Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits: Tracing the Evolution of Their Live Setlists

[ds1984]

I don't take setlist.com for granted.

Chris is right I have seen inacuracies regarding several artists.

Jeroen is way more reliable.

[cannibals]

I remember a theory that Mark stopped play TOL for personal reasons.

Tunnel Of Love was known to be his dad's favourite song of him,  and Erwin Knopfler passed away in May 1993, so it would have made sense as a personal reason to not play it anymore afterwards.

To me it was always only a bonus when he played Dire Straits songs during his solo career. The frustration came not so much out of what he selected but from it always being the same most of the time. I never expected him to play Private Investigatons or Tunnel Of Love with the 96's. Once Upon A Time In The West was a nice surprise and fitted perfectly to the band, although the Alchemy era version stays unbeaten. Water Of Love from 1996 was a true gem. Portobello Belle as rehearsed in Munich 2001 would have been nice, too.

LE

Guy once give the songs they rehearsed for a tour many years ago. I think it was GL tour. The man's too strong was on the list but sadly never made it to the setlist.

[ds1984]

I remember a theory that Mark stopped play TOL for personal reasons.

Tunnel Of Love was known to be his dad's favourite song of him,  and Erwin Knopfler passed away in May 1993, so it would have made sense as a personal reason to not play it anymore afterwards.

To me it was always only a bonus when he played Dire Straits songs during his solo career. The frustration came not so much out of what he selected but from it always being the same most of the time. I never expected him to play Private Investigatons or Tunnel Of Love with the 96's. Once Upon A Time In The West was a nice surprise and fitted perfectly to the band, although the Alchemy era version stays unbeaten. Water Of Love from 1996 was a true gem. Portobello Belle as rehearsed in Munich 2001 would have been nice, too.

LE

Guy once give the songs they rehearsed for a tour many years ago. I think it was GL tour. The man's too strong was on the list but sadly never made it to the setlist.

I think the tour in question was the 2003 cancelled tour, supporting The Ragpicker Dream album.
Ultimately The Man's Too Strong was then reconsidered for the KTGC tour but Hill Framer´s Blues was prefered instead.

[hunter v2.0]

I am glad we are finally getting to the bottom of this. My life will not be complete until I know how many times a song was played during a tour more than 30 years ago.

 

OMG, folks.

[Robson]

I am glad we are finally getting to the bottom of this. My life will not be complete until I know how many times a song was played during a tour more than 30 years ago.

 

OMG, folks.

It's natural for fans to count, analyze, compare and do strange things. These are fans and I like it very much:)

[Love Expresso]

I am glad we are finally getting to the bottom of this. My life will not be complete until I know how many times a song was played during a tour more than 30 years ago.

 

OMG, folks.

Arrogant.

LE

[ds1984]

I am glad we are finally getting to the bottom of this. My life will not be complete until I know how many times a song was played during a tour more than 30 years ago.

 

OMG, folks.

Well it is sort of a mix of nostalgia and fun and it just reminds me all these years on the road following Mark.

It brings me memories.

This kind of little things help to support harshness of everyday life.

I am so sorry for you that you seem to take this way too seriously.

Enjoy your life 

[Rolo]

Pity that he didn't wrote Corned Beef City at 1977

This is the song that caused my breakup with Mark.

Being a long time fan I did a long journey to witness the Privatering Tour as early as possible and I caught him in Turino, 5th or something show of the tour.

I was there on my seat and during that song I suddenly wondered why I was doing this and get him performing that kind of stuff?

Something had changed in me and it was a very bad feeling.

When I first listened MK playing the songs that became the Privateering album in 2011. I really enjoy them.
At the time, CBC was a good filler and suited very well along Privateering, Haul Away among others on that setlist.

Another point of that 2011 tour with Dylan was that was the very last time that I saw MK playing great as 2001/2002. We was way better in his playing than he was during the SL tour. The band was great too. They were 'on fire'. Even Sonny Liston (another overplayed MK song IMO) was fitted right.
In 2012, that fire went over.

I don't really remember when was my 'break up' with MK's music. I insisted on listening to him even when I was bored with his music.

KTGC was a shock, Get Lucky was a little better. They tours, in my opinion, was a disaster. Privateering is one of my favorite MK albums. After that, is all downhill. (in my opinion, folks)

However, I think that listening the bootlegs from 2010 to 2019 were my dislike for MK's work. The same setlist structure, the new songs sounded exacly as the replaced ones. Always the same thing. Thin sound, low energy... Yes, the tours made me annoyed about MK.

Privateering tour could be better. However, in my opinion, was the best MK solo tour since SL.

[Rolo]

Pity that he didn't wrote Corned Beef City at 1977

This is the song that caused my breakup you with Mark.

Being a long time fan I did a long journey to witness the Privatering Tour as early as possible and I caught him in Turino, 5th or something show of the tour.

