Thought on the 2019 Tour

[dmg]

So did we all enjoy the tour then?  I have to admit that I enjoyed my shows at Leeds, Newcastle and Glasgow.  The ones at Leeds and Newcastle were more enjoyable as I also had the opportunity of travelling to these places, visiting Durham and meeting the AMIT gang: Val and Mr Val, Knopflerfan and Mrs Knopflerfan, Crimmer, Tunnel85, MillionaireBlues, and the lovely Ingrid.  Glasgow is forever a rush for me post-show to get the train home, however I did manage another quick chat with Dusty.  That’s a local show for me so a 25 minute train journey home.

The show setlist was obviously chosen carefully and suited to the abilities of a 2019 Mark Knopfler (as well as being quite political).  It lacked the killer songs but overall I think the shows were performed to a higher quality than in 2015 where songs such as Sultans and TR were very much of a variable standard. 

The new recruits Tom, Graeme and Danny (returning on percussion) were all welcome additions I think and added something of their own.  The debate between saxophonists will continue but Graeme is the better bodyguard!

We’ve seen all sorts on this tour and some of us, including myself, thought he’d taken on too much, however toward the end he has been playing better than at any point during the tour.  Have a well deserved rest Mark!

I remember in Newcastle way back in May bidding an emotional farewell to old friends wondering if we would meet again.  In the bar we did think it would be nice to meet up at some point, probably in London, and have an AMIT gathering.  Even if there is to be no more touring there is no reason we should not meet up, especially after a new release.

[Jules]

Yes, I enjoyed quite a lot. The set had many surprises like "Once upon a time in the west", "Heart full of holes" or "Silvertown blues" and even there were some usual suspects, the rest of set, despite "bonaparte" was nice, nicer than the 2015 one which was a clone of the 2013 and almost a clone of the 2010, which was also a clone of the 2008. THis 2019 tour wasn't a clone of previous tour at all.

His playing was not at his best, but he tried, and he selected a set in order to try his best with things he likes and the fans would like. "Silvertown" is something I don't understand, it's known he tried in 2001 to play it but abandoned it as it was "not enough for him" and he never tried it again, and then, 18 years later... he puts it in the set! yes, he deleted it in the end, but it was played for about a month, which is far more than TR.

The band, I liked the brass and specially Danny, he added a lot of wonderful touches here and there. I won't mind the brass dissapearing, at least the trumpet, but I'd like Danny to stay forever.

[rmarques821]

Personally, I would like Mark to scale it down. I think the band has got too big and the addition of trumpet is just not needed. Although I have to admit I liked Postcards this tour.

Anyway, looking forward to the next album in 2022.

[superval99]

Yes, I enjoyed all three of my concerts very much indeed!     

Considering Leeds was early on in the tour, I feel that MK played and sang extremely well and I still rate it as one of the best I have heard.  I keep remembering squeezing past a couple next to us who were on to their third bottle of wine and me knocking it over in my hurry to reach dmg and Ingrid at the stage!     It was great to meet so many fans from amit - Mr & Mrs Knopflerfan, Tunnel85, crimmer, Millionaire Blues and, of course dmg and Ingrid, also many more!

The concert in Verona was full of atmosphere and felt like a gigantic party.  We decided to enter the arena more than an hour before the concert began and I'm so glad we did, because we could see people coming in, including Guy and some of the Italian Knopfler fans paraded around the arena with a huge banner, stopping at various parts so that we could take pictures - everyone was clapping!  It was also extremely hot!!   The set list was the same as Leeds and Newcastle, except no Piper and we had OES instead of SB, which suited me very much, having heard SB twice already.    R&J was fantastic - better than Leeds, which had a tiny mistake, but it was the oe oe oe singing which made it extra-special and MK and the band joined in too.   I think Verona was slightly better than Leeds, maybe because of the atmosphere, but really I enjoyed all three very much.

It was great to meet amit fans again whilst waiting for the concert - Joko, Tunnel85, Ingrid and her American friends and then Allen, Pensaghost and eventually Jbaent, all who I met for the first time!

