No Tour with the new album.

[Jules]

I feel Mark has enough songs that he could put on low key shows, no lead guitar heavy songs, he could even do an unplugged show.

Looking at how Mark handled the aucoustic during the Christie's interview and how he walks about in the PR snip close to the bridge, I honestly believe Mark is no longer physically able to really do what he wants. With friends in the studio they can take all the time to get things on tape and everybody would understand that one day may be better than others, but it looks to me that Mark is battling some rheumatic symptoms. If such is the case, then I can really feel for him not being able to have his body follow what he has in mind.....

He was in a seat, seated in a bad position to play, and probably hold a guitar that wasn't tuned for the song he tried to ply, so I won't take many conclussions of that.

[MorkY555]

I feel Mark has enough songs that he could put on low key shows, no lead guitar heavy songs, he could even do an unplugged show.

Looking at how Mark handled the aucoustic during the Christie's interview and how he walks about in the PR snip close to the bridge, I honestly believe Mark is no longer physically able to really do what he wants. With friends in the studio they can take all the time to get things on tape and everybody would understand that one day may be better than others, but it looks to me that Mark is battling some rheumatic symptoms. If such is the case, then I can really feel for him not being able to have his body follow what he has in mind.....

He was in a seat, seated in a bad position to play, and probably hold a guitar that wasn't tuned for the song he tried to ply, so I won't take many conclussions of that.

You are right. It's just that we all want to have this flow of beautiful music coming to us until the end of times, and then any indication things may come to an end gives me the shivers... Will stop speculating.

[Wario]

There is another thing I forgot to mention, before the concerts they do sound checks as a warm-up and that probably helps a lot. We'll see what happens.

[Chris W]

There is another thing I forgot to mention, before the concerts they do sound checks as a warm-up and that probably helps a lot.

Soundchecks are usually around three hours before the show. So they might be a way of dusting off some cobwebs, but they don't act as a warm up. When I toured with Mark we hardly ever did a soundcheck.

[dustyvalentino]

Maybe not soundchecks so much but going by Guy's diaries they would have guitars for little warm ups in the dressing rooms.

[Chris W]

Yeah, I always warmed up on a mini-kit 30 minutes before the show. Mark might do the same (according to Guy).
You don't want to start the show cold, stiff.

[dustyvalentino]

Chris, in a guitar mag 30 odd years ago, Ron Eve told the story of handing MK his guitar but there was some kind of accident and by the time he started playing the high E was out of tune. This made MK unhappy as you might expect. Do you recall this incident at all? As far as I'm aware it hasn't turned up on any of the bootlegs (yet).

[Chris W]

No, I don't remember that. I don't remember Mark having any tech failures on the tour....but I might have forgotten.

[Jules]

No, I don't remember that. I don't remember Mark having any tech failures on the tour....but I might have forgotten.

If that happened surely Ron would remember that hehehe

Lucky you that were high and far from that trouble, hehe

[Chris W]

It depends where and when. Could have been a rehearsal, a soundcheck, not on the OES tour?
If it was I can't remember it....but looong tour.

[Alex_melilla]

New mk web format, there is no longer a tour section in the menu

[dustyvalentino]

No, I don't remember that. I don't remember Mark having any tech failures on the tour....but I might have forgotten.

If that happened surely Ron would remember that hehehe

Lucky you that were high and far from that trouble, hehe

I'll dig the magazine out of the loft

[Iron Hand]

For me it was in 2019 already clear that it was his last tour and I enjoyed it as much as I can. And I know with a new album a lot of people were hoping for a new tour but we have to be realistic.

But why then he would change his speech from saying goodbye to saying "I'll play no matter what"? It was such a strange move from MK. Just mid-sentence change your mind and start telling the opposite, giving people false hope, a perfectly normal way of dealing with things, nothing strange.

I think if the pandemic hadn't happened, and an opportunity had presented itself to do another tour in 2020 or 2021, he might have done it while he was still riding the wave of appreciation (I remember the love in the room after he talked about wanting to stop touring, at the Stuttgart show) and feeling in good enough shape to do it as in 2019.

With the virus and everything grinding to a halt, I think he cemented his decision.

My hypothesis is that he felt way better at the NA leg of the 2019 tour and felt he might be able to keep playing live, but the pandemic, being closed at home for so long , seeing people close to him dying, and with whatever health issues he would had, maybe was worth to keep calm at home and his desire to keep playing together with the health issues made that desire to fade out completely.

I agree. 

But: This really would have been the Chance to revive Ride across the River. With all those horns
And of course: Played on a Les Paul. Missed Chance

Or what about "Planet of New Orleans". I know it was dropped from the DS tour because it was too slow or something, but it would have fit right in on the 2019 tour imo... Well, can't have everything. I'm just glad I did get to see him when it was possible.

[ds1984]

PONO in 2019 would have been a disaster.

[RockinCat]

I was in the front row at the Met (Philadelphia) show in August 2019.  I did not see MK struggling around the stage.  He looked good.  He played great.  He seemed to be having fun.  He hinted that it would be his last tour.  While I will miss seeing him, I respect his decision.  I do wonder if he will play some one off gigs in London at some point.