I was chatting last night at my brother's farewell party to a friend of his. He had gone to see an Australian Dire Straits Cover Band perform the whole of Brother's In Arms and a few of their classic hits. Now this immediately makes me feel sore as I know I could do the perfect Knopfler vocal rendition as well as the licks and especially the Duolian on Romeo and Juliet - I've got that down. The problem was that the people organizing it would probably all be friends who got together to say "lets put on this tribute evening" so obviously any outsider like myself hasn't got a hope in hell.

I was told of how Pick Withers - the original drummer was in the band which I find strange, I think it might have been Terry Williams - I could look it up but I can't be bothered right now, I have a new original song to get back to.

Anyway- apparently the line up of drums, sax and guitar was amazing but the voice was less than amazing - just as I suspected!

So one of the other friends at the party had a recording of Romeo and Juliet and I had to listen!

Well needless to say the Sax, piano, drums and bass did the live intro on R&J note for note from On The Night and Alchemy - I was super impressed, then the Duolian came in and I was, well, furious!!!!

How could they fuck up the intro to R&J - that's sacred soil man - they left out the right hand thumb/strum technique! This is the whole feel of the intro and main theme! Then the singing came in and I wanted to dry wretch! Seriously, I've been studying this stuff for years and these bosos make a whole fortune out of playing it so substandard, fair enough Phil Emmanual is one of the best and the lead guitar solos I'm sure where amazing as my friend told me, but it's the feel that I could have blown that crowd away with just given the chance.

And that's the whole thing isn't it, I guess I'm not given the chance - only a lucky few are ever able to make a show like that come what may, I've just never been able to penetrate that sort of show or get myself known, even though there is evidence on youtube and the Tab I made to play R&J.

Next time they do a Dire Straits show I wish I could audition or something -maybe they can read my Tab !! It might be in a different voicing to MK who Capos the 3rd fret while here it's the 5th - but the notes and the feel are matched.

I just needed to vent about this - without Dire Straits I would not be a successful guitar teacher or (unsuccessful) musician !

At least my signature seems like his MK:

NK

(I'll post the details of my 1996 telephone call to Mark live form the BBC next blog, I remember it like the words to Tunnel Of Love)