Tim O

[allen]

(Source: Mark Knopfler Info News) http://www.mark-knopfler.info/news/

Referring to the official Tim O

[dmg]

Interesting news.  Going by the instruments he plays I guess this would be JM's replacement for the North American leg.  Do they forsee any problems again?

[Love Expresso]

Yes, that was my first thought, too! John McCusker seemed to have some (passport) problems back in 2008. Maybe they just found a improvised form to
get him back into the band and are not able to repeat it that way. So John McC. will probably not be with the band in the first leg of the tour??
Unusual and interesting. However, I was already wondering about the musicians of the 2010 tour. It would have been the very first time in his solo career
that MK would have had the same band members than in the tour before. There have always been some minor changes...

LE

[Rollergirl]

guitar? buzuki (however you may spell it), mandolin? That's more Richard's department, isn't it?

[dmg]

guitar? buzuki (however you may spell it), mandolin? That's more Richard's department, isn't it?

Yeah, but he also plays the fiddle and he sounds like a multi-instrumentalist so he'll probably play most stringed instruments including the dreaded cittern!!

[Jules]

Did anyone asked to Guy if this is a replacement for the US or a permanent one for McCusker? I bet he is so demanded in the scotish folk scene that it

[dustyvalentino]

Very interesting. He's part of Steve Earle's band The Bluegrass Dukes.

[dustyvalentino]

OK, mystery over, it's because John McCusker's girlfriend (wife?) is having a baby. From the Tim O'Brien forum:

The big thing I've got on the horizon right now is touring with Mark Knopfler. I'm doing six weeks with him in the U.S. I'm filling in for my friend, for John McCusker, whose wife is having a baby. I'm playing fiddle and mandolin and bouzouki for Mark's tour. That should be really fun. That's a whole other realm. I want to approach that gig with as much respect as possible. I don't really understand why they need me, because they already have a six- or seven-piece band before I jumped in there, but they want some textures of fiddle and mandolin, so I'll be there. I'll get to learn from people like Matt Rollins and Richard Bennett and Mark Knopfler. Michael McGoldrick will be there, too. He's amazing.

http://www.timobrien.net/forum/index.asp?sub=show&action=posts&fid=7&tid=1693

And he lets the cat out of the bag that Michael McGoldrick will be there too! Seems to me that this will be a very "folky" band - sorry rock fans, I think you are in for a disappointment!

[superval99]

I wonder if we'll also have Michael McGoldrick on the UK/European leg of the tour?   I've been watching "Transatlantic Sessions" a lot lately and he is in most of the sessions playing Scottish flute, along with Phil Cunningham on accordian/piano.  Maybe he won't be needed when John returns, as John also plays flute.   

[JeroenvG]

Michael McGoldrick is also a guest artist on Get Lucky, he played flute and whistle.

Maybe he will be there also at the European tour because of the flute and whistle playing together in one song. Never saw John Played both instruments on one song.

I think we will know soon who the tour people will be. Just waiting for the rehearsels diary from Guy.

[superval99]

I know John is very talented, but, Flute AND whistle at the same time!      Perhaps Michael will be needed after all on certain songs. 

[Love Expresso]

I think these are great news because with this band the possibilty of hearing "Before Gas & TV", which is one of the best songs MK has ever written as you are all of course know , is much bigger now. Also "Border Reiver" as an opener becomes more possible now. Great! I remember I never liked "Red Staggerwing" from the record but was really blown away when I heard it live with the "fiddle break". I hope for something similiar with "Border Reiver", a break in the middle part to say "Hi" to the audience and maybe introduce some of the new guys... That would be great....

Blimey, never thought of getting so much new information here over the "quiet" christmas days! Great forum indeed...

LE

[Jules]

Quite great news. I really wonder if John will be back after the US tour or will happens the same with the Chad / Danny temporaly substitution 

Strange that they hired a mandolin / fiddle player and someone (that is like a God on it) to play flute, I

[Love Expresso]

I think we will know soon who the tour people will be. Just waiting for the rehearsels diary from Guy.

The tour will start early april, so I think the rehearsals are beginning not before middle march. They always have a very short schedule the last tours.
So Guy will probably start his diary at the beginning of March, and some time before that the new band will be "officially" announced. I think we will
have all relevant information here at AMIT long before that...

LE

[sak4]

Superval, so glad to hear you watch Transatlantic Sessions, I'm really hooked.    We got the 3 DVDs of TS just before Christmas.
We are going to see Aly Bin & Phil Cunningham on tour in March.   Love that music.   Have you listened to or seen Blazin Fiddles - amazing!   I always enjoy MK's celtic connections

Sally