Best Memories & Moments With MK/DS/NHB Tours & Shows

[regaran]

As I started to be fade up with setlist discussion, I prefer to create a new topic with more positive feelings.
As this is the last tour of MK, It could be good to share our best moments or memories with all tours (DS, NHB, MK) and shows we have been.

[regaran]

Let's start with me. It was in 1992, at this time, I was living in Nantes, France. i was 16 years old, and i learned in newspaper that an additional date for on 'every street tour' has been Added in Nantes.
 At this time, no mobile, so i was obliged to wait in the evenig to get authorization from my parents to go to the show. I got it, and was obliged to wait next day, and as internet was not existing, i had to go to music shops to buy a ticket. After school, i ran into music shops, but no tickets remaining, and finally at the last one, the guy from the shop said 'yes, i have 5 tickets remaining !'. 'I take one'. I went out of the shop, and it was one of my greatest joy to have this ticket in hand ! I was so happy !!! My only Dire Straits concert !!! On May 24th 1992, Dire Straits was in Nantes for the show and I still have the ticket as one of my biggest treasure !!!
 

[dmg]

Best moments of DS show (Glasgow 13.09.91): 

PONO was the immediate highlight post-show.
In retrospect, getting to hear I Think I Love You Too Much and TOL is also special.

NHB (Glasgow '97):

Best version of Wild Theme and overall great gig with Mark in a very good mood.  Never heard him so relaxed or joke as much.

Knopfler solo:

Glasgow 2001:

Great show overall and met some lovely people at the venue back doors afterward, some still friends.  Oh, and we all got to meet Mark and some band members too!  Think they were a little tipsy!

Lucca 2010:

Special place, special venue (my only open-air concert) and special atmosphere.  Some memories of those few days I'll never forget like the old man on the train carrying a bottle of wine whom I saw hours later that same day on a bench seemingly awaiting the show starting!  Also the huge TV screens erected throughout the town because the World Cup was on at the time and the rather enthusiastic Dutch were in town turning Lucca orange!

Glasgow 2015:

Winning the competition to the meet and greet, although it didn't really live up to expectations if I'm being honest; only Ruth Moody performed backstage.  Now, now lads!  Show itself was a bit meh.


Special mention to the charity gig at Shepherd's Bush Empire, 23.07.02.  Great show, atmosphere, met some familiar faces and met John Illsley.

Special special mention to all those friendly AMITers I've met over the years at shows who have made the experience all the more enjoyable.

[superval99]

One of my best moments was similar to regaran's.   It was 1993 and I was shopping in Leeds city centre and as I was passing through the Merrion Centre (very close to the First Direct Arena, which wasn't built then) I saw someone pinning a poster on a wall advertising a charity gig at the Town and Country.   I ran over to the venue and was lucky enough to get two tickets.  I think I may have been one of the first.

It was an NHB concert, just prior to the Swan Hunter concert in Newcastle and I can't believe I heard two songs that had never been heard live before or since - Ticket to Heaven and How Long!   

My next favourite memory was in 1996, also in Leeds and, again, at the Town and Country for the Golden Heart concert, which was one of the longest with an amazing set list.   Lots of other wonderful shows followed over the years, too many to mention.  I feel a very fortunate person to be a fan of such a great artist as MK.      

Another unforgettable moment was meeting MK in 2008 in Pilgrim Street, Newcastle!   

[Robson]

Certainly the whole concert from Basel  28.06.1992. The broadcast of this concert was something beautiful. First concert MK in Poland 10.06. 2001, but the list is longer

[dmg]

Certainly the whole concert from Basel  28.06.1992. The broadcast of this concert was something beautiful. First concert MK in Poland 10.06. 2001, but the list is longer

Did you attend the famous Basel show in person?

[Robson]

Unfortunately not. I sat in front of the TV on a beautiful Sunday evening.

[Banjo99uk]

For me it has to be DS at Woburn Abbey in 92 as it was my first outdoor gig and one which is etched in my
mind forever. I’m so lucky I got to see them before they folded especially as I was only 16 at the time. The other is NHB in 97 at The Shepherds Bush Empire. MK was in his finest form and very chatty back then. Not like the moody guy I thought he was from his DS days. 
Outside of gigs I’ll always kick myself for not saying hello when I ran into him at John Illsleys pub. Just didn’t want to be that crazy star struck fan he probably feels awkward with.

