#01 DTRW TOUR - Apr 25 2019 - Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain #SPOILER#

[Robson]

Matchstick Man wonderful.

[hunter]

Matchstick Man wonderful.

The added instruments really lifted this song to a new level.

[Robson]

Exactly. Now I know I miss this on the album.

[PensaGhost]

[dmg]

Matchstick Man wonderful.

The added instruments really lifted this song to a new level.

+1  Never cared for it on the album but this live one is pretty nice. 

[superval99]

Matchstick Man wonderful.

The added instruments really lifted this song to a new level.

+1  Never cared for it on the album but this live one is pretty nice. 

I really like it a lot, but I'm surprised that you do, dmg, with Mr McGoldrick playing the pipes!   

[superval99]

Just listening to My Bacon Roll.  It's fantastic and I love that long, funky outro!   I hope it stays in the set.

[dmg]

Just listening to My Bacon Roll.  It's fantastic and I love that long, funky outro!   I hope it stays in the set.

Really cool, isn't it.  I love the solo.  It just sounds so damn good.

[superval99]

Just listening to My Bacon Roll.  It's fantastic and I love that long, funky outro!   I hope it stays in the set.

Really cool, isn't it.  I love the solo.  It just sounds so damn good.

Yes, love the solo too!   I was just thinking how experimental MK is compared to some other musicians of his era and even younger, who just play greatest hits!   I'm so glad I'm a Knopfler fan!   

[Knopflerfan]

Just listening to My Bacon Roll.  It's fantastic and I love that long, funky outro!   I hope it stays in the set.

Really cool, isn't it.  I love the solo.  It just sounds so damn good.

Yes, love the solo too!   I was just thinking how experimental MK is compared to some other musicians of his era and even younger, who just play greatest hits!   I'm so glad I'm a Knopfler fan!   

It is just awesome and still get a little giggle with 'Have you got my roll? my bacon roll' without the band and arms in the air!!!! I expect to see Mr Superval & dmg doing this in Leeds!! and yes I'm glad Knopflerfan is a Knopfler Fan!!!!

[Robson]

Just listening to My Bacon Roll.  It's fantastic and I love that long, funky outro!   I hope it stays in the set.

Really cool, isn't it.  I love the solo.  It just sounds so damn good.

Yes, love the solo too!   I was just thinking how experimental MK is compared to some other musicians of his era and even younger, who just play greatest hits!   I'm so glad I'm a Knopfler fan!   

Me too:)

[2manyguitars]

Whatever the merit of judging these performances there's no doubt that the tempo of TR was subtly altered some time ago to aid mark a little. Plenty of little 'greenies' in both performances, but also plenty of effort and still some good little fluid passages.

Gives us mere mortals some hope 

Yes, speed is the only thing that has suffered (quite big time) for the last 15 years, especially since he was so fast previously.


Gilmour for example has not suffered much on the speed side cause pink floyd songs have always been pretty slow since the very beginning, contrarily to dire straits songs.

Regarding all the rest, touch, inspiration, is beyond imagination,
for example Telegraph Road final solo from 1992 was much faster than now obviously, but he is struggling now ?
I don't think so, actually the Barcelona final solo from this tour imo is much more enjoyable overall to me than the much faster ones.

I think the real issue is one of timing. As you and I know Knopfler/Fingerstyle guitar is very precise and demanding, the slightest of errors can leave you looking a bit silly. That's what I've sensed from much of marks recent playing. It will be interesting to see what happens during the rest of the tour because it could just be 'rust' rather than age that we're picking up on.

Whatever, he's still great, and I owe him a huge thankyou for making me want to play and teach.

[Knopflerfan]

Whatever the merit of judging these performances there's no doubt that the tempo of TR was subtly altered some time ago to aid mark a little. Plenty of little 'greenies' in both performances, but also plenty of effort and still some good little fluid passages.

Gives us mere mortals some hope 

Yes, speed is the only thing that has suffered (quite big time) for the last 15 years, especially since he was so fast previously.


Gilmour for example has not suffered much on the speed side cause pink floyd songs have always been pretty slow since the very beginning, contrarily to dire straits songs.

Regarding all the rest, touch, inspiration, is beyond imagination,
for example Telegraph Road final solo from 1992 was much faster than now obviously, but he is struggling now ?
I don't think so, actually the Barcelona final solo from this tour imo is much more enjoyable overall to me than the much faster ones.

I think the real issue is one of timing. As you and I know Knopfler/Fingerstyle guitar is very precise and demanding, the slightest of errors can leave you looking a bit silly. That's what I've sensed from much of marks recent playing. It will be interesting to see what happens during the rest of the tour because it could just be 'rust' rather than age that we're picking up on.

Whatever, he's still great, and I owe him a huge thankyou for making me want to play and teach.

And after tonights storming concert in Madrid, MK's rust is most certainly dissapearing!!

[crimmer]

oh yes the 2nd half I heard was brilliant, sounded a lot better playing than when I saw him in Barcelona,

[hunter]

I think the real issue is one of timing. As you and I know Knopfler/Fingerstyle guitar is very precise and demanding, the slightest of errors can leave you looking a bit silly. That's what I've sensed from much of marks recent playing. It will be interesting to see what happens during the rest of the tour because it could just be 'rust' rather than age that we're picking up on.

Also note that on TR, for instance, he uses a much more overdriven guitar sound than previously. That makes things sound much more fluid and covers up moments of "imprecision". Same with Once Upon A Time.

Some may call it cheating, but I actually admire Mark for adjusting to reality and being able to make things work nonetheless. It would not work on Sultans, I think. It has and requires too many "twiddly bits" to be a proper version, and with a distorted sound it would sounds mushy.