Dire Straits frontman in Greece next summer
Early next summer a virtuoso guitarist, talented composer and songwriter as well as the former leader of a band that has left its mark on music history will hit town. The 58-year-old Mark Knopfler, frontman of Dire Straits, a band that still has a powerful fan base and has made some impressive sales, will perform at the Lycabettus Theater on June 13 next summer, according to Didi Music Big Star Promotion. Knopfler has been called a «dinosaur of rock» and he may in fact be the only artist in the world who deserves the title. Back in 2001, a team of British paleontologists that was carrying out excavations in Madagascar discovered a new king of small dinosaurs, with strange teeth. The find was impressive enough in itself, but what was more striking was the name they decided to give it: They named it Masiakasaurus knopfleri, in honor of Mark Knopfler. Their explanation, simple and moving at the same time, was that when they listened to Dire Straits songs they came across more and more bones, while when they changed music they couldn’t find anything. Dire Straits classics, like «Money for Nothing,» «Walk of Life» and «So Far Away» became multi-platinum hits and retain their beauty even today. Knopfler, of course, has enjoyed a solo career for years now. Even if fans of his felt lukewarm about some of his previous solo albums, the latest, titled «Kill to Get Crimson,» has come to put an end to many objections. It is a mature album with folk influences, a traditional orchestration and magical electric guitar. Knopfler spent many hours in the studio to finish this album. He worked with various musicians, including accordionist Ian Lowthian and John McCusker, a skillful fiddler. The result is more than fascinating, which is one more reason to look forward to next summer. Tickets for Knopfler’s performance next year are available online at www.ticketpro.gr.
