Tour line-up:
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Mark Knopfler Guitar, vocals |
John Illsley
Bass, vocals |
Pick Withers
Drums |
Hal Lindes
Guitar, vocals |
Alan Clark Keyboards / piano |
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On 17th October 1980, Dire Straits released their third album Making movies. During the recording of the album, David Knopfler left the band. For the upcoming tour, two new band members were added: Hal Lindes and Alan Clark. They rehearsed between 8th September and 14th October at Whood Wharf (Greenwich, London) and the Roxy Theatre (London) to start their world tour a few days later. Roy Bittan appeared as a guest player on the second night in Los Angeles. On 10th June 1980, while rehearsing for the later recordings of the album Making Movies, Mark Knopfler and Pick Withers joined their old pals during a Cafe Racers reunion at the Royal Exchange Pub, Camden Town, London, UK. Click here for another picture of that reunion. Late at night on 8th December 1980, John Lennon was shot dead. From then on Mark dedicated the song News to him on several concerts. I also read on Facebook that Dire Straits actually played Imagine in Newcastle after the assassination. Ed Bicknell contacted me in August 2024 and said Dire Straits did NOT play Imagine like the post on Facebook says. Click here for a nice picture of Mark Knopfler during a soundcheck of the tour. And here for another soundcheck picture, taken on 20th December 1980 in Dortmund. In January 1981, Dire Straits would play in The Netherlands and Belgium. Sadly, all 8 shows in The Netherlands and 4 shows in Belgium were cancelled due to the situation of Pick Withers' wife who gave birth to their baby too early. See these various Dutch newpaper articles (1, 2, 3) and also a poster of the cancelled concert in Nijmegen. Only half of the shows could be re scheduled in June and July. |
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Advertisement poster for the tour:
Official recordings
made during this tour
| Concert | Bootleg release | Official release |
| Dortmund (19.12.1980) |
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| Paris (18.06.1981) |
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| Brussels (05.07.1981) |
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Total concerts played:
114
October 1980
22.10.1980 Commodore Vancouver Canada
23.10.1980 Showbox Seattle USA
24.10.1980 State University Portland USA
26.10.1980 Old Waldorf San Francisco USA
27.10.1980 Old Waldorf San Francisco USA
28.10.1980 Roxy Los Angeles USA
29.10.1980 Roxy Los Angeles USA
November 1980
02.11.1980
Agora Dallas USA
03.11.1980 Armadillo Austin USA
04.11.1980 Agora Houston USA
05.11.1980 Saenger Performing Arts Center New Orleans
USA
06.11.1980 LSU Union Theater Baton Rouge USA
07.11.1980 Brothers Music Hall Birmingham USA
08.11.1980 The Agora Ballroom Atlanta USA
09.11.1980 Exit Inn Nashville USA
11.11.1980 Bayou Washington USA
12.11.1980 Emerald City Philadelphia USA
13.11.1980 Stage West Hartford USA
14.11.1980 Beacon Theatre New York USA
15.11.1980 Capitol Theatre Passaic USA
16.11.1980 Berklee Performance Centre Boston USA
18.11.1980 Agora Cleveland USA
19.11.1980 Royal Oak Detroit USA
20.11.1980 Park West Chicago USA
21.11.1980 Park West Chicago USA
23.11.1980 Massey Hall Toronto Canada
December 1980
01.12.1980
Victoria Hall Hanley UK
02.12.1980 Apollo Manchester UK
03.12.1980 Apollo Manchester UK
04.12.1980 City Hall Sheffield UK
05.12.1980 City Hall Sheffield UK
