A Mark In Time
Mark Knopfler Discussion => Almost Straits => Topic started by: MK-47 on August 23, 2017, 01:26:31 PM
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Hello everybody.
I started this topic because DS experience will have a concert near me in near future, and I would like to hear your opinions about them. Are they worth the ticket price? Are they any good in recreating the DS sound?
What are your experiences attending their concerts?
I would appreciate any input.
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They had Chris White and Chris Whitten, not the most important musicians of DS but they played with them...
I read comments of all kinds. I'd say that you would enjoy it if you go open minded, not judging but enjoying.
I saw them in their very first incarnation as "The Straits", then with Alan Clark and Phil Palmer as well, and I liked them. They are not the real band and without MK it can't be the same but as an "almost strait" thing, it's enjoyable.
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Since Nigel Hitchcock is used to play on Dire Straits tracks, I think of Chris White much better and I miss his possible contributions to MK's music. Same as with Danny Cummings, there was much more than just skills and talent but a magic bond with MK's soul I dare to say or very deep understanding of his music which brought so much magic into the whole thing... much more than the current band is able to deliver, apart from Jim maybe (and Paul Franklin).
Sorry for being slighly off-topic, it was jbaents 'not the most important musicians" that let me going...
LE
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Thanks for the replies! I agree about them not being able to be real DS without MK. I have been to some tribute DS concerts and although I liked hearing those songs played live in front of me, they were a bit of a disappointment.
I like Chris White, Chris Whitten was not that important I agree. Alan Clark was one of the more important musicians involved but as you say he is no longer in the band, that's too bad. Now, if Pick Wither was still playing with them, I would probably go to the concert because of what he meant to the original band. But I'm not impressed name-wise with the rest of the lineup. The only thing linking them with the original band is the name and a couple of touring musicians involved for only a year or two with DS.
I listened to DS experience on youtube and quite honestly I wasn't impressed. Maybe it would be better if I heard them live and that's the reason why I started the topic. Has anyone shared my view before the concert and then got pleasantly surprised after attending it?
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I read some reviews of fans that went to their shows without expectations and enjoyed it more than they thought.
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I read some reviews of fans that went to their shows without expectations and enjoyed it more than they thought.
Exactly, this is music after all. If you love the songs and the idea of hearing them live with no any "original vs. forgery" drama inside you, then go with no doubts.
"You don’t make music for immortality, you make music for the moment. For capturing the sheer joy of being alive on planet earth. Wow, is this fun." — Ray Manzarek
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I have seen them once and i liked it. Terence did a good job on guitar and the sax parts of Chris are the same as on the On The Night album.
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Exactly, this is music after all. If you love the songs and the idea of hearing them live with no any "original vs. forgery" drama inside you, then go with no doubts.
"You don’t make music for immortality, you make music for the moment. For capturing the sheer joy of being alive on planet earth. Wow, is this fun." — Ray Manzarek
That is a great quote by a great man. :thumbsup
You're right, music is music and if it is preformed ok then it is enjoyable. But can you entirely separate the copy from original and not make any comparisons even unwillingly so inside your head? I'm afraid I can't go to the concert without any doubts, I would like to but I can't. I know it's silly to think that I will get the true DS without Knopfler playing but I would like to hear if they are worth the trouble because they are not just another ordinary DS tribute band.
Your thoughts and opinions on this are very helpful for me to make the decision whether to go or not because I have much respect for you all as MK fans, so thanks. Hope you have some more experiences to share.
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I have seen them once and i liked it. Terence did a good job on guitar and the sax parts of Chris are the same as on the On The Night album.
That sounds very promising indeed. I like the sax parts on that album. In fact I like the sax from the entire OES tour so Chris White is a big plus for me. :thumbsup
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I have seen them once and i liked it. Terence did a good job on guitar and the sax parts of Chris are the same as on the On The Night album.
That sounds very promising indeed. I like the sax parts on that album. In fact I like the sax from the entire OES tour so Chris White is a big plus for me. :thumbsup
Go see them :) Chris Whiten is also nice and powerful on drums.
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I read some reviews of fans that went to their shows without expectations and enjoyed it more than they thought.
Exactly, this is music after all. If you love the songs and the idea of hearing them live with no any "original vs. forgery" drama inside you, then go with no doubts.
"You don’t make music for immortality, you make music for the moment. For capturing the sheer joy of being alive on planet earth. Wow, is this fun." — Ray Manzarek
Good to see Ray get a mention. Saw him and Robbie with the Doors of the 21st Century back in 2000 (I think).
I would say that the band have now lost their main attraction and are running on empty. Playing for the money with little to offer the real fan except a couple of late arrivals. Chris White is fine but you can't have him on every song.
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I bought tickets for their show in The Netherlands and it was absolutely horrible. People say Terence is pretty good but I think he doesn't understand a fraction of MK's magic. He has no understanding of guitar sounds, doesn't know his scales and clearly didn't investigate the songs all the way through. Some folks on YouTube get pretty close imitating MK (no one will ever reach his level or even come up with the stuff) but Terence wouldn't stand a chance against these YouTubers.