I will really miss these concerts if MK does stop touring, but I'm sure the fans will meet again for a reunion. 

[qjamesfloyd]

I hope this is not the end for Mark, but if he does tour again, I would like the brass and folk sections gone, and for Mark to return to the core 96'rs.

[Knopflerfan]

Fantastic tour meeting up with good 'AMIT' friends dmg, Mr & Mrs Superval, Ingridswing, Tunnel85 & MillionaireBlues in Leeds which owing to Mrs Knopflerfans spinal injury was the only concert we did...but I wasn't sorry because MK and band were superb at Leeds and if that's the last time I see 'The master' then it will be a great way to remember him by...Hearing the opening few bars on the Les Paul to OATITW 'Live' was immense and hearing SB has to be the highlights of the tour for me and to be honest I didn't like the brass section one bit so would like qjamesfloyd has mentioned love a Guitar, Bass and drums style band...

I can't help feeling this is not the last time we shall see MK Live!!

[wakeywakey]

Brassies spoilt too many songs.
Shame Europe wasn't second part of the tour.
MK clearly under prepared and unprofessional in,at least,some shows-bum notes,not bothering with lyrics and clearly struggling.If you can't put on a first rate show when you're charging 100 or so Euros then don't bother.He's been doing it for long enough to know what's required so no excuses.
There were some positives:
STP was wonderful-although the fact he couldn't be bothered to sing all the parts later in the tour was a poor decision.
The Postcards arrangement was very good-less is more in this case(should also be applied to any future touring band.)
Danny was a welcome addition on the percussion.
The more engaging MK was very welcome.I'd prefer him to be even more talkative.
Overall a slightly disappointing experience for me.I wouldn't see multiple shows on any subsequent tour because of the static/poor setlist and inconsistent performances.
A shorter show with less musicians might make me change my mind.

[quizzaciously]

Brassies spoilt too many songs.
Shame Europe wasn't second part of the tour.
MK clearly under prepared and unprofessional in,at least,some shows-bum notes,not bothering with lyrics and clearly struggling.If you can't put on a first rate show when you're charging 100 or so Euros then don't bother.He's been doing it for long enough to know what's required so no excuses.
There were some positives:
STP was wonderful-although the fact he couldn't be bothered to sing all the parts later in the tour was a poor decision.
The Postcards arrangement was very good-less is more in this case(should also be applied to any future touring band.)
Danny was a welcome addition on the percussion.
The more engaging MK was very welcome.I'd prefer him to be even more talkative.
Overall a slightly disappointing experience for me.I wouldn't see multiple shows on any subsequent tour because of the static/poor setlist and inconsistent performances.
A shorter show with less musicians might make me change my mind.

Harsh, but so true. I don't get why Mark is still locked under this "writing-recording-tour" cycle, who said it has to be a cycle anyway? Who said every tour should be 100 shows long? Why the tour always has to be named after the last album? The man who says there's no formula for songwriting has some pretty strict formulas regarding playing live. And why it's called world tour when there's only, like, 1/5 of the world?

I agree that people who are in "Guy mode" and can only praise Mark without even a hint of criticism seem to forget that playing music and writing songs is his actual job. Fans are not his employers, however, we can expect some things from the man who received not only a ton of our love, time and care, but also money. They act as if for all of his life Mark played and recorded songs for free. LOL!

[quizzaciously]

I've attended Mark's show in April and months later, half year later going to work on Monday as usual at 9:00 I often thought: and Mark STILL travels on plane, playing songs, having fun, drinking wine. He really does have the best job in the world for the last 40 years. Just saying.

[Pottel]

Yes, I enjoyed quite a lot. The set had many surprises like "Once upon a time in the west", "Heart full of holes" or "Silvertown blues" and even there were some usual suspects, the rest of set, despite "bonaparte" was nice, nicer than the 2015 one which was a clone of the 2013 and almost a clone of the 2010, which was also a clone of the 2008. THis 2019 tour wasn't a clone of previous tour at all.

