COMMUNIQUÉ TOUR 1979


Tour line-up:

Mark Knopfler

Guitar, vocals		 David Knopfler

Guitar, vocals

 John Illsley

Bass, vocals

 Pick Withers

Drums

 

In December 1978 and January 1979, Dire Straits recorded their second album Communiqué. The band rehearsed at Whood Wharf (Greenwich, London) between 30th January and 4th February 1979, did some promotional work and then went on tour again.

On several shows in the USA, Dire Straits played two concerts a day! This can also be seen on Paul Cummins' (manager of the tour) copy of the itinerary that John Illsley revealed on his Facebook on 7th November 2018. Ed Bicknell contacted me in August 2024 and said that the dates of 5th and 6th March 1979 were not at the Bijou like the itinerary says, but at the Tower Theatre as also can be found on the ticket stub. Ed said: "We were originally set to do the Bijou (about 400 cap) but ticket sales were so good we moved it to the Tower Theatre (about 3000) for 2 nights ONE SHOW per night starting at 7.30 pm. Definately not 2 per night because of Union costs".


No official releases appeared of the various soundboard recordings that were made, the San Fransisco show was only issued as a promo LP by Warner Brothers. Click here for a picture of Mark Knopfler early in the tour, 26th February 1979 and here for a great band picture taken in the summer of 1979.

On 21st December 1979, Phil Lynott was a guest player with Dire Straits at the Rainbow Thearte, London. See two pictures here and here. In October 2023, a new Dire Straits live box set was released. For this release, Guy Fletcher dug into the archives and found a really magnificent sounding recording from 21st December 1979 featuring Phil Lynott. So, this guest performance can now be found on an official release; Live 1978-1992. The following year, Phil Lynott released a single featuring Mark Knopfler called King's Call. Not sure if Phil also joined Dire Straits on the 20th December 1979 at the same venue.

Click here for a nice advertisement of the last part of the tour.

 

Advertisement poster for the tour: 



 

Official recordings made during this tour

Concert Bootleg release Official release
Cologne (17.02.1979)
Philadelphia (06.03.1979)
San Fransisco (31.03.1979)
Pinkpop (04.06.1979)
Boston (08.09.1979)



Concert Bootleg release Official release
Cologne (16.02.1979)
Los Angeles (28 & 29.03.1979)
London (20 & 21.12.1979)



► Total concerts played: 130



February 1979

   11.02.1979     De Doelen Rotterdam The Netherlands
  12.02.1979     Niedersachsenhalle Hanover Germany
  13.02.1979     Philipshalle Dusseldorf Germany
  14.02.1979     Rosengarten Manheim Germany
  15.02.1979     Stadthalle Stolberg Germany
  16.02.1979     Studio-L Cologne Germany
  17.02.1979     Grossen Sendersaal Cologne Germany
  18.02.1979     Stadthalle Bremen Germany
  23.02.1979     Paradise Theatre Boston USA (two shows)
  24.02.1979     Paradise Theatre Boston USA (two shows)
  25.02.1979     Brown University Providence USA
  26.02.1979     Shaboo Inn Williamantic USA
  28.02.1979     Hullabaloo Albany USA



March 1979

   02.03.1979     Bottom Line New York USA (two shows)
  03.03.1979     Bottom Line New York USA (two shows)
  05.03.1979     Tower Theatre Philadelphia USA 
  06.03.1979     Tower Theatre Philadelphia USA
  08.03.1979     Bayou Washington USA (two shows)
  09.03.1979     Bayou Washington USA (two shows)
  11.03.1979     After Dark Buffalo USA
  12.03.1979     Agora Ballroom Cleveland USA
  13.03.1979     University of Toronto Toronto Canada
  14.03.1979     Plateau Auditorium Montreal Canada
  15.03.1979     Centerstage Detroit USA
  16.03.1979     Park West Chicago USA
  17.03.1979     Palms Milwaukee USA
  19.03.1979     Memorial Hall Kansas USA
  21.03.1979     Texas Opry House Houston USA
  22.03.1979     Austin Opry House Austin USA
  23.03.1979     Palladium Dallas USA
  25.03.1979     Regis College Denver USA
  27.03.1979     Roxy San Diego USA (two shows)
  28.03.1979     Roxy Los Angeles USA (two shows)
  29.03.1979     Roxy Los Angeles USA (two shows)
  31.03.1979     Old Waldorf San Francisco USA (two shows)



April 1979

   01.04.1979    Old Waldorf San Francisco USA (two shows)
  02.04.1979    University of California Davis USA (two shows)



May 1979

   23.05.1979     Stadthalle Offenbach Germany
  24.05.1979     Stadthalle Offenbach Germany
  25.05.1979     Sporthalle Stuttgart Germany
  26.05.1979     Kürnachtalhalle Würzburg-Lengfeld Germany
  27.05.1979     Stadthalle Wettingen near Zurich Switserland
  29.05.1979     Circus Krone Munich Germany
  30.05.1979     Hemmerleinhalle Neunkirchen-am-Brand near Nuremberg Germany
  31.05.1979     Rhein-Neckar-Halle Eppelheim near Heidelberg Germany