Mark does a wonderful job of making music on stage but besides the music he isn't a natural crowd entertainer. His jokes and talks are always the same and that's for a good reason, it's part of who he is and his level of comfort on stage. Terence even copied that. The WOL intro stuff, the "thank youuuuuuu", etc... and Chris is just standing there with a big smile and a shaker. Pure cringe.
This might sound a harsh but I was so angry when I left the gig. When I got home I started writing a topic about it here on AMIT but decided to throw it away, get some sleep and see if I still bothered that much the next day. I decided not to write about it but since it got asked I thought it would be okay to share my thoughts.
I don't have a problem with DS/MK cover bands, good or bad. What I hate is the fact that someone has worked so hard for 40 years and a bunch of amateurs are just trashing the name and legacy. They only sell these amount of tickets because of their name and the fact that one 'original member' is part of the band (Chris might not see it this way but he was just a hired session musician), not because they're a great band. Keep in mind that if we want MK to keep touring, his tickets need to be sold. There is little promotion and (gladly) he doesn't give a damn about how many record he sells, so I guess a portion of the tickets are sold because of his name and legacy. This whole experience thing can't be good for his name.
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I bought tickets for their show in The Netherlands and it was absolutely horrible. People say Terence is pretty good but I think he doesn't understand a fraction of MK's magic. He has no understanding of guitar sounds, doesn't know his scales and clearly didn't investigate the songs all the way through. Some folks on YouTube get pretty close imitating MK (no one will ever reach his level or even come up with the stuff) but Terence wouldn't stand a chance against these YouTubers.
Mark does a wonderful job of making music on stage but besides the music he isn't a natural crowd entertainer. His jokes and talks are always the same and that's for a good reason, it's part of who he is and his level of comfort on stage. Terence even copied that. The WOL intro stuff, the "thank youuuuuuu", etc... and Chris is just standing there with a big smile and a shaker. Pure cringe.
This might sound a harsh but I was so angry when I left the gig. When I got home I started writing a topic about it here on AMIT but decided to throw it away, get some sleep and see if I still bothered that much the next day. I decided not to write about it but since it got asked I thought it would be okay to share my thoughts.
I don't have a problem with DS/MK cover bands, good or bad. What I hate is the fact that someone has worked so hard for 40 years and a bunch of amateurs are just trashing the name and legacy. They only sell these amount of tickets because of their name and the fact that one 'original member' is part of the band (Chris might not see it this way but he was just a hired session musician), not because they're a great band. Keep in mind that if we want MK to keep touring, his tickets need to be sold. There is little promotion and (gladly) he doesn't give a damn about how many record he sells, so I guess a portion of the tickets are sold because of his name and legacy. This whole experience thing can't be good for his name.
I agree, but I think really it's just a combination of Mark's popularity and the complexity of his music. My prime example of a good tribute band always was and will be The Fab Four, which gives you really an ultimate The Beatles experience you'll ever find. Guys just nailed the sound, mannerism and all. It's cringy, but just a bit and at least half of the original band members are already dead and the band was over almost 50 years ago, so the tribute makes sense. I'm sure, if only Mark would be as popular as The Beatles, we would have better tribute bands. And probably we will in the next few decades, who knows?
The worst part about this particular tribute band, is that they promote themselves almost as the real deal, they have Dire Straits in their title which is insane in my book, they're saying that their guitarist is "the only man in the world capable of playing guitar and singing like MK" (oh yeah, boiii!). Of course it's not about what's you're doing, it's about how you do it. And how they do it is really cringeworthy and hence their show is no difference. It's like Mark's shows would be promoted like "This is the best guitar player and songwriter in the world, you better go and buy tickets and give him money".
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Go and see the German DIRE STRATS. They are really great and have a man on the guitar who really nails it. They have a lot of variation in their set list so they are really worth more visits. They really understand to get a crowd going wild!
LE
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Go and see the German DIRE STRATS. They are really great and have a man on the guitar who really nails it. They have a lot of variation in their set list so they are really worth more visits. They really understand to get a crowd going wild!
LE
Wait, so Terence isn't the only guy in the world capable of playing guitar as MK? How come? :lol :lol :lol
Yes, these guys is a good example of how to do it. And also Brothers In Band. I like them even more because of vocals.
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The vocals to me is the hardest part to copy (or to do anyway), not only in tribute bands, but in any band. You can copy the guitar sound almost exactly, you can get the right amplifier, instruments, cables, clothes etc, but it all doesn't make any sense if you're telling no story or have nothing to say. Check out this Jimmy Fallon tribute and tell me if this is the best thing or not! Imagine a DS tribute of this magnitude :lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBRYsAfchkY
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If I was you and it's not difficult to attend or expensive, I'll go and have my own opinion ;)
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Go and see the German DIRE STRATS. They are really great and have a man on the guitar who really nails it. They have a lot of variation in their set list so they are really worth more visits. They really understand to get a crowd going wild!
LE
I'm not really a fan of tribute bands but I've watched many of their videos and I think they're really good. Even the vocalist has improved in more recent videos.
"I went to a Pretenders gig. It was a tribute act." - Tim Vine