Daily Mail 'DS Legacy' - 3rd August 2021

[quizzaciously]

Quite an impressive list!

Personally I have never really cared for tribute bands and as good as they may be I will always stick with the original.
Mark Knopfler is a class of his own, a unique person and his style is inimitable. Why bother with a tribute band. Nobody will ever fill his shoes!

I agree... Mark's music and especially his personality is impossible to recreate, so why bother. However, his songs are amazing and that's certainly something that absolutely can be replicated. I think Mark's music is generally underrated and not so many people outside cover bands play his songs. And the most fun you get is when an artist covers Mark's song that is diametrically opposite to his style, like "Brothers In Arms" by Gregorian. That cover is a masterpiece on its own!

So yeah, I can't see the point of replicating Mark, but his songs must be played in some shape or form. I just wish it was less tribute-ish.

[Robson]

Quite an impressive list!

Personally I have never really cared for tribute bands and as good as they may be I will always stick with the original.
Mark Knopfler is a class of his own, a unique person and his style is inimitable. Why bother with a tribute band. Nobody will ever fill his shoes!

I agree... Mark's music and especially his personality is impossible to recreate, so why bother. However, his songs are amazing and that's certainly something that absolutely can be replicated. I think Mark's music is generally underrated and not so many people outside cover bands play his songs. And the most fun you get is when an artist covers Mark's song that is diametrically opposite to his style, like "Brothers In Arms" by Gregorian. That cover is a masterpiece on its own!

So yeah, I can't see the point of replicating Mark, but his songs must be played in some shape or form. I just wish it was less tribute-ish.

And I agree with that

[peterromer]

Is it wrong to call themselves Dire Straits, yes of course.

As I recall Alan Clark and other previous DS members were given the rights from Mr. MK himself, to perform songs in future from albums that they were contributing to.
So why hate them. They have the right to do that and if people have fun remembering the DS sound (or partly how it sounded) and find it interesting so join the concerts so what. Maybe because not all of them have rights, MK even got some pieces of the cake from sales etc.

Our hero himself has also played private concerts when the money was big enough remember ?
He performed with a setlist, that on this forum, was widely considered only to happen because someone was rich enough to order it. So take it easy   on the DSL or whatever they call them selvselves.
As someone said even John Illsleyt joined them at some point.

   

 


Is it wrong to perform concerts with songs that as far as I know

[KnopfleRick]

Quite an impressive list!

Personally I have never really cared for tribute bands and as good as they may be I will always stick with the original.
Mark Knopfler is a class of his own, a unique person and his style is inimitable. Why bother with a tribute band. Nobody will ever fill his shoes!

I agree... Mark's music and especially his personality is impossible to recreate, so why bother. However, his songs are amazing and that's certainly something that absolutely can be replicated. I think Mark's music is generally underrated and not so many people outside cover bands play his songs. And the most fun you get is when an artist covers Mark's song that is diametrically opposite to his style, like "Brothers In Arms" by Gregorian. That cover is a masterpiece on its own!

So yeah, I can't see the point of replicating Mark, but his songs must be played in some shape or form. I just wish it was less tribute-ish.

And I agree with that

I also agree with you.
A cover song can sound very exciting if the artist gives the song his own signature. Mark's fantastic version of Paul Simon's "The Boxer" just comes to my mind.
But these tribute bands who want to sound as close to the original as possible seems weird to me. Just my opinion.

[dustyvalentino]

Is he not a wealthy guy who basically paid to set up these things?

Oh, wow... Anything could happen, I know that money certainly could give you that opportunity, but where did he get the money if he's in the Tribute business from 1988 according to his autobiography? And I just realized they have Trevor Horn in the band! Isn't he's a music legend? What he forgot in the tribute band, for Mark's sake? It's like Mark would go on tour with a Bob Dylan cover band or something.

The Trevor Horn thing is indeed strange. They even play a Yes song I think?!

I know he is mates with Alan Clark.

I guess these guys just don't have the wealth we assume they do... I'm not sure how many royalties will come in for Trevor from 80s records these days.

