Mark Knopfler navigates towards calmer waters

Mark Knopfler has hit the road again, this time in support of his second solo album Sailing to Philadelphia. The tour is his first North American venture in more than a decade and a departure from his blockbusting days with superband Dire Straits.

For the "sailing" tour, Mark Knopfler wanted to move away from the "Star Trek" lighting, as he called it, of the Dire Strait days, and towards a more intimate setting.

23 Martin MAC 500s were selected to tour with Knopfler and provide a friendly atmosphere for a varied repertoire that included both new tunes and old Dire Straits numbers. LD David Cox provided a novel approach to background lighting with a cloud drop behind the musicians that was lit by MAC pattern effects.

Knopfler was also given a rapturous welcome in South America, where he toured with several members of the MAC range, including the now mandatory MAC 2000. In all, 50 MAC moving heads were supplied by Brazilian rental company AUROLIGHTS E.