His playing was not at his best, but he tried, and he selected a set in order to try his best with things he likes and the fans would like. "Silvertown" is something I don't understand, it's known he tried in 2001 to play it but abandoned it as it was "not enough for him" and he never tried it again, and then, 18 years later... he puts it in the set! yes, he deleted it in the end, but it was played for about a month, which is far more than TR.

The band, I liked the brass and specially Danny, he added a lot of wonderful touches here and there. I won't mind the brass dissapearing, at least the trumpet, but I'd like Danny to stay forever.

But I did not like his singing on STP. It just did not work for me
Agree with the rest of your and dmg's points

sent from my Samsung Galaxy 9+ via tapatalk

[crimmer]

really enjoyed this tour very much the surprises in Barcelona, different arrangements too wye aye man , Bonaparte during tour ,

High Points
enjoyed tour very much , much more than tracker

great too have wye aye man , sailing to Philadelphia, (didn't like it with danny singing on it though), done with Bonaparte all back in the set ,

once upon a time in west and money for nothing back ,

wonderful, heart full of holes and matchstick man , hearing silvertown blues live, even enjoyed corned beef city this tour (other tours I haven't )

down points of the tour

marks health was sad and shocked when he took too the stage in Barcelona
 Romeo, on every street, your latest trick , didn't like piper this tour , bacon roll (even though its growing on me )

my dad joined me for Manchester and said it was his favourite of all the tours his seen (seen one concert every tour since 2005)

all in all enjoyed the tour

[kaleo74]

I liked this tour, I found it more electric than acoustic, the fact that I had the chance to listen to Once upon a time in the west and Silvertown blues, as I am an amateur musician, I am impressed by the harmony and complicity that 11 musicians can have on stage, it's so difficult to get along with 2 or 4, so imagine 11!

I was disappointed that Mark didn't prepare better for this tour, especially, knowing that he was going to say goodbye, I expected a better performance, but we forgive him everything to our international hero.

I look forward to listening and seeing what this tour will have brought as inspiration for a future album.

[Jarle]

I was disappointed that Mark didn't prepare better for this tour, especially, knowing that he was going to say goodbye, I expected a better performance, but we forgive him everything to our international hero.

Strange how we all see things in different ways Honestly, I think Mark seemed better prepared for this tour than all other tours this decade. I was impressed both with his guitar playing and his vocal from day one, and Once Upon and Sailing did much of the evening for me. I personally don´t understand all the negative aspects of this tour that people are talking about, I only understand that we have different understandings of what is going on. Bergen 2019 is probably the best experience I have had with Mark since my first show in 2001, so for me this year’s tour was wonderful, and I am really impressed by the whole thing. 10 man in the band, new songs in the setlist, great sound and lightning, and many of the classics I love, performed with greatness by the man himself. In the beginning of this year I was worried that this might be the last time Mark would perform on stage. After what I have seen over the last months I am not so worried anymore. No need to stop this

[Mossguitar]

Yes, my favourite MK experience since 96, I think. He sang and played well, the band sounded great, the lights were better than ever, best sound ever, Once Upon was played, killer Money For Nothing, I loved the brass and it was moving to see an old man playing classics.

To prove I’m not Guy: 92 was ok, but a bit boring (and he got bad reviews), 96 was best, 2001 was dissapointing, 2005 was great, 2006 was both boring and great, 2008 was nice, 2010 was good, 2015 was fine, 2019 was next best.

[dvschend]

If I had known this setlist beforehand I wouldn't have gone twice. The performances I've seen were decent but not more than that. It lacked of 2 or 3 great signature DS songs like  TOL, SOS or TR. Highlights in setlist were STP, SB and UOATITW, luckily they were played at both of my concerts. And seeing the majestic RAH did bring a special ambiance to that show.

But....will I still go in the future. I don't think so. Had the chance to see Antwerpen, Amsterdam and Hannover but I've passed on that as well, so I think this was my last time I've seen Mark in action. Maybe in two years, if he decides to tour again (but I think he's done) I feel differently, but for now I couldn't care. I'm even more excited to see John Mayer play in two weeks than I was for the Cologne show by Mark. That's says it all right?