New DS Live Box Set, 3rd November 2023!

[Chris W]

Now the interesting question is did you get the audio from the broadcast or another recording? Bescause I think that the sound of Mark's guitar possibly wasn't live similar what we can here on the broadcast.

Probably the TV audio.

[Chris W]

According to setlist.fm statistics, which has data from concerts that the setlist is known: https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/dire-straits-4bd67bce.html

"Planet of New Orleans" was played 67 times

"When it comes to you" was played 22 times

"You and your friend" was played 20 times

"Fade to black" was played 31 times

"So far away" was played 2 times - https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/dire-straits-4bd67bce.html?songid=1bd761b4

By the way, Set List.com is wrong. I haven't been through it in absolute detail, but when I was looking for something else I found errors, I can't remember all of them. One thing I remember was that the number of shows on the tour did not match the number of times they said we played 'Calling Elvis'.
Many songs were played at every show, so if Set List doesn't match it to the number of shows, they are wrong.
Calling Elvis was every show, Walk of Life, Sultans, Heavy Fuel - and more, were played at every show.

[Chris W]

Brunno, and others,

I can't imagine why anyone would add "yeah you alright" from one show to another. My recollection is that Mark shouted something (it varied) during the intro of 'Calling Elvis' many times on the tour.

[Chris W]

Planet Of New Orleans was a brilliant song that got dropped halfway to never be played again.

When we played Planet it seemed long and slow. At the end the audience didn't absolutely go wild with appreciation, so it was probably dropped in favour of a song that went down better with the audience. No one in the band would tell Mark to drop a song from the set.
There were long groups of shows that were like legs - so UK/Europe 1, then Australia/ New Zealand, then North America etc...
At the beginning of each leg we usually had a day or two of rehearsal, usually at the first show venue. So that was when Mark changed the set around and new songs were rehearsed. So by and large, songs weren't changed mid-leg, they changed for each group of shows (legs) on the tour.

[JKMark]

Brunno, and others, as for the "Yeah, we're alright" line from Calling Elvis from On the Night, which seems to be from another night, it sounds very similar to the one from here: (52 seconds in)[url =https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ3BQuxj2KQ&list=PLC0G7CWTAlMq1xS8MIBi_Qx11I_T2BQGc&index=45]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ3BQuxj2KQ&list=PLC0G7CWTAlMq1xS8MIBi_Qx11I_T2BQGc&index=45 [/url]

Thank you very much for showing this link, I've known this video for a long time, I haven't seen it for a long time, but here he does exactly the same greeting that ended up on OTN and which doesn't correspond to any of the shows in Nimes or Rotterdam, so , being in Paris in April 1992 and we know that some of those nights were recorded in Paris, it is very likely that this is the origin of the greeting in CE on OTN. Furthermore, it is necessary to analyze the versions of CE from the nights in April 92, we can easily find certain licks that ended up in the "montage" of CE on OTN, which I now realize is a mix of excerpts in Paris, Nimes and Rotterdam.

I keep imagining the possibility of future releases of full shows that the band recorded in 1992, such as Paris, Nimes and Rotterdam, whether in audio, especially in video, which would be a true miracle, imagine being able to watch songs like When It Comes to on video You or Tunnel Of Love with that OTN video quality? What a luxury it would be...

Yes, indeed. They could release new songs on YT channel. Same with other tours / videos. Complete BIA concert on video is no brainer. Honestly I’ll take anything from them. Yesterday I listened to Rainbow gig, what a gem. Performance and sound quality are exceptional. 2-3 shows per tour is kind of optimum, ekhm, optimistic scenario

[Chris W]

A show is a fleeting moment in time, not designed to be repeat listened and analysed. That's why many bands hated bootlegs back in the day, and many artists don't want people to record shows on cell phones.
I can't see any reason why Mark would want to release multiple live shows, especially unedited and unmixed.
As an artist you want to be represented by your best work.
The Sydney BIA show and the Basel OES show were never assumed to be widely repeat viewed or even VHS recorded. This was before the internet and Youtube. The uploads infringe copyright and so do any bootlegs.
OK, as musicians we've learned to live with modern taping, both VHS and now cell phones, but it does mean some musicians who are afraid of being analysed for mistakes will play safe every show, instead of going for it.

