Who Watched Early DS

[qjamesfloyd]

Most of the talk about live performances here is about Mark or NHB or the On Every Street tour, but is there anyone who attended the earlier DS shows? is there anyone here who was at the Alchemy shows? When I watched the version of Sultans of Swing from that tour I always try to imagine what it was like being there, the atmosphere must have been amazing. What about the first years of the band? anyone here lucky enough to have seen them then? Who has seen the earliest gig from the band?

[Silvertown]

Most of the talk about live performances here is about Mark or NHB or the On Every Street tour, but is there anyone who attended the earlier DS shows? is there anyone here who was at the Alchemy shows? When I watched the version of Sultans of Swing from that tour I always try to imagine what it was like being there, the atmosphere must have been amazing. What about the first years of the band? anyone here lucky enough to have seen them then? Who has seen the earliest gig from the band?

Great question and really looking forward to those stories!

[JF]

Ingo was at the Dortmund gig and he met Mark before the show :

https://www.mk-guitar.com/2011/03/29/the-dire-straits-rock-pop-in-concert-tv-show-in-dortmund-1980/

[shortfin]

Most of the talk about live performances here is about Mark or NHB or the On Every Street tour, but is there anyone who attended the earlier DS shows? is there anyone here who was at the Alchemy shows? When I watched the version of Sultans of Swing from that tour I always try to imagine what it was like being there, the atmosphere must have been amazing. What about the first years of the band? anyone here lucky enough to have seen them then? Who has seen the earliest gig from the band?

I saw them live in Ferrara, Italy, on 6 July 1983. I must say that I don't remember very much, I was 18 years old.... I remember that the stadium, despite the band's resounding success in those years, was not full, on the contrary. In my recollection the people on the lawn of the stadium occupied a little more than half of it. I was with a friend of mine, a former schoolmate, now a guitarist and currently living in London. In later years they returned to Italy, but although I still listened to them and bought their records, I never went to see them again.
Recently I found some photos taken by the audience at that concert on the web, which I also shared on Facebook with Hal Lindes, who repliedo "Marco, Love This!! Thank you for posting. I remember that Italian tour as if it were only yesterday."

[SundayDriver]

Hi all,
I'm new here, registered yesterday.  Living in Stockholm, Sweden, I've been listening to DS/MK on and off since the 80s. Mark is one of my favourite song writers and guitar players. My favourite albums are DS, MM, Alchemy and the LH soundtrack.

I saw DS on the "On location"-tour in Stockholm in May 1981. They played at our tivoli and the attendance of their gig is still among the top five of all times at that venue IIRC. We were 25000 in there, the place was packed! I remember Mark coming on stage and looking at us with a big smile on his face. They kicked off with "Once upon a time in the west" and I was awestruck by Picks phenomenal drumming from the very first notes, he was simply brilliant. A few other memories are a fun "Skateaway", a rousing "Sultans..." and "Telegraph road" as the first encore. The venue had a curfew saying the bands could only play for 1,5 hour, so they cut the set short, unfortunately. But it was still a great night! 

I found a picture a few years ago from that gig in a book on DS tours. It was taken from behind the stage and you could see Mark, the audience and the big ferris wheel. The picture byline was of course "And the big wheel keep on turning"... 

[qjamesfloyd]

Great stories, keep them coming.

[Ingo]

Ingo was at the Dortmund gig and he met Mark before the show :

https://www.mk-guitar.com/2011/03/29/the-dire-straits-rock-pop-in-concert-tv-show-in-dortmund-1980/

Right, it was my first DS show.
I saw them again in Essen, Germany, May 1981, then in Cologne, Germany, 1983, two times in 1985, and in 1988 at the Nelson Mandela.

I almost went to Essen, Germany, November 1979, tickt was 28.00 DM (about 14 Euros) ... but did not as I had just turned 14 years old. Would have loved to see and hear the original setup and the magical guitar sound of the first two years

[Robson]

I read with great interest. Lucky people:)

[jbaent]

I remember someone called Simon that saw them in 1979.

I know someone who saw them early 78.

[dustyvalentino]

I remember someone called Simon that saw them in 1979.

I know someone who saw them early 78.

I won't mention him by full name here but our friend MC saw them right back in the Deptford days (he is also from that area) and was also at Alchemy, and Live Aid, then at Wembley the night of Live Aid, in fact he walked across the car park with the band!

[Silvertown]

I remember someone called Simon that saw them in 1979.

I know someone who saw them early 78.

I won't mention him by full name here but our friend MC saw them right back in the Deptford days (he is also from that area) and was also at Alchemy, and Live Aid, then at Wembley the night of Live Aid, in fact he walked across the car park with the band!

Wow! I have thought that hologram concerts are a stupid idea, but if there would be that kind of option for the first years of DS, I would definitely go!