FIRST TOUR 1978


Tour line-up:

Mark Knopfler

Guitar, vocals
David Knopfler

Guitar, vocals

John Illsley

Bass, vocals

Pick Withers

Drums

 

On 8th June 1978, Dire Straits released their debut album Dire Straits. After a short rehearsal between 6th and 8th June 1978 at Whood Wharf (Greenwich, London), the band went out on tour to promote their first album. See here a nice picture of Mark and his famous red Strat.

Click here and here for a nice adverstisement of the first single Sultans of swing and here for an advertisement featuring some of the tour dates.

On 1st September 1978, Dire Straits were recording for the Dutch TV programme Top Pop where host Ad Visser handed over the very first gold album. Click here to see a great picture of that special moment. You can also read that in a letter from manager Ed Bicknell.

And click here for a picture of Dire Straits in action during this tour, Hamburg, 28th October 1978.

 

Advertisement for the tour: 



 

Official recordings made during this tour

Concert Bootleg release Official release
Paris (22.07.1978)
Rotterdam (19.10.1978)



Concert Bootleg release Official release
Paris (14.10.1978)

 


Total concerts played: 59



June 1978


  09.06.1978     City Hall Sheffield UK
  10.06.1978     JB's Dudley UK
  13.06.1978     University Sheffield UK
  14.06.1978     Polytechnic Huddersfield UK
  15.06.1978     University Leicester UK
  16.06.1978     Country Club Kirklevington UK
  17.06.1978     Rock Garden Middlesbrough UK
  18.06.1978     Forde Green Hotel Leeds UK
  20.06.1978     Tiffany's Edinburgh Scotland
  21.06.1978     Dundee College of Technology (Bowling Alley) Scotland
  23.06.1978     76 Club Burton-on-Trent UK
  24.06.1978     Boat Club Nottingham UK
  25.06.1978     Memorial Hall Newbridge UK
  27.06.1978     Rafters Manchester UK
  28.06.1978     Talk Of The East Lowestoft UK
  29.06.1978     Granary Bristol UK
  30.06.1978     Metro Club Plymouth UK




July 1978

  01.07.1978     Polytechnic Oxford UK
  02.07.1978     Albany Empire Deptford (London) UK
  03.07.1978     Top Rank Sheffield UK
  04.07.1978     Barbarella's Birmingham UK
  05.07.1978     Marquee Club Wardour Street London UK
  06.07.1978     Marquee Club Wardour Street London UK
  08.07.1978     Civic Hall St. Albans UK
  19.07.1978     Paris Theatre Lower Regent Street London UK

  22.07.1978     Paris Theatre Lower Regent Street London UK (recorded for Live at the BBC)


August 1978

  31.08.1978     Fforde Green Hotel Leeds UK


October 1978

  11.10.1978     Nieuwe Stadsfeestzaal Mechelen Belgium
  12.10.1978     Zaal Lux Herenthout Belgium
  13.10.1978     Casino Berengen Belgium
  14.10.1978     Empire Paris France
  15.10.1978     Groene Maarsen Zedelgem Belgium

  16.10.1978     University Leuven Belgium
  18.10.1978     Huize Maas Groningen The Netherlands
  19.10.1978     Stadsschouwburg Rotterdam The Netherlands
  20.10.1978     Stadsschouwburg Eindhoven The Netherlands
  21.10.1978     Vereeniging Nijmegen The Netherlands
  22.10.1978     Stadsschouwburg Sittart The Netherlands
  23.10.1978     Paradiso Amsterdam The Netherlands
  25.10.1978     Beursschouwburg Brussels Belgium
  28.10.1978     Musikhalle Hamburg Germany
  29.10.1978     Neue Welt Berlin Germany




November 1978

  01.11.1978     University Bradford UK
  02.11.1978     Polytechnic Nottingham UK
  03.11.1978     Polytechnic Newcastle UK
  04.11.1978     University Durham UK
  05.11.1978     Civic Hall Dunstable UK
  07.11.1978     Institute of Higher Education Colchester UK
  08.11.1978     University Keele UK
  09.11.1978     University Hull UK
  10.11.1978     University York UK
  11.11.1978     University Sheffield UK
  13.11.1978     Town Hall Birmingham UK
  14.11.1978     University Leicester UK
  15.11.1978     University Manchester UK
  16.11.1978     Polytechnic Leeds UK
  17.11.1978     Polytechnic Bristol UK
  18.11.1978     College Of Education Hitchin UK
  22.11.1978     Lyceum Strand London UK



▲ Back to index