Dire Straits Experience - ChCh Town Hall , Tues Oct 15

Chris White & Terence Reis , ChCh Town Hall 15 Oct

It must be amusing for Mark Knopfler to contemplate not one but two international touring acts tied to his band/brand identity Dire Straits safe in the knowledge that it is not him needing to do this anymore. Since walking away from the band moniker in the early 90's , Knopfler has resisted any opportunity to revisit the band and has seemed to be agnostic regarding it's legacy -witness his non appearance at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony a couple of years back. .

Well doing the job instead we have "DSL Dire Straits Legacy" with the strongest links to the original Dire Straits via keyboardist Alan Clark (from album number four Love Over Gold onwards), Saxophonist Mel Collins (the follow up to Love Over Gold, The Two Young Lovers EP plus the Alchemy Live album) and Guitarist Phil Palmer (the final world tour to support the last album On Every Street) . This iteration toured NZ earlier in the year and I have it on good authority that they were a good bunch of blokes complete with Italian Marco Caviglia acting as Knopfler and flicking the language barrier switch effectively by consuming his persona when required.

On Tuesday night we had the more appropriately named Dire Straits Experience, the brainchild of Sax/Flute player Chris White (from the Brothers in Arms tour 1985). There were no other links to the original Dire Straits, though last time I saw this act they had Mickey Curry on bass who had played with Knopfler on the great Willy De Ville Miracle album in 1986. In the Mark Knopfler persona we had Zimbabwean/South African/Englishman Terence Reis.

Before reviewing the gig, we should consider the career arc of Dire Straits and how 30 plus years after the band ending why this music is so popular:

Even though album number 5, Brothers in Arms put Dire Straits into the stratosphere via the turgid "Money for Nothing" (appealing to the USA in particular) in the mid 80's, it is albums 1 & 3 (Dire Straits & Making Movies respectively) that have secured the endearing presence of Knopflers legacy. Emerging during the peak of New Wave in 1978, Knopfler's Richard Thompson meets JJ Cale guitar playing & singing was a showcase of virtuoso riffs combined with the Dylan/Springsteen storytelling lyrics and the hugely underrated drummer Pick Withers . The other members of this iteration being journeyman bass player John Illsley (who wrote the most bland rock autobiography of all time reviewed here) and Knopfler's brother David who filled the unenviable 2nd guitar role and was therefore relegated to the background (the brothers eventually parted company acrimoniously but not covered in any detail in Illsey's book )

For Making Movies we saw Knopfler further channel Springsteen by utilising not just his piano player Roy Bittan (a huge presence on this record) but producer Jimmy Iovine. With Bittan on board it meant that along with drummer Pick Withers , Knopfler had another virtuoso at his disposal to add colour to his songs and with Iovines experience (Iovine also produced the trio of great Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers records around this time Damn the Torpedoes, Hard Promises, Long After Dark and above all else knew how to record drums, guitars and vocals as they should be) the world was presented with a seamless collection of iconic songs. Think "Tunnel of Love", "Romeo & Juliet", "Skateaway". "Espresso Love", "Hand in Hand", "Solid Rock" & ..er "Les Boys" (ok probably not that one).

As mentioned, if you choose to do a refresher of the entire catalogue, Dire Straits ,Making Movies and the last record On Every Street hold up the best in 2024, Love Over Gold seemed to be Knopfler's "prog" record (count them 5 x songs with the kitchen sink thrown in) while Brothers in Arms sounds frankly awful these days , all saccharine , synthesisers and Knopfler seemingly not sure which guitar tones to use (should have just listened to Making Movies). It is perhaps fitting it is associated with the dawn of the CD, all clinical polish intact.

The scene was set then on Tuesday for a return to the world of Mark Knopfler's music , this was the second time I had seen the Dire Striaits Experience, the first exactly 10 years ago at the Michael Fowler Center in Wellington. It was interesting to check my comments supplied to the excellent Elsewhere website after the Sep 30 2014 concert.

"I'm reflecting on this after parting with $79 and going to the gig in Wellington last night. Firstly interesting crowd , very noisy , boozy and hanging out for Money for Nothing (in the encore)probably the worst song in the Dire Straits catalogue. Naming Chris White as an original member is pushing it as he only came on board by my count after album No 5 of 6 - he's hardly Pick Withers or David Knopfler...Despite great playing by the drummer, bass player and keyboard player Richard Cottle (the 2nd keyboard player and 2nd guitarist were largely faceless as per the original touring band!) the credibility started and ended with Reis. He didn't disappoint having the audacity to kick off with Telegraph Road maybe Mark Knoplfer's most audacious composition and pulling it off with ease . There was more passion in his playing and vocal performance than was ever seen by the real thing particularly in the original's "headband" years post Making Movies. Reis has real talent , you can't fake playing those songs - would be great to see him do his own thing , gather he has a "real" band back home. As for tribute bands maybe we are entering into an interesting era with bands dying off etc - mind you what are the Rolling Stones these days - the ultimate tribute band"

10 years later some things have not changed. Terence Reis is a huge talent and despite seeming to have cramp issues in his hands at times (hope it isn't arthritis!) his fingers were flying all over the fretboard and he continues to inject real personality and enthusiasm into Knopfler's songs. Dressed in all denim with biker boots and big hair he has adopted the quintessential rocker look since his last visit, and contrasts strikingly with White and guitarist Richard Barrett looking like ridiculous Deloitte Partners in a weekend Dad rock combo (White in pin stripe suit with red converse sneakers, Barrett in blue blazer , white shirt, jeans & sneakers).

Per 2014 the epic Telegraph Road was the opener, but with the Making Movies nuggets "Solid Rock", "Tunnel of Love" (complete with Carousel intro per the Alchemy live album) and "Romeo & Juliet" inserted early in the set.

What has changed is that Chris White has found new ways to insert himself into the song arrangements. Witness the flute line to kick off "Telegraph Road", the extended coda of "Romeo & Juliet" and the addition of the title track from "On Every Street" where White expanded his contributions to the original recordings . Often songs would become extended duels between Reis and White that were at the least compelling. With White traversing Soprano, Alto, Tenor saxes and Flute he certainly added colour, the gripe being he was veering awfully close to Kenny G elevator tones at times. Over in DSL Legacy they have the great Mel Collins, who always had a scratchy tone more suitable for the rock genre (remember his solo on the Stones "Miss You"?). Elsewhere, the dreaded 2nd guitar role had real character this time with Barrett given ample opportunity to play impressive solo's over "Solid Rock", "Lady Writer "and of course "Private Investigations". As "Walk of Life" says "the boy can play".

According to a recent interview with White, the calypso arrangement of "So Far Away" was only played once at the end of the Bothers in Arms tour, regardless it was an impressive arrangement as heard on Tuesday, with Reis switching between classical and electric with ease.

"Wild West End" made a welcome appearance , not played last time and along with "Lady Writer" a return to the 4 x piece lineup for the first couple of albums.

The rest of the set list was largely predictable with the audience on their feet for "Sultans of Swing" (again saxophone heavy coda) , "Money for Nothing" and the "Local Hero Theme".

It was a great evening of music and nice to hear these songs played live by musicians that could do it. As for Terence Reis, there seems to be no trace of original material anywhere available which is a shame as he would be someone well worth following in his own right. Suspending any judgement about tribute acts , the Dire Straits Experience are well worth seeing if the opportunity presents.