[dmg]

Unfortunately not. I sat in front of the TV on a beautiful Sunday evening.

I remember watching the version broadcast over here on Channel 4.  They cut CE to about 4 minutes long and never broadcast others at all like TR for example.  It wasn't until many years later I found the full concert.

[Robson]

Unfortunately not. I sat in front of the TV on a beautiful Sunday evening.

I remember watching the version broadcast over here on Channel 4.  They cut CE to about 4 minutes long and never broadcast others at all like TR for example.  It wasn't until many years later I found the full concert.

It was a wonderful day and concert. I was recording on VHS tape I noticed that there is no concert on the internet

[Pottel]

me 3 days later then you

As I started to be fade up with setlist discussion, I prefer to create a new topic with more positive feelings.
As this is the last tour of MK, It could be good to share our best moments or memories with all tours (DS, NHB, MK) and shows we have been.

me three days after that, Werchter 1992.05.27, a holy day in my book. show itself was not particular, if i look at it now, but back then, i was smacked gobless.
then 1996, Rotterdam, i taped the "Mark for president" show at Ahoy, a fabulous show with one of my all time favourite songs, long highway, then 1999, Ronnie scotts, july 19th and 20th, standing in line outside this mini venue, with, amongst others, Marijn Schoo, also a member here, seeing a guy in a motorcycling suit and helmet walk past, go inside and only then realising it was mark. got a hand shake and a signature after the show. great shows! then the 2002 Beaulie show, too amazing for words, 2009, Hurlingham charity event, sitting next to none other but Pete Townsend, then, the many times in front row @Royal albert hall, and then and then and then...
THANK YOU MARK

[quizzaciously]

Looks like April is my go-to MK month. Memories? Too many to write it all down...

2005 Tour — April 28 in Saint Petersburg, Russia
2008 Tour — April 26 in Saint Petersburg, Russia
2019 Tour — April 30 in Lisbon, Portugal

From 15 up to 29 half of my life is MK and his music. The best moment is probably when I first saw Mark on stage waving and playing Why Aye Man. It's the first time I saw him and what a perfect situation to get to know the artist. For half of the show I thought "I know all the songs, it's just I didn't know who wrote them all".

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

[NicoMK]

Nice topic - one that MK and Co may be happy to read - happy to contribute.

There are so many memories. Hard to choose only few of them but I'll make it brief to keep it interesting.

1) London 2002 : a fantastic gig, hope it'll happen again. Nice to see the soul of Dire Straits on stage again, and for me a revelation : Danny Cummings on the drums! I think I had never seen a drummer before… and I have never seen one since 

2) Lyon 96 (both nights) : my first MK shows so yes, very special for this reason, thus unforgettable. Great tour, great setlist (before the internet) and nice venue for an evening of July.

3) Barcelona 2008 : waited for a long time at the venue and had the chance to see the whole band. Danny is such a classy person that he took time for a chit-chat, for some pics and he offered me a present that I still cherish : one of his drum head, signed by him.

I'm gonna miss all of this tremendously -- as you all I guess -- so I'm trying to enjoy Mark and Co's last run as much as I can.

[Knopflerfan]

My overall favourite memory was the intimate charity show at Bridport, Dorset on the 27th September 2013 where we also took Ingridswing too....
What a fabulous little personal show culminating in meeting the man himself after the show and also gaining personally signed Fender MK Stratocaster labels for both of my Strats...I think shaking the Masters hand and him wishing me 'all the best' was the highlight of the 35+ years following him!!! Of course the signed items mean the world to me too...

Front row centre seats in front of MK for the second night at the RAH on the 28th May 2013 has to be seriously up there especially during 'The Bull Run' we just stepped forward right in front as he then striked up a fantastic rendition of BIA....
The intimate shows at Hay-on-Wye and Chalke Valley history festival are also breathtaking events I've enjoyed too...

[border_reiver]

Being at Forum in Copenhagen '96 and singing along to that epic "Ole ole ole" with the whole crowd. First concert ever and oh what a memory.

Meeting MK in Malmö, twice.

London, 2002, Save the baby-gig. "Almost" DS

Being backstage as a guest of Mr Sonny L's at St Julien 2015 and watching one legend's concert from the back of the stage alongside another legend.