Just got back from Mark Knopfler. Don't ask me anything. I'll tell you.

[DFW]

It was brilliant, as usual. He did mostly newer stuff, with a smattering of older songs. The race car song from the "Sailing to Philadelphia" album, and this was the first time I'd heard him do Sultans of Swing live. The crowd went wild when he teased and then finally went into that signature riff at the end. "Man Down," "Privateering," "Telegraph Road," and "Paraguay" were there, too, and he did quite a bit of softer stuff with the Celtic musicians he's had for a while in his band.

The concert was mildly marred by a group of beer drunks from Köln who were gabbing behind us the whole time in Kölsch dialect, and by the couple in front of us who were more interested in playing with their very bright cell phones than watching the concert. Why do these people pay €75 for a concert they have no intention of paying any attention to?

But his guitar playing was masterful, as usual, and his band, after 20 years or so together, is so in snych with him musically, he transports you to other places every time you see him perform.

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. ENVY...envy,envy,envy,envy,envy,envy,envy,envy,

I am just pea green with envy.

Like his stuff very much, esp. liked his Notting Hillbillies album.

[MerryBlooms]

2. Awesome.

We need a 'fainting with envy', emote.

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[DFW]

3. In this particular case

I'd say you would be justified. He is just about THE best live act out there I know of.

[Miles Archer]

4. Mark Knopfler and Mick Taylor on the same Bob album. Go figure.

I've always been a fan of his work...especially his "Neck & Neck" album with my childhood hero, Chet Atkins...but the fact that he was on one of the best albums of Dylan's career, one that belongs right up there with "Blonde On Blonde" and "Highway 61" and "Blood On The Tracks"...that has always been my favorite Mark Knopfler moment.

[ailsagirl]

6. I love the Alchemy album/concert

Last edited Mon Jun 22, 2015, 08:33 PM - Edit history (1)

Beautiful-- so perfect!!

[ailsagirl]

5. I still listen to Dire Straits-- miss them!!!

Lucky you, DFW!!!

[Solly Mack]

7. Sounds wonderful. Rude people aside.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

8. I'm jealous.

Knopfler is an excellent musician.

[Capt.Rocky300]

9. As a lousy electric guitar player.....

myself, I believe Mark to be the most underrated, under appreciated guitarist of our times. Clapton should take lessons from him. Just my humble opinion. Glad you had a chance to enjoy him live.

[DFW]

10. He and Clapton have played together in the past

They seemed to get along well.

I don't know how underrated Knopfler is at this point. He was already rated best new talent by Guitar Player in the 1970s.

This was out third time seeing him here in Germany. Last time, we left three hours early (it's an hour by train) and an oil tanker derailed and overturned on the tracks in front of us. We got to the concert half an hour late and were furious. This time, we left three and a half hours late and got there two and a half hours early.

I used to play electric guitar way back in the dawn of time, but my brother got me Leo Kottke's Armadillo album for Christmas in 1971 and I was lost from then on. I leave 12 string guitars scattered around the globe, so I'm never far from one. Serious addiction.

[panader0]

11. Very jealous here.

[DFW]

12. With full justification

If I could be a Knopflerhead and follow his concerts around Europe for a whole tour, I would.

$§/!%$)/&@%)! day job *sigh*

[hifiguy]

13. "Telegraph Road" is a desert-island song for me.

And his epic "rage against the dying of the light" solo at the end never fails to give me chills.