Privateering US tour -- knopfling's photos

[knopfling]

Las Vegas Palms 10-25-13
http://s319.photobucket.com/user/knopfling/library/Mark%20Knopfler%20Vegas%2010-25-13?sort=3&page=1

Los Angeles Wiltern 10-26-13
http://s319.photobucket.com/user/knopfling/library/Mark%20Knopfler%20Los%20Angeles%2010-26-13?sort=3&page=1

Oakland 1  Fox  10-27-13
http://s319.photobucket.com/user/knopfling/library/Mark%20Knopfler%20Oakland%201%20%2010-27-13?sort=3&page=1

Oakland 2  Fox  10-28-13
http://s319.photobucket.com/user/knopfling/library/Mark%20Knopfler%20Oakland%202%20%2010-28-13?sort=3&page=1

[singv]

Thank you, Knopfling. Your pictures are always so good, even without bulky cameras that need 3 people to get into the venue!!

It was great to have you as a car-mate for 3 days, I think we did very well together and I look forward to many more road-trips as we follow MK around the country!

[knopfling]

Thanks Singhv.
Mine aren't anywhere near as good as yours.
But, as you know. it only took one person to get my point-and-shoot into the venues -- though I had to argue pretty good to get into the Wiltern and nearly went to jail with you a couple nights after we rushed the stage and dared to take pictures there.
I loo forward to more road trips!
And more of your front-row-center tickets!

[superval99]

Thank you, knopfling, for your pictures!    There are some really great close-ups!   

[sweetsurrender]

Thanks Singhv.
Mine aren't anywhere near as good as yours.
But, as you know. it only took one person to get my point-and-shoot into the venues -- though I had to argue pretty good to get into the Wiltern and nearly went to jail with you a couple nights after we rushed the stage and dared to take pictures there.
I loo forward to more road trips!
And more of your front-row-center tickets!

All those nights were amazing experience.  It would have been better if those securities left us alone.  How many times Ingrid had to argue with them?? 

Both you guys' pictures are divine. I will be prepared for 2015 with picture taking.  Thanks sooooo much for sharing.

[knopfling]

Thanks, Val. It was fun taking them.
Thanks, Sweet, it was a great, fun tour for us, wasn't it?
Some security people don't completely understand the band's instructions, and some do. I wrote emails to the Palms/Pearl praising security man Brian, who did his job cheerfully well (the one that put the bracelets on us), and to the Fox regarding Semie, a delightful security attendant, telling their bosses how much we appreciated the way they accomplished their jobs. I heard back from the Fox people, telling me they had the same high opinion of Semie.

[sweetsurrender]

WOW ! Knopfling, I'm impressed you took time to write to them. That's so great ! Yes, Simie was super nice to us both days.  We signed $5 bill for him, just like the one Mark Signed for me.

[knopfling]

Maybe a better look:
Vegas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57653234@N04/sets/72157637209668394/

LA
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57653234@N04/sets/72157637209322685/

Oakland 1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57653234@N04/sets/72157637210260203/

Oakland 2
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57653234@N04/sets/72157637209805104/

[sak4]

Hi Knopfling

Thanks very much for the brilliant photos, so professional.

Sally 

[IrisRose]

I love your close-ups, Knopfling.   Each one captures the spirit of the guys.   Especially John.  And the close up of the reflection of Mark's hand is genius!

[sweetsurrender]

ALl the photos are absolutely amazing.  I love them all.  Thanks so much for sharing.

The one that shows Mark's hand on the National is incredibly captured.

[IrisRose]

And singhv, your photographs show the whole evening!   Thank you.   They tell a great story in a wonderful way.    What a memory!   And great to meet you too.   

[ingridswing]

WOW ! Knopfling, I'm impressed you took time to write to them. That's so great ! Yes, Simie was super nice to us both days.  We signed $5 bill for him, just like the one Mark Signed for me.

Really nice of you to write to them Knopfling. They indeed did a great job. That's why I wanted to tip Semie. He said: you don't have to do it, but I said I really wanted to, because of his excellent job.

By the way, you can clearly see my panda-look from my sunglasses on the pictures. Does someone have a solution for that? Because of driving a convertible all the time it happens every summer, this year it was really too much, maybe I travelled too much in good weather 
The good part is that I can conlude that my sunglasses are from exceptional quality, no UV will reach my eyes.

Mike also had a laugh about it. Can't remember which show it was, maybe Oakland 1, he looked at me, pointed to both his eyes to show the lines of my sunglasses and laughed. So I really need to fix that panda-look 

[singv]

Thanks, Val. It was fun taking them.
Thanks, Sweet, it was a great, fun tour for us, wasn't it?
Some security people don't completely understand the band's instructions, and some do. I wrote emails to the Palms/Pearl praising security man Brian, who did his job cheerfully well (the one that put the bracelets on us), and to the Fox regarding Semie, a delightful security attendant, telling their bosses how much we appreciated the way they accomplished their jobs. I heard back from the Fox people, telling me they had the same high opinion of Semie.

A testament to the fact that there is always a humane and pleasant way of going about one's job, even if it is thankless work and doesn't pay much (just making an assumption here). It was a real delight to encounter such people during our MK road trip. God knows just how devastated we were to have missed Mark by a minute that day in Oakland...I had to turn around and walk away while Sweetsurrender and Knopfling we're talking to Semie. Kudos to Knopfling for acknowledging unsung heroes like Semie!

[IrisRose]

Something similar happened to me in Berkeley in 2008.    We had a sort-of invitation to the meet and greet, wonderfully and generously offered by one of the band members.   But the person who had our invitation/id or whatever paper she was supposed to have, partied a bit too long before leaving for the concert, and the two of us who were waiting for her could not get in.  She arrived five minutes too late.    Opportunity lost.     The wonderful thing that happened, though, was that at the next venue, the band member made a special effort to find us and talked with us for over 10 minutes.    I was floating on air about that for weeks.