin' to tell him which iron nr. to use on a heart full of holes

[Jules]

I understand and share lot of what DMG said

And I also share "A man on the track", "Val" etc etc thoughts.

Its just a thing that nobody is wrong, everybody is right, and in the balance you will find happiness 

I

[Ar (aka Enlight)]

Can you do friday Pottel, I am driving from Goirle to Duinkerken, boatcrossing to Dover and then from Dover to Newcastle. So about 1000 km to do, with departure only around 14.00  Little stupid I know, but then I have the full saturday at Newcastle.

Why not the ferryboat from Ijmuiden (NH) to Newcastle ?
you know ,like the song, but visa verse 

Enjoy your stay and the concert

I like driving. Didn't want to spend the night on the boat and a busy schedule on Tuesday at the office (Ferry to IJmuiden means I am only home late on Tuesday morning) made me decide to drive

Will have a great weekend again ?

I am sure you will have a great weekend, a bit busy maybe.
I guess "The long highway" will be played on your car audio system at least twice?

groetjes
Ar

[ingridswing]

Not only long highway 
I suppose some concerts will be played and and and

Thanks to Superval I have a nice route to drive from Newcastle to Liverpool.
So that's not the boring highway.

[ds1984]

Not an easy decison to take when you have been in love with his music for so many years and that actually you like some of the solo stuff.

I don't really care if he plays DS stuff or not, I don't mind if he drops SOS but I have much more concern for myself about what he will be playing, this just a question if I still enjoy what is he doing. But when comes the time that you actually does not enjoy what the artist is offering anymore, it is up to us to make the move, and say enough, I'm leaving.

 

[dmg]

dmg  - I have been a DS fan since almost the beginning, so not one of the "new breed", but I have moved on now and enjoy MK's solo work, probably more than the DS stuff!  If I can hear Sultans, TR and R&J occasionally played live that would be perfect, but only as a bonus and not taken for granted!   I think that's the direction Mark's concerts will take in future and that is fine by me!  Just so long as I can still see and hear him play!     I don't think that is selfish on Mark's part at all!

He's playing what he wants, not caring about what the majority of the punters want - the people who actually paid the money and have the courtesy to go to see him.  I don't like to say it but that is the very definition of selfish.

[MojoIglesias]

Short review:

01. What It Is: great as always
02. Corned Beef City: perfect
03. Cleaning My Gun: personally: boring, monochromatic song
04. Privateering: now this is truly a masterpiece
05. Father and Son
06. Hill Farmers Blues: better than Antwerp
07. I Dug up a Diamond: better than Antwerp
08. I Used to Could
09. Romeo & Juliet
10. Gator Blood: my brother says it was better than Antwerp, but I didn't notice.
11. Haul Away
12. Postcards from Paraguay
13. Marbletown
14. Speedway at Nazareth: just spectacular
15. Telegraph Road: outro solo was a disaster, never liked the sound of the Pensa on TR, and in this version, virtually no trademark lick that makes TR.
The outro solo just sucked, sorry to say.
16. Brothers in Arms: very nice version
17. So Far Away: "Esch-sur-Alzette-town" is too difficult to work into the lyrics, couldn't figure out what he said instead...


So, first MK tour-gig I saw without Sultans. Conclusion: he should ditch SOS on every show, and TR as well. The set stands on its own magnificently. And as MK says: R&J and BIA still work, after all these years. He was right to ditch SOS. Now, it hurts me to say so but he should ditch TR also.

[superval99]

Short review:

01. What It Is: great as always
02. Corned Beef City: perfect
03. Cleaning My Gun: personally: boring, monochromatic song
04. Privateering: now this is truly a masterpiece
05. Father and Son
06. Hill Farmers Blues: better than Antwerp
07. I Dug up a Diamond: better than Antwerp
08. I Used to Could
09. Romeo & Juliet
10. Gator Blood: my brother says it was better than Antwerp, but I didn't notice.
11. Haul Away
12. Postcards from Paraguay
13. Marbletown
14. Speedway at Nazareth: just spectacular
15. Telegraph Road: outro solo was a disaster, never liked the sound of the Pensa on TR, and in this version, virtually no trademark lick that makes TR.
The outro solo just sucked, sorry to say.
16. Brothers in Arms: very nice version
17. So Far Away: "Esch-sur-Alzette-town" is too difficult to work into the lyrics, couldn't figure out what he said instead...


So, first MK tour-gig I saw without Sultans. Conclusion: he should ditch SOS on every show, and TR as well. The set stands on its own magnificently. And as MK says: R&J and BIA still work, after all these years. He was right to ditch SOS. Now, it hurts me to say so but he should ditch TR also.

I agree about TR.    I felt the same about the Amsterdam final solo - he seemed to be struggling, but on hearing it again, it was definitely better than I first thought, but nowhere near as good as the 2010 versions.    As I said previously, I can see MK's shows developing into solo only setlists, with the odd DS song played occasionally!