Same with Steve Ferrone, you would assume he would be in demand doing sessions.

Or maybe they all just love playing live.

[Pottel]

If you don't have a strong Spanish/Italian/German accent, it's just not a cover band.  that's the main thing about these people.

LE

lol!!!

[dustyvalentino]

Is he not a wealthy guy who basically paid to set up these things?

Oh, wow... Anything could happen, I know that money certainly could give you that opportunity, but where did he get the money if he's in the Tribute business from 1988 according to his autobiography?

Cosa nostra? 

[Jules]

Is he not a wealthy guy who basically paid to set up these things?

Oh, wow... Anything could happen, I know that money certainly could give you that opportunity, but where did he get the money if he's in the Tribute business from 1988 according to his autobiography? And I just realized they have Trevor Horn in the band! Isn't he's a music legend? What he forgot in the tribute band, for Mark's sake? It's like Mark would go on tour with a Bob Dylan cover band or something.

The Trevor Horn thing is indeed strange. They even play a Yes song I think?!

I know he is mates with Alan Clark.

I guess these guys just don't have the wealth we assume they do... I'm not sure how many royalties will come in for Trevor from 80s records these days.

Same with Steve Ferrone, you would assume he would be in demand doing sessions.

Or maybe they all just love playing live.

Yes, Trevorn Horn works frequently with Phil and Alan.

[PensaGhost]

From what Marco tells, it all started from Marco and Phil Palmer playing tennis in the same club in Rome

[quizzaciously]

Is he not a wealthy guy who basically paid to set up these things?

Oh, wow... Anything could happen, I know that money certainly could give you that opportunity, but where did he get the money if he's in the Tribute business from 1988 according to his autobiography? And I just realized they have Trevor Horn in the band! Isn't he's a music legend? What he forgot in the tribute band, for Mark's sake? It's like Mark would go on tour with a Bob Dylan cover band or something.

The Trevor Horn thing is indeed strange. They even play a Yes song I think?!

I know he is mates with Alan Clark.

I guess these guys just don't have the wealth we assume they do... I'm not sure how many royalties will come in for Trevor from 80s records these days.

Same with Steve Ferrone, you would assume he would be in demand doing sessions.

Or maybe they all just love playing live.

Yes, Trevorn Horn works frequently with Phil and Alan.

I said it before and I'll say it again, all your favorite musicians are not as wealthy as we imagine it, even big ones. They are certainly wealthy but not on a billionaire level, and some of them must continue working to pay the bills. And they've usually got very big bills to pay. Especially Mark, having his big studio in the digital era. Rarely you'll hear this coming from an artist but Sir Van Morrison once said that he still needs to tour to make money and pay the bills.

Not the greatest version of this song though and Marco looks like he's in love with himself if you know what I mean. Anyway, so strange to see all these people doing, well, this. If I were a professional session musician, I would do anything but this. Play on weddings, play for the old artist, local artist, but not going into the cover band territory. This is not the place for people like that. This is the place for amateurs!

[dustyvalentino]

I know of one musician, one of the most famous of all time, who is completely, 100% flat broke despite being a draw for over 50 years.

Lots of ex wives, stupid money management, combined with the fact that they didn't write their own songs.

They are now to old/sick to tour.

[Jules]

Is he not a wealthy guy who basically paid to set up these things?

Oh, wow... Anything could happen, I know that money certainly could give you that opportunity, but where did he get the money if he's in the Tribute business from 1988 according to his autobiography? And I just realized they have Trevor Horn in the band! Isn't he's a music legend? What he forgot in the tribute band, for Mark's sake? It's like Mark would go on tour with a Bob Dylan cover band or something.

The Trevor Horn thing is indeed strange. They even play a Yes song I think?!

I know he is mates with Alan Clark.

I guess these guys just don't have the wealth we assume they do... I'm not sure how many royalties will come in for Trevor from 80s records these days.

Same with Steve Ferrone, you would assume he would be in demand doing sessions.

Or maybe they all just love playing live.

