Been There... Seen That... Knopfler, thou knowest not limits!
One of the best evenings of my life... one of the worthiest investment of the better part of two hours... Two hours that barely felt like a few minutes as time refused to wait and let me soak more of that beautful music and ambience. If music is food, I couldn't have hoped for a better banquet.
I have been to rock concerts but what unfolde on stage was the perfect marriage of folk and contemporary music. There was a grand piano, an accordion, keyboards (and the popular trademark Dire Straits rock organ drone), two drumsets, a cello (first time I've seen one of those outside an orchestra), a double bass and all of 36 guitars! Yes, that was Knopfler's amazing arsenal on stage. I lost count of how many times he changed his guitar.
The high point of the concert for me has to be the host of improvisations in "Walk of Life". The cello really adds life to the song and the accordion gives it a certain quaintness. Of course, this is one song which is just carried through coz of the rock organ. Sometime into the song, all the instruments stopped playing except the rock organ which continued with the tune from the prelude which we've grown to know so well. The accordion joined in giving it that "quaint" touch. Next to come in were the drums and bass. The piano followed making it brighter. And then came the cello which is when you realise that the cello is the heart and soul of that wonderful rhythm. And finaly, Knopfler was in with the guitar.
The 2 songs that he played from his new Shangri-La album were awesome and other-worldly. They seemed to take you back to a different era even though they've just been written. Both songs were tributes.
The other songs that made the evening worth it were Sultans of Swing, Telegraph Roads, Brothers in Arms, Sailing to Philadelphia, Money for Nothing, So Far Away and Going Home.
Money for Nothing sounded great with "I want my MTV" being sung to the chord progression of the chorus, something that is not there in the original studio recording but which the band has been doing in Live performances of late. And the cello was at its best in So Far Away, quiet and wistful...
Going Home was awesome. It was preceded by a beautiful solo on the accordion as the background of the stage transformed into a beautiful starry night and the only light on stage was a beautiful flourescent blue from the drumset at the centre. This instrumental theme from Local Hero was the icing on the cake and I refused to return to reality once it got through. That awesome tune with the starry-night-flourescent-light beauty transferred one to someplace else.
And then it was over... outside the mind, yes... the inside has a different story to tell.
I have been to rock concerts but what unfolde on stage was the perfect marriage of folk and contemporary music. There was a grand piano, an accordion, keyboards (and the popular trademark Dire Straits rock organ drone), two drumsets, a cello (first time I've seen one of those outside an orchestra), a double bass and all of 36 guitars! Yes, that was Knopfler's amazing arsenal on stage. I lost count of how many times he changed his guitar.
The high point of the concert for me has to be the host of improvisations in "Walk of Life". The cello really adds life to the song and the accordion gives it a certain quaintness. Of course, this is one song which is just carried through coz of the rock organ. Sometime into the song, all the instruments stopped playing except the rock organ which continued with the tune from the prelude which we've grown to know so well. The accordion joined in giving it that "quaint" touch. Next to come in were the drums and bass. The piano followed making it brighter. And then came the cello which is when you realise that the cello is the heart and soul of that wonderful rhythm. And finaly, Knopfler was in with the guitar.
The 2 songs that he played from his new Shangri-La album were awesome and other-worldly. They seemed to take you back to a different era even though they've just been written. Both songs were tributes.
The other songs that made the evening worth it were Sultans of Swing, Telegraph Roads, Brothers in Arms, Sailing to Philadelphia, Money for Nothing, So Far Away and Going Home.
Money for Nothing sounded great with "I want my MTV" being sung to the chord progression of the chorus, something that is not there in the original studio recording but which the band has been doing in Live performances of late. And the cello was at its best in So Far Away, quiet and wistful...
Going Home was awesome. It was preceded by a beautiful solo on the accordion as the background of the stage transformed into a beautiful starry night and the only light on stage was a beautiful flourescent blue from the drumset at the centre. This instrumental theme from Local Hero was the icing on the cake and I refused to return to reality once it got through. That awesome tune with the starry-night-flourescent-light beauty transferred one to someplace else.
And then it was over... outside the mind, yes... the inside has a different story to tell.
posted by Sangeet Paul at 5:20 AM
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