[dustyvalentino]

I can't see any reason why Mark would want to release multiple live shows, especially unedited and unmixed.

I can think of one...

But seriously though, MK has been selling digital downloads of all his live shows for more than 10 years now. I guess they are mixed to an extent but they are available within days so not with any great deal of scrutiny. He seems relaxed about it, and it was another revenue stream which has become ever more important since people stopped buying physical product.

[Jules]

According to setlist.fm statistics, which has data from concerts that the setlist is known: https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/dire-straits-4bd67bce.html

"Planet of New Orleans" was played 67 times

"When it comes to you" was played 22 times

"You and your friend" was played 20 times

"Fade to black" was played 31 times

"So far away" was played 2 times - https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/dire-straits-4bd67bce.html?songid=1bd761b4

By the way, Set List.com is wrong. I haven't been through it in absolute detail, but when I was looking for something else I found errors, I can't remember all of them. One thing I remember was that the number of shows on the tour did not match the number of times they said we played 'Calling Elvis'.
Many songs were played at every show, so if Set List doesn't match it to the number of shows, they are wrong.
Calling Elvis was every show, Walk of Life, Sultans, Heavy Fuel - and more, were played at every show.

Yes, one should take the data in setlist.fm considerating that the information is provided by fans, and there are two types of sets, the ones introduced by people who have recordings in audio and or video, some of them might be incomplete recordings as well, and also the ones introduced by people who attended the show, doesn't have any recording but kind of remember which songs were played, obviously some songs can be forgotten when introducing them to the site, and some might be wrong. Also don't forget that there are no setlist for any single concert, only the ones that people had introduced the sets because they have the recordings or they thing they remember the songs they heard.

The site doesn't provide 100% accurate information but an aproximation.

[Chris W]

I can't see any reason why Mark would want to release multiple live shows, especially unedited and unmixed.

I can think of one...

Which is?

[dustyvalentino]

I can't see any reason why Mark would want to release multiple live shows, especially unedited and unmixed.

I can think of one...

Which is?

Money.

[Chris W]

But seriously though, MK has been selling digital downloads of all his live shows for more than 10 years now.

Probably to direct fans away from unofficial recordings. It gives him some control.
On the money - he is a multi-millionaire who most likely by 1992 never needed to work another day in his life.
He's making more money (sitting at home) from his publishing (all those classic hit songs) than most of us will ever earn in a lifetime.

[Chris W]

Money.

See above.
It ain't going to be about the money. Artists are driven to make art and perform it. That's why he has kept making albums and touring. He never needed to work again by at least the mid-90's.

[Love Expresso]

Of course MK is rich af, and I guess he already was in the early 80's. But he has a superior studio to pay plus all this high level touring with a private jet and an expensive band had to be very tightly calculated. It's like a middle clans company to travel around the world with 80plus Shows so I guess MK and management generated money from the live shows with these Downloads which all were pretty bad sounding by the way to make everything pay. I am talking of his solo tours now. Dire Straits were probably another cup of tea.

LE

[Jules]

Money.

See above.
It ain't going to be about the money. Artists are driven to make art and perform it. That's why he has kept making albums and touring. He never needed to work again by at least the mid-90's.

As Dusty says, Mark Knopfler has been selling his live concerts, mixed but more or less quickly as some were available just when you were out of the gig (2010 tour), others the day after (2013) and in others one week or less after the concert.

As far as I remember, from all the MK solo tours he sold digital downloads of his concerts in 2005 (some of them), 2010 (almost all the European), 2013, 2015, 2019 (all of them except some venues that didn't allow the recordings or asked for too high fees). 

[Chris W]

Of course MK is rich af, and I guess he already was in the early 80's. But he has a superior studio to pay plus all this high level touring with a private jet and an expensive band had to be very tightly calculated.

He doesn't need the studio, the private jet or the band. I am 100% sure when the tour is planned, paying for the hotels, flights and band members is calculated in to the tour costings, not based on selling live show downloads afterwards.