Yes, Trevorn Horn works frequently with Phil and Alan.

I said it before and I'll say it again, all your favorite musicians are not as wealthy as we imagine it, even big ones. They are certainly wealthy but not on a billionaire level, and some of them must continue working to pay the bills. And they've usually got very big bills to pay. Especially Mark, having his big studio in the digital era. Rarely you'll hear this coming from an artist but Sir Van Morrison once said that he still needs to tour to make money and pay the bills.

Not the greatest version of this song though and Marco looks like he's in love with himself if you know what I mean. Anyway, so strange to see all these people doing, well, this. If I were a professional session musician, I would do anything but this. Play on weddings, play for the old artist, local artist, but not going into the cover band territory. This is not the place for people like that. This is the place for amateurs!

Work is work, money is money.

They don't do just that, they play still many sessions, less than in the 80's and the 90's, but any gig is a good gig to combine with the sessions they can get in these times when people record in his own house with a computer.

[the visitor]

I find it hard to believe MK is not absolutely loaded. After all, unlike many other bands, he is listed as the sole songwriter for the whole of the Dire Straits catalogue with the only shared credit on MFN, not to mention his publishing deals.  Bob Marley on the other hand credited songs to other people even when he wrote them, Vincent Ford for example being listed on No Woman No Cry.

So in some sense it is only natural that the players from DS need to make an income from playing the songs they were involved in to varying degrees.  Fair enough I say, on the basis fan's are not being tricked into thinking they are getting the whole package, of which MK can only provide.   

[quizzaciously]

I find it hard to believe MK is not absolutely loaded. After all, unlike many other bands, he is listed as the sole songwriter for the whole of the Dire Straits catalogue with the only shared credit on MFN, not to mention his publishing deals.  Bob Marley on the other hand credited songs to other people even when he wrote them, Vincent Ford for example being listed on No Woman No Cry.

So in some sense it is only natural that the players from DS need to make an income from playing the songs they were involved in to varying degrees.  Fair enough I say, on the basis fan's are not being tricked into thinking they are getting the whole package, of which MK can only provide.

MK is fine, I can guarantee you

All other musicians though... This is sad really. For this reason, I never wanted to become a session musician, because it's basically hell and you justify it because "I do what I love". Yes, you do what you love, but you need to work 24/7 and play on weddings and in tribute bands or on 1000 albums a year or 350 shows a year to sustain your life. I don't want that!

The music business is a very strange place in that regard, and watching and being in contact with so many session musicians and how they're basically suffering, for the most part, makes me never ever want to become a musician. It's great if you're somebody like Mark Knopfler, but everything else... Nah.

[peterromer]

I find it hard to believe MK is not absolutely loaded. After all, unlike many other bands, he is listed as the sole songwriter for the whole of the Dire Straits catalogue with the only shared credit on MFN, not to mention his publishing deals.  Bob Marley on the other hand credited songs to other people even when he wrote them, Vincent Ford for example being listed on No Woman No Cry.

So in some sense it is only natural that the players from DS need to make an income from playing the songs they were involved in to varying degrees.  Fair enough I say, on the basis fan's are not being tricked into thinking they are getting the whole package, of which MK can only provide.

MK is absolutely loaded thats for sure. Unless he had made some extremely bad financial decisions.
He was a superstar when musicians made a ton of money with CD sales.
BIA was the first really big CD seller, and MK and his management took the chance and thought the CD was going to be a smash hit which it was for some years.
He is also a producer and writes all the songs, so you can be sure that he is a multi millionaire.

I once read he was considered one of Britains richest musicians, and that says a lot I think. When you think of McCartney, George Michael, Elton John, Mick Jagger etc.

Funny enough he is not on this list.
 https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/sir-paul-mccartney-tops-sunday-times-2021-music-rich-list-as-calvin-harris-and-ed-sheeran-vault-into-top-10__33205/

Apparantly Sting is richer, which I find quite odd, I do not think the list is completely correct.

According to this list MK is number 38.
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/music/40-richest-musicians-britain-topped-22017265