Random reflexions about Dire Straits tours

[Love Expresso]

I was on the Bremen Show 1991 which was Sept 26th, so pretty early and all I can say from looking back, there was some magic coming from the stage right into my soul. I thought that the set was perfect balanced. I loved the early 1991 Sultans especially because of your drumming, Chris. Now knowing all the background of the problems with volume and Mark's demand for your playing it is almost unbelievable HOW great it sounded nevertheless. There is this part where you play along to the first notes of the twiddly bits which gets me every time. I dream of a YouTube Video of you doing a live Sultans drum-along!

LE

[Love Expresso]

It was indeed harsh of Mark to say so. Especially when you remember him and compare his performance from 1985/1986 with 1991, the question should be allowed if he himself gave 110%. It looked (and sounded) more like auto-pilot-mode on the OES tour.

LE

[dustyvalentino]

The OES album and tour started my obsession with music. I picked up a guitar in 1992 and haven't looked back (7 guitars and 2 amps scattered around the room I am in just now). It's a shame it was gruelling for the band and that ticket sales weren't as good as anticipated in certain territories but those of us who were engaged (and I didn't see a live show, just on tv) loved it.

[superval99]

Even though I had been a fan since '82, I will never forget the Basel concert in '92 on Channel 4.   I recorded it and watched it endlessly!   It started my obsession with DS/MK. 

[rmarques821]

It was unfair of Mark to blame the band for not giving 110% when he, himself, couldn't wait for the tour to end.
His vocal delivery in 91/92 was terrible. I think if he could have done the show without singing, he would have done so.

[Love Expresso]

Well, as Chris wrote, it was "in a burst of frustration". He is human after all. I am sure he would have dealt it different during the last solo years. But it must indeed have felt offensive to hear that when you already give 100% each night. And I have no doubt that especially the new band members did exactly that.

LE

[Robson]

Yes. Basel. An amazing concert. The broadcast was a breakthrough and historic moment for me.

[Pottel]

I don't know what 'ogre' is about either.
There was absolutely no issue with the playing or the musicianship on the Australian tour.
The band left Oz on a massive high in 1985. It was six years later and a lot of the casual fans had obviously moved on. The economy was in recession too.
Still, we played multiple shows in Sydney and Melbourne. They had left days for extra shows to be added and the demand wasn't there. So it was dire financially for Mark and John as they were paying for a hundred people, a hundred hotel rooms etc while not playing any shows to recoup the costs.
The only time there was a performance crisis was in America. In my opinion Mark and John were depressed about ticket sales in the USA too. We played to 1/3rd empty halls must of the time, with only the major cities sold out. So in a burst of frustration Mark called a band meeting and claimed we weren't giving it 110%. personally I was too terrified to never NOT give it 110%.
Of course the band stayed to the end, you can't replace people during a tour, especially after three months rehearsal. And the band played the music perfectly for hundreds of shows. I think John later said it was the best band they ever had (in terms of musicianship).

nice to see "Christian" W. back in action :-)
good to have you

[Pottel]

Even though I had been a fan since '82, I will never forget the Basel concert in '92 on Channel 4.   I recorded it and watched it endlessly!   It started my obsession with DS/MK. 

yup.....

[Knut]

Always thought the tour dates were a bit weird in 1991. Like, all cities seemed to get as many shows as possible up until a certain point where there was just one show per city afterwards? That said, the ones with many shows were at smaller venues than the stadium ones that ended up being one-offs. Not sure if the idea was to fill Subiaco 4-5 times in a row? Surely that's asking a bit much for any act. Or maybe the idea was to play in some other cities, too?

[Love Expresso]

First part was during autumn/Winter 1991 in Europe so they did often several gigs in a row at indoor venues. The return to Europe in the Summer of 1992 was at Stadiums which made not more than one date necessary.

LE

[dmg]

Even though I had been a fan since '82, I will never forget the Basel concert in '92 on Channel 4.   I recorded it and watched it endlessly!   It started my obsession with DS/MK. 

Me too.  We never got a good picture on C4 back in the day and it looked like it was snowing! 😂

Unfortunately to top it all, it wasn't the complete concert and Calling Elvis was cut just before the percussion/drum solos.

_______________

Interesting revelations there Chris W - thanks for that inside info.

It makes one think if perhaps this wasn't the real reason Mark disbanded DS and not the whole "it got too big" thing he comes away with.  Having to pay for hotels, not selling out venues and not having a good vibe on the road can't have been much fun for 14 months.  It would also explain why the first solo tour was so short and only included very small venues.

[Robson]

Even though I had been a fan since '82, I will never forget the Basel concert in '92 on Channel 4.   I recorded it and watched it endlessly!   It started my obsession with DS/MK. 

Me too.  We never got a good picture on C4 back in the day and it looked like it was snowing! 😂

Unfortunately to top it all, it wasn't the complete concert and Calling Elvis was cut just before the percussion/drum solos.

_______________

Interesting revelations there Chris W - thanks for that inside info.

Are you sure? It was a broadcast.

[dmg]

Even though I had been a fan since '82, I will never forget the Basel concert in '92 on Channel 4.   I recorded it and watched it endlessly!   It started my obsession with DS/MK. 

Me too.  We never got a good picture on C4 back in the day and it looked like it was snowing! 😂

Unfortunately to top it all, it wasn't the complete concert and Calling Elvis was cut just before the percussion/drum solos.

_______________

Interesting revelations there Chris W - thanks for that inside info.

Really? It was a broadcast.

Yes, that's why!  My reception wasn't good because the signal on C4 was weaker than the other 3 channels.  That's right, only 4 channels back then!

[Robson]

Even though I had been a fan since '82, I will never forget the Basel concert in '92 on Channel 4.   I recorded it and watched it endlessly!   It started my obsession with DS/MK. 

Me too.  We never got a good picture on C4 back in the day and it looked like it was snowing! 😂

Unfortunately to top it all, it wasn't the complete concert and Calling Elvis was cut just before the percussion/drum solos.

_______________

Interesting revelations there Chris W - thanks for that inside info.

Really? It was a broadcast.

Yes, that's why!  My reception wasn't good because the signal on C4 was weaker than the other 3 channels.  That's right, only 4 channels back then!

I thought that TV broadcasting was the same in all countries