A Mark In Time
Mark Knopfler Discussion => Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum => Topic started by: JF on August 31, 2015, 11:05:37 PM
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we all know that Mark wore wrist bands since early DS days
(at least since summer/fall 78, as he did not seems to have some in first leg of the year, see :
- first gig in summer 77 http://www.mk-guitar.com/2009/01/22/gear-on-one-of-the-first-dire-straits-gigs-on-the-clapham-common-bandstand/ (http://www.mk-guitar.com/2009/01/22/gear-on-one-of-the-first-dire-straits-gigs-on-the-clapham-common-bandstand/)
- or this one http://www.mk-guitar.com/2012/06/12/new-picture-of-the-sultans-strat-before-being-refinished-to-red/ (http://www.mk-guitar.com/2012/06/12/new-picture-of-the-sultans-strat-before-being-refinished-to-red/)
- or first OGWT 78 http://www.mk-guitar.com/2009/01/21/gear-on-dire-straits-first-tv-appearance-at-old-grey-whiste-test/ (http://www.mk-guitar.com/2009/01/21/gear-on-dire-straits-first-tv-appearance-at-old-grey-whiste-test/)
- or even the sultans clip, probably from early july 78 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0ffIJ7ZO4U (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0ffIJ7ZO4U) )
and a headband since CIRCA spring 83, and we all have already read that it was because of sweat due to stage lighting.
But I was wondering : has anyone seen him "using" his wrist band by toweling his face ? in early days or recently ?
He brought them since recent tours, and I don't remember any videos showing this kind of attitude, so I wonder : are they really for this purpose, or are they just for the look ?
Of course I know that during the end of the LOG tour, and especially during the BIA tour, it became his stage panoply, rather than a usefull accessoire, but in he beginning it was normally for using (like many other musicians do, e.g. Phil collins) not for the stage look
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His current wrist bands could very well serve the sweat band purpose; they would still help prevent sweat from interferring with his playing. He still needs to wipe his hands, but I am sure they would help!
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These wrist orthoses are not for appearance.
I can suppose, he wears them to prevent cramps of metacarpal muscles and/or to relieve the pain caused by carpal tunnel syndrome.
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Yes I know they are not only for appearance, but I wondered if someone had once seen a video where He is toweling his face with them ?
during early days, he used to be more energic on stage, and you can see pictures where he sweats a lot, like here (scroll down) :
http://www.mk-guitar.com/2008/08/16/what-tuning-is-setting-me-up-by-dire-straits-and-what-guitar/ (http://www.mk-guitar.com/2008/08/16/what-tuning-is-setting-me-up-by-dire-straits-and-what-guitar/)
so I guess he must have used them to towel ? but can't remember this kind of situations in videos like rockpalast, chorus, etc...
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think he has compression things under his wrist bands to help support his wrist with aching hands whist playing, helps me when I run with compression socks, but noticed at Manchester this year he didn't where anything on his wrists and great show , but 2011 he had some sort of compression thing on too
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I think he needs them for support dearly these days, especially after a few weeks into a tour. It was notable that his vibrato almost dropped away completely this tour and he dropped the songs that required strong vibrato such as KOG. I'm not quite sure his rubbing of the hand on his trouser is just to get rid of sweat either; it may relieve some stress on the wrist muscles. It may not, but it would be a coincidence that he does it before a solo.
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I wondered if someone had once seen a video where He is toweling his face with them ?
Unfortunately haven't seen. I remember only a towel. Big white towel on a yellow plain... That's all.
during early days, he used to be more energic on stage, and you can see pictures where he sweats a lot...
Adrenaline rush and mating behaviour... Well, the train has already departed.
Choo-choo
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Adrenaline rush and mating behaviour... Well, the train has already departed.
Choo-choo
Oh my gosh, Throttle... you're killing me!
:lol
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His current wrist bands could very well serve the sweat band purpose; they would still help prevent sweat from interferring with his playing. He still needs to wipe his hands, but I am sure they would help!
He does not need them against sweat anymore as modern lights (LEDs) hardly produces any heat !
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His current wrist bands could very well serve the sweat band purpose; they would still help prevent sweat from interferring with his playing. He still needs to wipe his hands, but I am sure they would help!
He does not need them against sweat anymore as modern lights (LEDs) hardly produces any heat !
He still sweats a lot as can be seen from some of the videos, due to very hot weather eg St Julien in 2013! The whole band were drenched with sweat!
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His current wrist bands could very well serve the sweat band purpose; they would still help prevent sweat from interferring with his playing. He still needs to wipe his hands, but I am sure they would help!
He does not need them against sweat anymore as modern lights (LEDs) hardly produces any heat !
He still sweats a lot as can be seen from some of the videos, due to very hot weather eg St Julien in 2013! The whole band were drenched with sweat!
That is only an occasion that happens on a few outdoor concerts but doesn't explain why he wears them every other concert including modern air conditioned venues and also freezing outdoor gigs in Scandinavia. The real reason is pretty clear to me and Guy revealed his RSI during the STP tour on his forum.
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I think it's because he finds them cool. I'm sure he'd love to dig out the headband too, but with no hair he'll look like an egg wearing a belt. That's not cool.
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I think it's because he finds them cool. I'm sure he'd love to dig out the headband too, but with no hair he'll look like an egg wearing a belt. That's not cool.