June 1979

   01.06.1979     Circus Krone Munich Germany
  02.06.1979     Stadthalle Freiberg Germany
  04.06.1979     Burgemeester-Damen Sportpark Geleen The Netherlands (Pink Pop Festival)
  05.06.1979     Palais des Sports Paris France
  08.06.1979     Empire Theatre Liverpool UK
  09.06.1979     Apollo Glasgow Scotland
  10.06.1979     Odeon Edinburgh Scotland
  11.06.1979     City Hall Sheffield UK
  13.06.1979     Odeon Birmingham UK
  14.06.1979     City Hall Newcastle upon Tyne UK 
  15.06.1979     Apollo Manchester UK
  16.06.1979     Colston Hall Bristol UK
  17.06.1979     Hammersmith Odeon London UK
  18.06.1979     The Dome Brighton UK
  20.06.1979     Hammersmith Odeon London UK
  21.06.1979     Hammersmith Odeon London UK
  23.06.1979     Freilichtbühne Loreley Bornich near Frankfurt Germany (British Rock Meeting '79)
  24.06.1979     Westfahlenhalle Dortmund Germany (British Rock Meeting '79)
  29.06.1979     Deutschlandhalle Berlin Germany (British Rock Meeting '79)


 July 1979

   01.07.1979     Olympiastadion (Festival) Munich Germany
  07.07.1979     Festival Torhout Belgium
  08.07.1979     Werchter Festival Brussels Belgium



September 1979

   08.09.1979     Orpheum Boston USA
  09.09.1979     Ocean State Theater Providence USA
  10.09.1979     Calderone Concert Hall Hempstead USA
  11.09.1979     Palladium New York USA
  13.09.1979     Capitol Theater Passaic USA
  14.09.1979     Tower Theatre Philadelphia USA
  15.09.1979     Smith Center Washington USA
  17.09.1979     Chrysler Hall Norfolk USA
  18.09.1979     Coliseum Greensboro USA
  20.09.1979     Park Center Charlotte USA
  21.09.1979     Fox Theater Atlanta USA
  23.09.1979     Civic Auditorium Jacksonville USA
  24.09.1979     Curtis Hixon Tampa USA
  25.09.1979     Jai Alai Miami USA
  28.09.1979     Township Columbia USA
  29.09.1979     Coliseum Knoxville USA



October 1979

   01.10.1979     Gardens Louisville USA
  02.10.1979     Bogarts Cincinnati USA
  03.10.1979     Palace Theatre Cleveland USA
  04.10.1979     Centerstage Detroit USA
  06.10.1979     Kiel Opera House St. Louis USA
  07.10.1979     Uptown Theater Chicago USA



November 1979

   01.11.1979     Ahoy Rotterdam The Netherlands
  02.11.1979     Vereeniging Nijmegen The Netherlands
  03.11.1979     Vereeniging Nijmegen The Netherlands
  04.11.1979     Carré Theatre Amsterdam The Netherlands
  05.11.1979     Carré Theatre Amsterdam The Netherlands
  07.11.1979     Ijsselhal Zwolle The Netherlands
  08.11.1979     Grugahalle Essen Germany
  09.11.1979     Meseehalle Cologne Germany 
  11.11.1979     Halle Münsterland Münster Germany
  12.11.1979     Stadthalle Braunschweig Germany
  13.11.1979     CCH Hamburg Germany
  14.11.1979     Ostseehalle Kiel Germany
  16.11.1979     Idraettenshus Vejle Denmark
  17.11.1979     Olympen Lund Sweden
  18.11.1979     Tivoli Theatre Copenhagen Denmark
  19.11.1979     Tivoli Theatre Copenhagen Denmark
  20.11.1979     Scandinavia Gothenburg Sweden
  21.11.1979     Ekeberg Idrettshall Oslo Norway
  23.11.1979     Johanneshov Stockholm Sweden
  26.11.1979     Weser-Erns-Halle Oldenburg Germany
  27.11.1979     Forest National Brussels Belgium



December 1979

   11.12.1979     National Stadium Dublin Ireland
  12.12.1979     National Stadium Dublin Ireland
  13.12.1979     Whitla Hall Belfast Northern Ireland
  14.12.1979     Whitla Hall Belfast Northern Ireland
  18.12.1979     Lewisham Odeon London UK
  19.12.1979     Lewisham Odeon London UK
  20.12.1979     Rainbow Theatre London UK
  21.12.1979     Rainbow Theatre London UK


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