#57 DTRW TOUR - July 22 2019 - Arena di Verona, Verona, Italy

[qjamesfloyd]

Yea i noticed this too..

In 2013/2015 videos he looks slimmer, healthier and playing decent SoS/TR....

Big difference this time when you study how he stands at the stage etc. Bit sad...

I don't mind if he use the chair again as in 2010

To be honest I don't think he performs certain songs well in the chair.  It's fine with the slow, laid back numbers but he always looked awkward and uncomfortable trying to play most of the set while seated.  His posture on that stool whilst playing was terrible.  I think if it did help him he would already be seated but obviously he prefers standing.

I agree, I don't think most of Marks song and guitar style suits sitting on a stool, but gentle acoustic songs like Matchstick Man, Get Lucky, Monteleone are fine sitting on a stool. It was ok for B.B. King, but not Mark.

[superval99]

Yea i noticed this too..

In 2013/2015 videos he looks slimmer, healthier and playing decent SoS/TR....

Big difference this time when you study how he stands at the stage etc. Bit sad...

I don't mind if he use the chair again as in 2010

To be honest I don't think he performs certain songs well in the chair.  It's fine with the slow, laid back numbers but he always looked awkward and uncomfortable trying to play most of the set while seated.  His posture on that stool whilst playing was terrible.  I think if it did help him he would already be seated but obviously he prefers standing.

I agree, I don't think most of Marks song and guitar style suits sitting on a stool, but gentle acoustic songs like Matchstick Man, Get Lucky, Monteleone are fine sitting on a stool. It was ok for B.B. King, but not Mark.

Some of my favourite concerts were in 2010, when MK sat on a chair for all of the shows, especially Manchester and Brighton.  They both had terrific TRs!

[qjamesfloyd]

I was at Brighton in 2010 too Val, great show.

[PensaGhost]

Some of my favourite concerts were in 2010, when MK sat on a chair for all of the shows, especially Manchester and Brighton.  They both had terrific TRs!

exactly, being on a chair doesn't compromise playing at all, actually he could even be a little bit more comfortable on some parts

[dona74]

Folks, I used to play 6-8-10 hours a day every day until my wrists eventually collapsed and I can assure you that he can play
any of his song, standing or seated, it's just his own decision to drop some of them, unfortunately the best ones

Some of the errors that you hear here and there in Speedway for example would be in telegraph or sultans, but not because they are more difficult than speedway, it's just his own decision

He makes more or less the same errors than Gilmour made at the same age of about 70 in the last tour (2015-2016) and considering that Dire Straits songs have always been much faster than Pink Floyd ones I think MK has aged even better than David.

The walking issue seems to me 'only' a mechanical/orthopedic issue aggravating by being too fat in this tour, I don't see anything too concerning

IMHO it's very clear that he can't play old songs like TR an SOS at a decent standard level for himself.... so he decide to drop them.
I found it very simple to notice... 
a question: do you think that the level of the songs played in this tour it's better than the previous? (We' re talking about guitar...)
I'm not complaining... I enjoy my two shows, but I have eyes and ears...  so I don't think it's correct say " I can assure you that he can play
any of his song"...  in that case he wouldn't have dropped TR and SOS from his final tour.... and TR was in the set in the early shows (I've seen Lisbon show and he was clearly uncomfortable during TR.... that anyway sound very good to my ears, but i saw MK struggling with chords ... a little bit sad to me...)

[PensaGhost]

Folks, I used to play 6-8-10 hours a day every day until my wrists eventually collapsed and I can assure you that he can play
any of his song, standing or seated, it's just his own decision to drop some of them, unfortunately the best ones

Some of the errors that you hear here and there in Speedway for example would be in telegraph or sultans, but not because they are more difficult than speedway, it's just his own decision

He makes more or less the same errors than Gilmour made at the same age of about 70 in the last tour (2015-2016) and considering that Dire Straits songs have always been much faster than Pink Floyd ones I think MK has aged even better than David.