Didn't Humpty Dumpty wear a belt? You saying he isn't cool? 8)
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When Mark gets a bit older, he'll start wearing his pants like Clint Eastwood. Then he'll look like Humpty Dumpty.
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Maybe they are multi-purpose. To absorb the sweat when it's hot, to keep his wrists warm when it's cold and because he thinks they look cool! I think they look quite s e x y anyway! ;) Oh, and to hide the strapping underneath!
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I think it's to protect his wrists, like a band for your knee when you're running
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This is why he wears wristbands. We have the technology. We can rebuild him:
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My picture is better than yours :)
Look at the photo taken in rather cold weather a month ago.
Can you see wrist bands?
Only if you take a closer look at his hands. They are hidden under his clothing and faintly protrude from below the sleeves of his thermal underwear.
So it appears that compression is the major function of these bands.
By the way, due to the same reason I don't think he uses them to hit our fancy.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nuCtuET_PEjGWwcymWNiXfjjG9M8ZdUdrjNd41DthRCsTF010Rqfkmp93RGh1T2sETNrfH1GibcRKoDkuDuR8d-BU4B6FdeWN7RwXEpLn41vFann9JrWf9knDumAdzhCtGzF8NQT_992CEUk6mOX6EpZ4cJ91BBEVoX8rzQyTIXCtKGrgCVkesCNz5gTAtP86jyBNqWb-WvdvEzhLhgu7pBPRQfaHuCUHINyXcuIK6BzI3nrW4yRTRvbl6RBcVZtXRSsRAz5XRVSVYFPpDp_Qy0bIO0rHChHZ3AJVHeF97OpBDzItnWX_I-roNPl53MhRx-nJuXNFa2ubkC_aTDZKBNlXc6xaDUDbp_0i89g_KnD27Xdc4IvtyBZLV6EGYBCa0_xOmT0WaB33LiKEY3PrNdgp9u7fNowVlIBpWeJtLDtUH_KESl3s7SH8oTnnzml1E4HPMo-5SJ4PdaWptuzwnPuSLEQrEH7PIcOwiTgQpIGaI2YKo4cjd1WVQz4z0aynuxLhtFO7RNlevtGu3WdmIA=w800-h523-no)
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So it's a thermal underwear thing then? :hmm
;)
Maybe the reason why he doesn't wear glasses any more is that they gave him infra-red night vision eyes like the six million dollar man... :think Too far!
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I didn't watch that film, but I have some idea of the infrared spectrum. :)
However we deviated from the topic.
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I didn't watch that film, but I have some idea of the infrared spectrum. :)
However we deviated from the topic.
I think the topic has run it's course to be honest! This is more fun.
BTW Six Million Dollar Man was a 1970s American TV series starring Lee Majors, not a film. Not great but very enjoyable. :)
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Almost the most enjoyable read in Amit, the last week! I think discussing such things brings us to the level of Lady Gaga fans. And although I won't do it, I simply enjoy it! By the way, when you have carpal syndrome it usually is way too painful to play. Probably he wears it for precaution. And yes, lights back in the 80ies were using much of the energy to produce heat. Nowadays lights are much lighter and produce very little heat. But although it is cool to see someone play effortlessly, no sweat, it adds to the excitement to see the musician sweat a little. It kind of gives that impression that he is giving the audience 110%.
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But although it is cool to see someone play effortlessly, no sweat, it adds to the excitement to see the musician sweat a little. It kind of gives that impression that he is giving the audience 110%.
These days the sweat is more likely to be caused by the ambient temperature! ::)
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I am pleased to inform you that I was wrong and our steam train arrived back with great fanfare.
JF, I kinda found what you were looking for.
Check out the video from Piazzola (full concert), the target point is at 28.27, just before starting R&J.
https://youtu.be/RTlLv2V33uo (https://youtu.be/RTlLv2V33uo)
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Well surely one of the purposes is this. But they seem rather tight, so maybe they are for carpal after all. Can you notice if they are elastic tube like or Velcro held? It the first case it is for sweat, the second for carpal.
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I am pleased to inform you that I was wrong and our steam train arrived back with great fanfare.
JF, I kinda found what you were looking for.
Check out the video from Piazzola (full concert), the target point is at 28.27, just before starting R&J.
https://youtu.be/RTlLv2V33uo (https://youtu.be/RTlLv2V33uo)
:thumbsup :thumbsup :clap :clap
the paradox is I would have bet to see this kind of situation more on videos like Rockpalast or Chorus, or Dortmund, rather than in 2015 ! :o
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Another reason might be to protect his right wrist against sharp edges of the Strat bridge!
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Another reason might be to protect his right wrist against sharp edges of the Strat bridge!
Ha! :lol
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Another reason might be to protect his right wrist against sharp edges of the Strat bridge!
yes and you can see in the sultans video clip that the maple red strat had a scotch tape on top of the bridge
visible between 2:44 - 2:50
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0ffIJ7ZO4U
maybe this was also for this purpose, because at the time he didn't wear any wrist bands yet ?
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JF, I have watched this video so many times and never noticed the tape! :lol
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You can also see his wrist was heavily strapped up in the audience video of the Madrid 2001 concert. You have to look closely because it's the same colour as his skin! Can't find any on YT unfortunately.