Review: THE DIRE STRAITS EXPERIENCE at Rockhal

This Friday, the Rockhal opened its doors for the first time to The Dire Straits Experience, a group of first-class musicians performing some of the most famous hits of the rock band Dire Straits. Saxophonist Chris White, an original member of the legendary band, was one of the leading figures of a night that will surely remain in our minds for years to come.

I don't usually write Broadways articles in the first person but, given that we're covering songs of my favourite rock group, I will allow myself the liberty just this once. Before the beginning of the show, me and my colleague decided to bet which classics would be played. We soon came to the conclusion that any selection would be fine, as long as it included Telegraph Road. This is my favourite song of all time, not only for the poetry in its lyrics, the strength of its narrative and the rhythm of its instrumental, but also for a variety of personal reasons that we need not go into at this point. I was happy to realize it was the very first hit of the night, and God, what a great way to open the event! The band kept rather true to the original style, choosing to preserve the spirit of the song, rather than trying out new tricks, as with some other titles played throughout the evening.

In fact, whenever the group tried to add something new to the songs, it usually felt like there was an increase in the prominence of wind instruments, an interesting, yet hardly surprising move, given the presence of Chris White on stage. However, the lead singer and guitarist, Terence Reis, did not see his role diminished in any way, and did a fabulous job replicating Mark Knopfler's singing and playing styles. There was some uniqueness in his performance, which certainly added value to the show, but you could feel the Knopfleresque vibes in every single verse. It is certainly hard to compare anyone to Knopfler's genius and talent, but almost throughout the entire night you were, indeed, seeing an excellent version of the legendary lead singer, only this time without Mark's receding hairline and abundantly clear distaste for live performances.

Most songs did not just live up to our expectations, they managed to amaze us even further. White's contribution allowed for a whole new take on some classics - Private Investigations was perhaps the best example, a song that is the embodiment of Film Noir even in its original version, but which was taken to an entire new level of quality with White's unrivalled saxophone skills and with the sheer strength of the band's guitars and drums at the end. I've been focusing on movies from the 40s and 50s these last few weeks and, let me tell you, this song could not have come at a better time.

The end of the event got the Luxembourgish audience out of their chairs and closer to the stage, a feat that is not often observed in the Grand Duchy. Sultans of Swing and Money for Nothing were some of the last classics played and it was simply impossible not to dance to the beat, just like in the good old days.

Our thanks to the Rockhal for hosting and congratulation to the band. Please do bring some of this 1980s light to cloudy Lux again soon!

Image credit: Philippe Gewehr

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