#73 DTRW TOUR - Sep 06 2019 -Smart Financial Centre, Sugar Land, TX, US

[Mossguitar]

I actually don't mind the middle part of the set, in fact I really enjoy all of those songs mentioned, BUT, there is far too much talking and I have removed most of it from my downloads!   

I love that part of the set. Actually thats the kind of concerts from MK I'd like to see in the future. Small venue and his more intimate stuff. Something like Boothbay concert.

Totally agree with this. I have really enjoyed the smaller intimate gigs with The Master in the past...

In fact, I hope this is the direction MK's musical career will take in the coming years.

I expect it will indeed the way he plays in the future Superval...

I'm not so sure. I think he feels and acts nervous these days hence the need for a larger backing band he's familiar with and can be confident in.  For him to stand there with only a few other members and himself more in the spotlight is something I think he would dread now, almost as much as a live TV appearance.

I hear what you are saying but funnily enough from experience he never came across as nervous at either Hay on Wye, Chalke Valley or Bridport....

He seemed to relax and enjoy each occasion

I doubt Mark has been nervous onstage for many many years, it's just the way he is, it's his demeanor, mannerisms, character etc.

I think you are right. It’s just the way he is. But nervous? No, don’t think so. Just a bit shy maybe. And I am convinced he has brought a large band this time because he wants to, not because he needs to. And faults come though anyway, not least due to his incredibly loud guitars. But why bother about faults. That’s not what music is about at all IMO. It’s about the overall feel.

[qjamesfloyd]

Exactly. Consider Tubular Bells, that has many mistakes, and even badly tuned guitars, Mike Oldfield admits this himself, but this is mainly to do with a lack of studio time, and having to make it quickly, but the point is, even with the errors, it's a classic album, when he re-made it in 2003 without mistakes, some fans didn't like it because it had lost some of it's soul. So, I agree, it's not what I worry about either.

[TJ]

I actually don't mind the middle part of the set, in fact I really enjoy all of those songs mentioned, BUT, there is far too much talking and I have removed most of it from my downloads!   

I don't mean to suggest that I don't LIKE those songs.  I just felt that the show was getting kind of sleepy through that section, and throwing in something rockier/uptempo in the middle of that stretch would help that out.

That said, hardly anyone goes to an MK concert and leaves saying, "Nice show, but I was really hoping to hear Marbletown". But loads of people walk out saying they wanted to hear Sultans or Tunnel of Love or Walk of Life or whatnot.  He's only had a few "hits", mix in a few of them each show.  Especially if, like in Sugar Land/Houston, you haven't played there in 30 years.  We diehards have heard all that stuff a million times, but most of the people at the show haven't, I'd guess.

[superval99]

I actually don't mind the middle part of the set, in fact I really enjoy all of those songs mentioned, BUT, there is far too much talking and I have removed most of it from my downloads!   

I don't mean to suggest that I don't LIKE those songs.  I just felt that the show was getting kind of sleepy through that section, and throwing in something rockier/uptempo in the middle of that stretch would help that out.

That said, hardly anyone goes to an MK concert and leaves saying, "Nice show, but I was really hoping to hear Marbletown". But loads of people walk out saying they wanted to hear Sultans or Tunnel of Love or Walk of Life or whatnot.  He's only had a few "hits", mix in a few of them each show.  Especially if, like in Sugar Land/Houston, you haven't played there in 30 years.  We diehards have heard all that stuff a million times, but most of the people at the show haven't, I'd guess.

I'm one of those people who used to look forward to hearing Marbletown, but on this tour I was ready to let it go and I wanted a different set list.   I have really enjoyed all of my concerts on this tour and haven't missed Marbletown, Sultans or TR at all.   Of course, there are still some of the old songs left in there, but that's OK too, because they have largely been given a different arrangement.

Regarding Marbletown, it always received huge applause from the audiences, so I wouldn't knock it too much!