Mark Knopfler

[Carl 3]

New Plymouth 19th March or Christchurch 21st March....

Anyone going to either of these concerts???

Mark Knopfler

PLEASE NOTE: No Deck chairs and No Alcohol allowed for the New Plymouth event

The voice, the songs, the guitar of DIRE STRAITS.

There are few artists who can lay claim to one of the best selling albums of all time.

Very few can declare they founded and fronted what was once the biggest rock band in the world.

Even fewer can say they performed three times for HRH's Charles and Diana, or had the honour of fronting the 70th birthday celebrations of the great Nelson Mandela.

And there are very few men who can survive a motorcycle accident which broke nine bones and threatened his playing for good, with Zen-like calm, resolve it like it was a front-wheel-pranged mountain bike.

But master tunesmith, and guitar mastermind, Mark Knopfler can and has.

In the face of the world-wide mega-fame - the founder and former front man of illustrious rock band Dire Straits - abandoned the craziness, and pursued a solo career that scorched as strongly, if not less frenetically, than those days.

Today he announced his Australasian Tour - the first here as a solo artist - but confirmed it would comprise 80% Dire Straits material. His first return to the shores of New Zealand where DIRE STRAITS still hold the record for the largest capacity tour in NZ history

[Guest Spargo]

Not at those venues

I'm having Brothers in Arms played at my funeral.

[Carl 3]

Tell me about it, for one of the best guitarist if not the best rock guitarists in the world you'd think organisers would have chosen a better north island venue??!??!

I'm thinking of flying down to chch just for the concert down there, stupid organisers

[Guest Spargo]

There is a perceived apathy at the bigger centres, so they chuck them at random venues.

[*sic 1]

go the venues.

he should get better than that.

gg nz

[Gus 5]

no deck chairs?

f**k that

[bmwsparkle 3]

yeah i would have seriously considered if was in welly or palmy, great guitarist, im getting "in my time of dying" played at my funeral (not DS i knw, but yuh just thought i'd add)

[Grant 4]

REM are playing in New Plymouth too at Easter, also New Plymouth is the site of this years WOMAD festival.

So, don't discount it, it is similar I suppose to why musicians are starting to chose venues like wineries etc for there concerts. They are more low key with smaller more intimate crowds. I'm sure the days of playing in huge venues has worn off for Mark Knopfler by now, and he likes the more low key relaxed concerts.

Cheers

[Carl 3]

REM are playing in New Plymouth too at Easter, also New Plymouth is the site of this years WOMAD festival.

So, don't discount it, it is similar I suppose to why musicians are starting to chose venues like wineries etc for there concerts. They are more low key with smaller more intimate crowds. I'm sure the days of playing in huge venues has worn off for Mark Knopfler by now, and he likes the more low key relaxed concerts.

Cheers

That's true, but it really does cut off alot of fans given the location and costs, neither venue is really an attractive offer for people given the location of N.P. and the date for ChCh.

[Grant 4]

REM are playing in New Plymouth too at Easter, also New Plymouth is the site of this years WOMAD festival.

So, don't discount it, it is similar I suppose to why musicians are starting to chose venues like wineries etc for there concerts. They are more low key with smaller more intimate crowds. I'm sure the days of playing in huge venues has worn off for Mark Knopfler by now, and he likes the more low key relaxed concerts.

Cheers

That's true, but it really does cut off alot of fans given the location and costs, neither venue is really an attractive offer for people given the location of N.P. and the date for ChCh.

Just think who the target market is, I think that it is a great venue, and a coup for New Plymouth (as is REM and the WOMAD fesitval).

The target market for Mark Knopfler would be people who grew up listening to Dire Straights (not just the Money for Nothing Era, but well before that). They would currently be 35 - 50 years old, and therefore have the financial means for a jaunt around the country to see a legend in concert. Therefore is it a great weekend jaunt from anywhere. Fly to New Plymouth, go to the concert, have a look around the Taranaki, and fly home again.

Ditto with REM, but the target market is 30 - 40 year olds (myself included). Not only that the average REM fan in the target market would be reasonably educated and bright...and therefore have a reasonable job and have a reasonable diposable income, therefore again they will be willing to fly to New Plymouth, attend the concert, have a look around and then fly home.

I'm sure both Knopfler and REM had a say in where they played, and as they have both been to NZ on a number of occassions chose where they are to play.

Good on them for choosing places outside the norm, and giving Taranaki something special.

Cheers

[Carl 3]

Assuming all 35-50 yr olds have the financial means to go jaunting off to either of these places is fairly narrow. While it's cheap for me to fly to Chch from Welly and stay there, the cost of from somewhere more obscure does seriously limit certain ppl's options.

Thinking outside the square has its limitations, unfortunately, alot ppl are going to lose out because of this new trend. It's just a shame because he is such a talented individual.

[Grant 4]

Both concerts will completely serve their purpose.

They will both sell out, the promoter will be happy, the artists will be happy.

Their holiday in NZ will be paid for...with a profit to boot.

The fans who go will be happy, good concert in a good non-big stadium venue, where no-one is too far from the stage.

Those that miss out....too bad, they should have saved their pennies, and made the trip, its not as though NZ is that big. You can drive to New Plymouth, or fly there pretty cheap from anywhere else in the country.

Cheers

[petone 0]

Going to ChCh has worked out quite well for me. While I'm down there I have the choice of Velvet Revolver, REM or Mark Knopfler. Problem is since I'm a poor student i got to decide who i want to see the most. :banghead: