Wednesday, August 12, 2015

August 13th 1949 Mark Knopfler


Dire Straits have some pivotal memories for me. My best friend in my teenage years, and yes now, Philip, was a fan and would make gatherings listen to long Straits songs in the dark at parties at his house to the approval of most of those present but not of mine. I'd sit suffering, thinking the best moments of my life were going to waste and we should be listening to the stuff I was in thrall to, early R.E.M, Smiths and Aztec Camera instead. Never got a look in. Rocky Horror generally came next.

I've given him a hard time ever since, but he, sensibly, shrugs it off. Dire Straits were the band that famously took the place of Gang of Four when they were denied the opportunity to play Top of the Pops with At Home He's a Tourist , when they refused to change the lyric related to condom use in the song. The Straits played this on the show. Punk arrivistes, Knopfler was pushing thirty along with most of the rest of the band when they finally began to make it. Still their best song. 


From The Old Grey Whistle Test, not Top of the Pops. Still, at least they're playing their instruments.

No comments:

Post a Comment