I was there on my seat and during that song I suddenly wondered why I was doing this and get him performing that kind of stuff?

Something had changed in me and it was a very bad feeling.

There are much worse songs than CBC I would think. But I understand exactly what you mean. I had the same during Hamburg 2015. I sat there and had the feeling of literally wasting my time. Years later I bought a ticket for Hannover 2019 just out of reflex and pre-sale panic but couldn't be bothered to go. I just let it go, did not even try to sell it. That's when we "divorced". We got close again last year when the DS Live Box was released. 

LE

There are much worse songs than CBC I would think. Indeed.
I think that the recent tours was 'all the same'.
They rehearsed a couple of new songs and was it. The energy on stage was the same. It means... weak.
I think MK spent a little more time thinking about the setlist on his lastest tour. Just because of his limitations and was his retirement tour.

About the boxset.
I didn't bought anything from DS/MK since my MK/EH DVD.
The MK/DS Management is pure trash.

[Robson]

"About the boxset.
I didn't bought anything from DS/MK since my MK/EH DVD.
The MK/DS Management is pure trash"


Really? The last Dire Straits live box is amazing.

[Rolo]

Just as an aside....
I agree with some of the Youtube comments. The numbers seem off and anyway it isn't an indication of the most important, valued songs in Mark's heart. For examples, the On Every Street tour played hundreds of shows (300 pus) and songs we were directly promoting (like Calling Elvis, On Every Street) were played at every show, racking up big performance numbers.
We alternated Tunnel Of Love and Telegraph Road, almost never playing both in the same show (never?), and I think we all viewed the songs as fantastic and they both went down great with the audience. So if we only played Telegraph Road half the times we played Calling Elvis, it doesn't mean that Elvis was more cherished by mark. It just means a set list is like a tasting menu. Songs are chosen to flow from beginning of the show to end, and one song compliments another.

It's funny that, besides the 'promoting songs', the songs that MK enjoys to play are the low ranked ones.
As Ed said: - Today's Mark sell only for his fanbase.
He literally plays what he wants. However, he chooses the worse songs.

Strange that, if you listen the DTRW album, the songs that are "just there" are the songs that he choosed to play live.
I completely dislike that album. However, he could choose better songs to put on the setlist.

What intrigates the fanbase is appears that Mark records his 'promoting songs' with a completely dislike for them.

[Rolo]

"About the boxset.
I didn't bought anything from DS/MK since my MK/EH DVD.
The MK/DS Management is pure trash"


Really? The last Dire Straits live box is amazing.

Rainbow Theater is the best thing about the boxset.
The rest, to me, means nothing.

[Chris W]

What intrigates the fanbase is appears that Mark records his 'promoting songs' with a completely dislike for them.

When you are on a major global tour, you are supposed to play the songs most people want to hear. 'Most people' on a tour of that magnitude are not the hardcore fans looking to hear deep cuts. It's kind of embarrassing to be in a band on tour and NOT be playing some of the big hits.
Sure, after more than ten years Mark got tired of playing those old hits and wanted to pursue a new direction. That's understandable and fine. People usually know, from online reviews and Youtube clips, what they are going to see.

[Rolo]

What intrigates the fanbase is appears that Mark records his 'promoting songs' with a completely dislike for them.

When you are on a major global tour, you are supposed to play the songs most people want to hear. 'Most people' on a tour of that magnitude are not the hardcore fans looking to hear deep cuts. It's kind of embarrassing to be in a band on tour and NOT be playing some of the big hits.
Sure, after more than ten years Mark got tired of playing those old hits and wanted to pursue a new direction. That's understandable and fine. People usually know, from online reviews and Youtube clips, what they are going to see.

Yes. Of course.
For me DS and MK as solo artists are incomparable. And he is right to pursue what moves him. It's an artistic desicion.
When I said about Mark dislike his 'promotional songs', I am talking about his recent works.

[Robson]

What intrigates the fanbase is appears that Mark records his 'promoting songs' with a completely dislike for them.

When you are on a major global tour, you are supposed to play the songs most people want to hear. 'Most people' on a tour of that magnitude are not the hardcore fans looking to hear deep cuts. It's kind of embarrassing to be in a band on tour and NOT be playing some of the big hits.
Sure, after more than ten years Mark got tired of playing those old hits and wanted to pursue a new direction. That's understandable and fine. People usually know, from online reviews and Youtube clips, what they are going to see.

Yes. Of course.
For me DS and MK as solo artists are incomparable. And he is right to pursue what moves him. It's an artistic desicion.
When I said about Mark dislike his 'promotional songs', I am talking about his recent works.

Dislikes? Most have been to concerts (Darling Pretty, What It Is, Why Aye Man, Boom Like That, True Love Wil Never Fade, Border Reiver)