Concert review: The Straits at Birmingham Symphony Hall
There was a genuine sense of anticipation as the lights went down at Symphony Hall on the first night of The Strait's first ever UK tour.
The Straits
Symphony Hall, Birmingham
By Ian Harvey
There was a genuine sense of anticipation as the lights went down at Symphony Hall on the first night of The Strait's first ever UK tour.
How would a band featuring two former Dire Straits members and playing the full canon of Dire Straits hits fare without a certain Mark
Knopfler front and centre on lead vocals and guitar? The answer was very well indeed.
Click on the image to the right for the concert photo gallery
With Knopfler having stated many times over the years that he has no interest in reforming Dire Straits, it fell to Terence Reis, from Mozambique, to step into his shoes and deliver a truly impressive performance on both guitar and vocals.
While the guitar work was fine and accurate, the vocal delivery was just uncanny, Reis's voice inhabiting the familiar dark rasp of Knopfler's lyrics.
Along with former Dire Straits saxophonist Chris White and keyboard player Alan Clark, plus a group of top session musicians, The Straits
ran through almost two hours of Dire Straits classics and album favourites, from the opening Private Investigations to the closing Portobello Belle.
Standout moments included Romeo & Juliet and Tunnel of Love, plus the extended musical workouts of Brothers In Arms and Telegraph Road.
By the time they got to Sultans Of Swing and Money For Nothing a good portion of the audience were up on their feet buying into the
illusion.
Alan Clark encouraged members of the audience to film the gig and put the songs up on YouTube. Not quite "I want my MTV" but the online
equivalent.
