Dire Straits Tour

The Dire Straits Tour was the first concert tour by the British rock band Dire Straits. The tour started on 9 June 1978 and included 55 concerts throughout Europe, ending on 18 November 1978. The tour promoted and supported the release of the band's debut album, Dire Straits, which was released on 7 October 1978. The tour setlist consisted mainly of songs from their debut album.[1]

Dire Straits Tour
Promotional tour by Dire Straits
Hamburg, Germany, 28 October 1978
LocationEurope
Associated albumDire Straits
Start date9 June 1978 (1978-06-09)
End date18 November 1978 (1978-11-18)
Legs2
No. of shows55
Dire Straits concert chronology

Description

The tour lineup included Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals), John Illsley (bass), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar), and Pick Withers (drums).[1] The European tour including concerts in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. These concerts presented Dire Straits with their largest audiences to date. The first leg of the tour promoted their first single, "Sultans of Swing". This first leg took the band around Great Britain in June and July 1978, performing in England, Scotland, and Wales. The group typically performed in small halls with a maximum capacity of one thousand. The second leg of the tour promoted the band's debut album, Dire Straits. This leg took the band to several European countries, where they met journalists and performed on television programs.[1]

Tour dates
Date City Country Venue Setlist
First leg: June–July 1978
6 June 1978WolverhamptonEnglandLafayette Club
10 June 1978DudleyJB's Dudley
13 June 1978SheffieldUniversity of Sheffield
14 June 1978HuddersfieldHuddersfield Polytechnic
15 June 1978LeicesterUniversity of Leicester
16 June 1978KirklevingtonCountry Club
17 June 1978MiddlesbroughRock Garden
18 June 1978LeedsFforde Green Hotel
20 June 1978EdinburghScotlandTiffany's
21 June 1978DundeeTechnical College
23 June 1978Burton upon TrentEngland76 Club
24 June 1978NottinghamBoat Hall
25 June 1978NewbridgeWalesWorkingman's Institute and Memorial Hall
27 June 1978ManchesterEnglandRafters
28 June 1978LowestoftTalk of the East
29 June 1978BristolGranary
30 June 1978PlymouthMetro Club
1 July 1978OxfordOxford Polytechnic
2 July 1978LondonAlbany Theatre
4 July 1978BirminghamBarbarella's[Note 1]Setlist 1
5 July 1978LondonMarquee Club
6 July 1978
8 July 1978St AlbansAlban Arena
9 July 1978BirminghamATV
19 July 1978LondonParis Theatre
Second leg: October–November 1978
11 October 1978HerenthoutBelgiumZaal Lux
12 October 1978MechelenStadschouwburg
13 October 1978BeringenCasino
14 October 1978ParisFranceEmpire
15 October 1978ZedelgemBelgiumGroene Meersen
16 October 1978LeuvenLouvain University
18 October 1978GroningenNetherlandsHuize Maas
19 October 1978RotterdamStadschouwburgSetlist 2
20 October 1978EindhovenStadschouwburg
21 October 1978NijmegenVereeniging
22 October 1978SittartStadschouwburg
23 October 1978AmsterdamParadiso
25 October 1978BrusselsBelgiumBeursschouwburg
28 October 1978HamburgGermanyMusikhalleSetlist 3
29 October 1978BerlinNeue Welt
1 November 1978BradfordEnglandUniversity of Bradford
2 November 1978NottinghamNottingham Polytechnic
3 November 1978NewcastleNewcastle Polytechnic
4 November 1978DurhamDurham University
5 November 1978DunstableCivic Hall
7 November 1978 Colchester Colchester Institute (Poster)
8 November 1978KeeleKeele University
9 November 1978HullUniversity of Hull
10 November 1978YorkUniversity of York
11 November 1978SheffieldUniversity of Sheffield
13 November 1978BirminghamTown Hall
14 November 1978LeicesterUniversity of Leicester
15 November 1978ManchesterUniversity of Manchester
16 November 1978LeedsLeeds Polytechnic
17 November 1978BristolBristol Polytechnic
18 November 1978HitchinCollege of Education

Tour locations
6
10
13
14
15
16
17
18
20
21
23
24
25
27
28
29
30
1
2
4,9
5-6, 19
8
Dire Straits tour dates of June (Red): 6-Wolverhampton, 10-Dudley, 13-Sheffield, 14-Huddersfield, 15-Leicester, 16-Kirklevington, 17-Middlesbrough, 18-Leeds, 20-Edinburgh, 21-Dundee, 23-Burton-on-Trent, 24-Nottingham, 25-Newbridge, 27-Manchester, 28-Lowestoft, 29-Bristol, 30-Plymouth
Dire Straits tour dates of July (Blue): 1-Oxford 2-Deptford, London, 4-Birmingham, 5, 6&19-Soho, London, 8-St Albans
2
5-6
19
Dire Straits tour dates of July: 2-Deptford, 5&6-Soho, 19-Soho

Setlists
  • Setlist 1 (4 July 1978): "Down to the Waterline", "Six Blade Knife", "In the Gallery", "Eastbound Train",[Note 2] "Water of Love", "Portobello Belle", "Wild West End", "Lions", "What's the Matter Baby", "Me and My Friends", "Sultans of Swing", "Real Girl", "Nadine", "Southbound Again"
  • Setlist 2 (19 October 1978): "Down to the Waterline", "Six Blade Knife", "Water of Love", "Once Upon a Time in the West", "Lady Writer", "In the Gallery", "Wild West End", "What's the Matter Baby", "Lions", "Sultans of Swing", "Wild West End", "Eastbound Train", "Southbound Again"
  • Setlist 3 (28 October 1978): "Down to the Waterline", "Six Blade Knife", "Once Upon a Time in the West", "Lady Writer", "Single Handed Sailor", "Water of Love", "In the Gallery", "Follow Me Home", "News", "What's the Matter Baby", "Lions", "Sultans of Swing"

References
Notes
  1. The show at Barbarella's on 4 July 1978 was recorded and has been in circulation as a bootleg album titled, Birmingham at Barbarella.
  2. The song "Eastbound Train" did not appear on the album Dire Straits, although a live version was released as the B-side to "Sultans Of Swing" the same year.
Citations
  1. "Dire Straits tour 1978". Mark Knopfler Info. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
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