The US leg is coming... do you expect anything new?

[Jules]

Looking back there were no changes at concerts in the US.

Not true, last tour he was playing Telegraph Road and switched to On Every Street for the first time since the '93 tour in the US.

Nah

This US leg is going to be the same 14/15 songs set that ended the European leg till the end...

[DutchMark]

No one in for Just A Boy Away From Home as a closer?

Before the tour I had visions of crowds singing YNWA again and again.....

[hunter]

There's roughly 1/3 left of the tour. I really don't think they're going to bother to shake things up at this stage. Why mess up a good thing, right? Guy was asked recently whether they have considered adding a new song to the setlist which would cater specifically to the American market, to which he said no.


Never say never, of course, but I would be very surprised if there are any changes. The show where Bonnie Raitt opens could potentially mean some surprises, but if nothing happened when John Illsley or Albert Lee were around in Europe, then I doubt that as well.

[Jules]

Guy confirmed in his forum that they are not going to be any changes.

[hunter]

It could also mean that they have discussed changes, but the songs are not particularly geared towards the American audience. Kind of unlikely as regional differences are probably the least of things that Mark cares about at this point.

[dmg]

Dullsville playing in the Mark Knopfler band. 

Listening to R&J from 1996 the other day it occurred to me the Richard has been playing his little solo note for note identically since then, so this news from Guy shouldn't really come as any surprise!

[hunter]

Dullsville playing in the Mark Knopfler band. 

Listening to R&J from 1996 the other day it occurred to me the Richard has been playing his little solo note for note identically since then, so this news from Guy shouldn't really come as any surprise!

You know, I'm ok with that. That solo is a part, not an opportunity to improvise. Richard simply does his job as a sideman, and by being that faithful to the part, the more dynamic the main artist appears to be. That said, I love to hear that solo on the pedal steel, or with slide. Richard could easily have pulled that off.

[superval99]

The Mark Knopfler band is excellent!  Not dullsville at all!   

Regarding R&J I think it is still beautiful and will always be one of my favourite songs, but I feel that the trumpet is an addition too far.  The saxophone sounds great as always, though.  I don't know why MK changed the lyric slightly from "talk" to "talks" - it happened only when the tour began.  Maybe MK fancied a bit of tinkering with it when he had an idle moment! 

[dmg]

The Mark Knopfler band is excellent!  Not dullsville at all!   

Regarding R&J I think it is still beautiful and will always be one of my favourite songs, but I feel that the trumpet is an addition too far.  The saxophone sounds great as always, though.  I don't know why MK changed the lyric slightly from "talk" to "talks" - it happened only when the tour began.  Maybe MK fancied a bit of tinkering with it when he had an idle moment! 

I meant that it must be like dullsville to be in the Mark Knopfler band, not that it is dullsville.

Regarding R&J:  it's a song that has been getting worse over the years.  Less powerful and passionate vocals, now a shorter and struggling solo.

[superval99]

The Mark Knopfler band is excellent!  Not dullsville at all!   

Regarding R&J I think it is still beautiful and will always be one of my favourite songs, but I feel that the trumpet is an addition too far.  The saxophone sounds great as always, though.  I don't know why MK changed the lyric slightly from "talk" to "talks" - it happened only when the tour began.  Maybe MK fancied a bit of tinkering with it when he had an idle moment! 

I meant that it must be like dullsville to be in the Mark Knopfler band, not that it is dullsville.

Regarding R&J:  it's a song that has been getting worse over the years.  Less powerful and passionate vocals, now a shorter and struggling solo.

Sorry, dmg,  I read it as being a dullsville band!      I agree, it must be very boring playing the same songs for 80+ concerts. 

[hunter]

This decision of Mark's to keep things so static is something I will never, ever understand. But it's nothing new, is it? Pretty static setlists throughout the DS years too. No wonder they were fed up after the OES tour. Maybe it's a matter of wanting to offer consistently high quality. The trade off is that the band, even though professionals, gets bored and starts to phone things in.

[border_reiver]

LOL, win 

[dmg]

The Mark Knopfler band is excellent!  Not dullsville at all!   

Regarding R&J I think it is still beautiful and will always be one of my favourite songs, but I feel that the trumpet is an addition too far.  The saxophone sounds great as always, though.  I don't know why MK changed the lyric slightly from "talk" to "talks" - it happened only when the tour began.  Maybe MK fancied a bit of tinkering with it when he had an idle moment! 

I meant that it must be like dullsville to be in the Mark Knopfler band, not that it is dullsville.

Regarding R&J:  it's a song that has been getting worse over the years.  Less powerful and passionate vocals, now a shorter and struggling solo.

Sorry, dmg,  I read it as being a dullsville band!      I agree, it must be very boring playing the same songs for 80+ concerts.

No worries Val.  I should've put it better. 

[Rail King]

You must be joking. Heavy Fuel has got to be one of the absolutely worst songs Mark has written, musically and lyrically.

Certainly not one of his best, but he doesn't really do bad songs, does he. I like it. The lyrics are ironic (I guess you noticed), and as for the music ... if we didn't have Heavy Fuel, we wouldn't have this intro: Without which I don't know if I'd want to be alive. 

[Rail King]

About On Every Street

I think that a Saxophone would have sounded better and more dynamic on On Every Street, or he could have tried it with Richard Benett on the pedal steel why not, but not sure he has the skills for this song.

Wasn't it a soprano sax that Graeme Blevins played?   

I meant an Alto Sax which would make him play differently I guess.

I think it's fine the way it is, however this is one song I think Nigel did better.  I kind of miss his happy presence on the front of the stage.  Imagine both Nigel and Danny together...

This must have been discussed here on some other thread, I'm sure, but there is a HUGE difference between Nigel and Graeme. Graeme seems to be a lovely chap (though not exactly a dancer), and he certainly can play whatever is asked of him, but he is NOT NEARLY the musical genius Nigel is. Mark prides himself on hiring «the best», but in this case he obviously had to make a compromise and find an emergency solution.