The walking issue seems to me 'only' a mechanical/orthopedic issue aggravating by being too fat in this tour, I don't see anything too concerning

IMHO it's very clear that he can't play old songs like TR an SOS at a decent standard level for himself.... so he decide to drop them.
I found it very simple to notice... 
a question: do you think that the level of the songs played in this tour it's better than the previous? (We' re talking about guitar...)
I'm not complaining... I enjoy my two shows, but I have eyes and ears...  so I don't think it's correct say " I can assure you that he can play
any of his song"...  in that case he wouldn't have dropped TR and SOS from his final tour.... and TR was in the set in the early shows (I've seen Lisbon show and he was clearly uncomfortable during TR.... that anyway sound very good to my ears, but i saw MK struggling with chords ... a little bit sad to me...)

you haven't read carefully what I wrote,
he is a little bit struggling in ALL songs, he makes some errors in ALL songs,
in that way he could perform Speedway or Telegraph in a very similar way between those 2 now, not between now and 30 years ago, that's obvious

For example Barcelona 2019 TR is better (as inspiration for the final solo) than any 2015 TR, he is not uncomfortable at all and the level of playing is the same of the previous tour, in other words he could still play it in a very similar way to 2010-2015 versions, he just doesn't want to, it's not that he isn't capable of

[Mossguitar]

Folks, I used to play 6-8-10 hours a day every day until my wrists eventually collapsed and I can assure you that he can play
any of his song, standing or seated, it's just his own decision to drop some of them, unfortunately the best ones

Some of the errors that you hear here and there in Speedway for example would be in telegraph or sultans, but not because they are more difficult than speedway, it's just his own decision

He makes more or less the same errors than Gilmour made at the same age of about 70 in the last tour (2015-2016) and considering that Dire Straits songs have always been much faster than Pink Floyd ones I think MK has aged even better than David.

The walking issue seems to me 'only' a mechanical/orthopedic issue aggravating by being too fat in this tour, I don't see anything too concerning

IMHO it's very clear that he can't play old songs like TR an SOS at a decent standard level for himself.... so he decide to drop them.
I found it very simple to notice... 
a question: do you think that the level of the songs played in this tour it's better than the previous? (We' re talking about guitar...)
I'm not complaining... I enjoy my two shows, but I have eyes and ears...  so I don't think it's correct say " I can assure you that he can play
any of his song"...  in that case he wouldn't have dropped TR and SOS from his final tour.... and TR was in the set in the early shows (I've seen Lisbon show and he was clearly uncomfortable during TR.... that anyway sound very good to my ears, but i saw MK struggling with chords ... a little bit sad to me...)

you haven't read carefully what I wrote,
he is a little bit struggling in ALL songs, he makes some errors in ALL songs,
in that way he could perform Speedway or Telegraph in a very similar way between those 2 now, not between now and 30 years ago, that's obvious

For example Barcelona 2019 TR is better (as inspiration for the final solo) than any 2015 TR, he is not uncomfortable at all and the level of playing is the same of the previous tour, in other words he could still play it in a very similar way to 2010-2015 versions, he just doesn't want to, it's not that he isn't capable of

I think you are very right again, PensaGhost. He could play all songs if he wanted, he struggles with them all, it’s not sad at all, it’s just the way life is. And it’s not happened suddenly, but gradually. And clearly his growing belly too must affect his playing, because the guitar hangs in a different manner now compared to 20 years ago, and has done so gradually. Anyway I hope he will continue touring, even though that nesesarilly must mean that he will be even older the next time he shows up. And slower. And fatter. Or whatever.

The concert I attended this year in Copenhagen was one of the best musical experiences ever, mainly because he still clearly wants to put up a solid show, he’s still got the tone and he still wants to entertain us oldies with his new and old classics. The fact that he was younger 30 years ago isn’t relevant for me at all. Nor that other artists make different choices or get old faster or slower etc.

[schmonka]

In terms of MK's back, in Guy's diary he says things are OK - but has there been any sort of official announcement?  I watched some of the Milan concert and there is a heck of a hunch going on and the levels of mobility (or lack of) is incredible.  There needs to be a tour physio on permanent stand-by!

Slipped disc?  Years of holding a guitar over your shoulder?  Ongoing effects of being wiped out years ago off his bike? It does make you wonder....

In terms of guitar playing, yes the fast noodle-y stuff isnt there any more, but things arent THAT bad.  Admittedly things arent what they were say on the OES tour era, even a "slow" tune from that tour such as YAYF still had a few twiddly bits at the end, which COULD have been ok-ish to perform this time (due to the short burst of twiddly stuff, the noodling isn't extended), but definitely comfort zone time - and I get that.     

However, in saying that - from the opening notes of WAM, you can immediately tell its still MK playing guitar (even with some opening noodle-y bits), the sound and tone is unmistakably MK - the songwriting is still amazing even after all these years and it is a shame this is likely to be the last tour of this size - there was no farewell concert of the Southern Hemisphere (Guy and co could have got some extra air miles in the white asparagus or whatever he calls the plane), but it sounds like albums will continue and also the odd live appearance.  The trouble with this is MK needs a few concerts to warm up (I guess as the ongoing practice isn't there like in past years, but once the fingers get warmed up, he is rocking once again), it will be be interesting to see where the future of MK goes when this tour wraps up.