06.12.1980 Apollo Glasgow Scotland
07.12.1980 The Capitol Aberdeen Scotland
08.12.1980 Playhouse Edinburg Scotland
09.12.1980 City Hall Newcastle UK
10.12.1980 City Hall Newcastle UK
12.12.1980 University Lancaster UK
13.12.1980 University Leeds UK
14.12.1980 Odeon Birmingham UK
15.12.1980 Odeon Birmingham UK
16.12.1980 Assembly Rooms Derby UK
17.12.1980 Gaumont Theatre Ipswitch UK
18.12.1980 Gaumont Theatre Southampton UK
19.12.1980 Rockpop, Westfahlenhalle Dortmund Germany
20.12.1980 Rockpop, Westfahlenhalle Dortmund Germany
22.12.1980 Rainbow Theatre London UK
23.12.1980 Rainbow Theatre London UK
24.12.1980 Rainbow Theatre London UK
January 1981
01.01.1981
Stadium Dublin Ireland
02.01.1981 City Hall Cork Ireland
03.01.1981 Leisureland Galway Ireland
05.01.1981 Ulster Hall Belfast Northern Ireland
06.01.1981 Ulster Hall Belfast Northern Ireland
March 1981
22.03.1981
Entertainment Centre Perth Australia
25.03.1981 Palais Theatre Melbourne Australia
26.03.1981 Palais Theatre Melbourne Australia
27.03.1981 Palais Theatre Melbourne Australia
28.03.1981 Palais Theatre Melbourne Australia
29.03.1981 Palais Theatre Melbourne Australia
30.03.1981 Festival Theatre Adelaide Australia
31.03.1981 Festival Theatre Adelaide Australia
April 1981
01.04.1981
Festival Theatre Adelaide Australia
02.04.1981 Festival Theatre Adelaide Australia
04.04.1981 Regent Theatre Sydney Australia
05.04.1981 Regent Theatre Sydney Australia
06.04.1981 Regent Theatre Sydney Australia
07.04.1981 Regent Theatre Sydney Australia
08.04.1981 Regent Theatre Sydney Australia
09.04.1981 Regent Theatre Sydney Australia
10.04.1981 Festival Hall Brisbane Australia
11.04.1981 Festival Hall Brisbane Australia
15.04.1981 Western Springs Auckland New Zealand
May 1981
05.05.1981
Rhein-Main-Halle Wiesbaden Germany
06.05.1981 Rhein-Main-Halle Wiesbaden Germany
07.05.1981 Rhein-Neckar-Halle Heidelberg Germany
08.05.1981 Freiheitshalle Hof Germany
09.05.1981 Hemmerleinhalle Nürnberg Germany
10.05.1981 Tauber Franken Halle Würzburg Germany
12.05.1981 Olympiahalle Munich Germany
13.05.1981 Messehalle Stuttgart Germany
14.05.1981 Sporthalle Cologne Germany
15.05.1981 Philipshalle Dusseldorf Germany
16.05.1981 Grugahalle Essen Germany
18.05.1981 Eissporthalle Kassel Germany
19.05.1981 Niedersachsenhalle Hanover Germany
20.05.1981 Eissporthalle Berlin Germany
21.05.1981 CCH Hamburg Germany
22.05.1981 CCH Hamburg Germany
24.05.1981 Randershalle Randers Denmark
25.05.1981 Forum Copenhagen Denmark
26.05.1981 Gröna Lund Stockholm Sweden
28.05.1981 Drammenshallen Drammen Norway
29.05.1981 Scandinavium Gothenburg Sweden
31.05.1981 UKK Hall Helsinki Finland
June 1981
01.06.1981
Ukki Hall Helsinki Finland
13.06.1981 Rodahal Kerkrade The Netherlands
14.06.1981 Jaap Edenhal Amsterdam The Netherlands
15.06.1981 De Doelen Rotterdam The Netherlands
16.06.1981 Rijnhal Arnhem The Netherlands
17.06.1981 Palais des Sports Paris France
18.06.1981 Palais des Sports Paris France
20.06.1981 Hallenstadion Zürich Switserland
21.06.1981 Patinoire des Vernets Geneva Switserland
23.06.1981 Palais des Sports Bordeaux France
25.06.1981 Palais des Sports Lyon France
26.06.1981 Théâtre Antique Orange France
27.06.1981 Stadio Comunale San Remo Italy
28.06.1981 Stadio Comunale Carrara Italy
29.06.1981 Vigorelli Milan Italy
30.06.1981 Anstistadio Bologna Italy
July 1981
01.07.1981
Stadio Comunale Turin Italy
04.07.1981 Festival Torhout Belgium
05.07.1981 Werchter Festival Brussels Belgium
06.07.1981 Centre Sportif Differdange Luxembourg
