‘The last big go around...’

[Ian Lewis]

I was thinking last night as you do...  MK has said himself what if this is ‘the last big go around?’ We’ve been given an album full of songs and even a couple of songs looking back at the past. 

I don’t want to be depressing but could we be looking at the last MK major release with DTRW?  Interested to hear what other people think.

Personally MK seems enamoured with British Grove and seems more productive than ever so I’m sure he’ll produce more if he can.  But if DTRW was the last I certainly wouldn’t be disappointed.  What a wonderful career and collection of music he has given us


www.ianlewisphoto.co.uk

[Jules]

I was thinking last night as you do...  MK has said himself what if this is ‘the last big go around?’ We’ve been given an album full of songs and even a couple of songs looking back at the past. 

I don’t want to be depressing but could we be looking at the last MK major release with DTRW?  Interested to hear what other people think.

Personally MK seems enamoured with British Grove and seems more productive than ever so I’m sure he’ll produce more if he can.  But if DTRW was the last I certainly wouldn’t be disappointed.  What a wonderful career and collection of music he has given us


www.ianlewisphoto.co.uk

He means his last long tour.

[Knopflerfan]

Yes indeed, I agree this will be MK's last huge tour but can see no reason why he would stop producing albums. I can see a few nights residency at say the RAH only in the future rather than tours as such...

[qjamesfloyd]

I see it as being a good thing, because if he is not going to be touring anymore, if gives him more time to write and record, so we may get more albums with a smaller gap in between the releases.

[dmg]

A smaller tour this time may have been recommended in fact.  I think, unsurprisingly, he gets quite tired sounding by the end these days.

[holaknopfler]

A smaller tour this time may have been recommended in fact.  I think, unsurprisingly, he gets quite tired sounding by the end these days.

I can imagine it, they have quite a busy schedule. And he's not 30 anymore too. I wonder what it'll do to his guitarplaying, the smaller tours if they're ever going to happen.

[Jules]

In some interviews MK said that this year representation of Local Hero musical is going to be a small thing, but they are preparing something bigger for London, which will be summer 2020 so he might thought he's going to be busy to keep recording and touring in the future...

[dmg]

A smaller tour this time may have been recommended in fact.  I think, unsurprisingly, he gets quite tired sounding by the end these days.

I can imagine it, they have quite a busy schedule. And he's not 30 anymore too. I wonder what it'll do to his guitarplaying, the smaller tours if they're ever going to happen.

Looking back years to older tours, even the DS days he used to take 2 or 3 day breaks between dates in different venues.  The Golden Heart style tour is an option in the future and perhaps one he should've adopted this time.

[ds1984]

Mark is Mark but Clapton many years ago, maybe 2001 or so announced more or less the same. Of course 2004 and 2006/7 were quite still heavy touring years but subsequent tours went lighter.  Now a world tour is almost less than 10 concerts...

[skydiver]

Shorter tours in beautiful small intimate venues is an unrealistic dream with dreadful consequences.
This romantic sounding scenario is actually a pure nightmare for me:
Not everyone who wants to see Mark will be able to get a ticket.
And those who will get into those intimate venues will be paying a fortune.
It will be a feast for ticket scalpers. They can actually charge any price, people will pay it just to see MK in one of his rare shows.

We are not in 1996 anymore, where the brand "Mark Knopfler" was not known to world-wide concert goers.
Just have a look at how fast tickets are selling for this tour.
Just imagine the masses of a worlwide audience in a bloody struggle for tix for a RAH residency.
Start saving today!

[superval99]

We are not in 1996 anymore, where the brand "Mark Knopfler" was not known to world-wide concert goers.

Ahh, those were the days!     I loved those smaller concerts on the GH tour and  Ronnie Scott's with just a couple of hundred people in the audience!       

[skydiver]

We are not in 1996 anymore, where the brand "Mark Knopfler" was not known to world-wide concert goers.

Ahh, those were the days!     I loved those smaller concerts on the GH tour and  Ronnie Scott's with just a couple of hundred people in the audience!       

Yes I think with fondness of those days, too.
But it would be selfish to wish those times back.
MK as a solo artist has a much bigger audience today than in those days and everyone should have a chance to see and hear him, not just a chosen few in a small intimate setting.

[superval99]

We are not in 1996 anymore, where the brand "Mark Knopfler" was not known to world-wide concert goers.

Ahh, those were the days!     I loved those smaller concerts on the GH tour and  Ronnie Scott's with just a couple of hundred people in the audience!       

Yes I think with fondness of those days, too.
But it would be selfish to wish those times back.
MK as a solo artist has a much bigger audience today than in those days and everyone should have a chance to see and hear him, not just a chosen few in a small intimate setting.

What is the solution, though.   Smaller venues, including the RAH, would create the scenario that you suggest and we would be extremely fortunate to see him as easily as we do now.   I don't see him doing huge arenas after this next tour, and he has hinted that could happen, so a residency at the RAH, as Clapton does, would seem to be the best option, but it would still be a struggle for fans to get tickets.   

[skydiver]

What is the solution, though.   Smaller venues, including the RAH, would create the scenario that you suggest and we would be extremely fortunate to see him as easily as we do now.   I don't see him doing huge arenas after this next tour, and he has hinted that could happen, so a residency at the RAH, as Clapton does, would seem to be the best option, but it would still be a struggle for fans to get tickets.   

Of course I would love a set of intimate RAH shows, who wouldn't.
But since international concert travelling has increased substantially over the last decade  I expect a massive interest and loads of world-wide fans pouring into London (if MK's gigging will indeed be limited to London) for the "odd show" as he put it.
And given the high demand for low supply, we'll see many disappointed faces and very expensive ticket prices (and smiling scalpers).
He won't play 30+ shows if he feels that playing live takes so much energy out of him.
And this problem can't be solved (unless he returns to the O2). I just want to say that I believe the scenario of a few intimate shows won't be as romatic as one might think.
May this be prevented for a long time!

[superval99]

Maybe half-a-dozen arenas or so, here and there would work!