Mark Knopfler, he of Dire Straits and “and Emmylou Harris” fame has announced details of a world tour with his band in 2019. The ‘Down The Road Wherever’ tour commences in Barcelona in April and will continue all over Europe finishing in Verona in July before heading to the US through August and September. You can find the UK dates below.
Knopfler, who will release his ninth solo studio album ‘Down The Road Wherever’ on 16th November, has always viewed touring as an integral part of the process of releasing an album, going from songwriting through recording and ending up on the road performing old and new songs. Says Mark: ‘My songs are made to be performed live. I love the whole process of writing them alone and then recording them with the band, but ultimately the best part is playing them to an audience live. I enjoy the whole circus, travelling from town to town and interacting with this group of players is a total pleasure. I’m really looking forward to it.’
Knopfler, who recorded ‘Down The Road Wherever’ in his west London studio, British Grove, will be performing on tour with an expanded ten-piece band most of whom have been working with him for more than two decades: Guy Fletcher (keyboards), Richard Bennett (guitar), Jim Cox (piano), Mike McGoldrick (whistle and flute), John McCusker (fiddle and cittern), Glenn Worf (bass), Danny Cummings (percussion) and Ian Thomas (drums). New additions will be Graeme Blevins (saxophone) and Tom Walsh (trumpet). You can never get enough whistle and flute on a tour, it’s one of our maxims.
The new album features 14 unhurriedly elegant new Knopfler songs inspired by a wide range of subjects, including his early days in Deptford with Dire Straits, a stray football fan lost in a strange town, the compulsion of a musician hitching home through the snow, and a man out of time in his local greasy spoon cafe. The tour will see Knopfler and his band play a selection of new songs, mixed in with some well-known nuggets from his ace back catalogue and one or two surprises from the far flung corners of his repertoire.
Tickets go on sale from 9.00am on Friday 2nd November ’18 from Ticketline.co.uk or here. Look out for a review of ‘Down the Road Wherever’ on AUK soon.
Mark Knopfler UK and Ireland 2019 Dates
18 May – LEEDS, First Direct Arena
19 May – NEWCASTLE, Metro Radio Arena
24 May – DUBLIN, 3 Arena
26 May – GLASGOW, SSE Hydro
28 May – LONDON, O2 Arena
29 May – MANCHESTER Arena
30 May – BIRMINGHAM, Genting Arena
