Gig review: Mark Knopfler at First Direct Arena, Leeds

His headband may be long gone, but underneath his more careworn frame, it’s clear that he still knows how to pluck out a tune – which he does a moment later, with the lovelorn opening notes of Romeo and Juliet. A collective sight echoes around the amphitheatre as couples sling arms around each other and whisper along with tears in their eyes. It’s a skin-pricklingly beautiful sight.

Helped by excellent acoustics, Knopfler and his rotating band (no larger than a dozen, no less than half at any given point) effectively oversee a beautiful evening of semi-ceilidh sound, from the sharper-edged works of Why Aye Man and Silvertown Blues through the campfire spectres of Sailing to Philadelphia and Heart Full of Holes.

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