This performance is widely considered one of the best live rock performances of all time. This drummer is amazing. Mark Knopfler is probably one of the top 10 guitarists in the world.

As brilliant as Mark in on the guitar here, one cannot be anything but blown away by the drummer, absolute perfection there.

Terry Williams playing his heart out for his Dad seeing him perform. The extra embellishments are so good

Best drumming I've ever heard.

Mark Knopfler is criminally underrated. A number of years ago, Rolling Stone Mag did a "Top 100 Guitarists of All Time". Mark Knopfler only played 44th. I couldn't believe he only made top 50. No way.

As a drummer I have a lot of respect for these guys. The drummer is phenomenal, and you can see every band member is just really in the fun "jam zone", when you're so engrossed in the music it feels amazing, things are clicking exactly as they should, and you get into it so much it feels like you're on autopilot. Mark's guitar playing is without a pick, what my guitar buds call finger-picking. His playing abilitity is off the charts, and reminds me of the old banjo duels with Roy Clark. Veteran rockers, worthy of much respect!

After hearing this version you will never be able to hear any other version. You will feel robbed like when they played this on the radio and cut off the ending...👹

The drummer decided he was going to town on this one. That is why they were smiling to each other near the start. He was responsible for driving up the performance to that level.

Sultans of Swing is my favorite Dire Straits song. This is a real treat because I've never seen it performed in concert live. They really did a terrific job. I'm glad this was suggested.

"I could watch this over and over again ..." I watch the video or any reaction video at least 5 times a week. Never get sick of it, it's just purely epic.

I will 'never' get tired of watching this performance. Thanks for listening to your viewers on this ladies...

Mark Knopfler is one of the most prolific songwriters alive today. He's done film and TV soundtracks, big stadium shows, and once Dire Straits wound up, he went on to a massively successful solo career. He's such a great story teller with his songs, this one is about a real experience of walking into a pub in London and seeing a band in the corner trying to make a living from performing a few songs. Telegraph Road live is another good one, or Tunnel of Love.

One cannot underestimate the superhuman fitness of these top bands. This is just one song. They played for a couple of hours in this concert which would have us mere mortals reaching for the oxygen tank!

Mark Knopfler wrote the words, music, arranged it, sang it and played his guitar as only he can. All this masterpiece came from his genius alone. TELEGRAPH ROAD from this concert next please, again all from Mr Knopfler. You won't regret it. Well done ❤️

I would like to say that the drummer was amazing the level of talent in this group is stunning, this is the best version of this song, and musical genius, thank you for your reaction 🌹🌹🇬🇧

"Telegraph Road" from this same show is IMO one of the best live performances of a song ever, and the album "Love Over Gold" is great - It takes me to another place ever since 1982.

I have never seen this Alchemy version before. They are really jamming! It's so awesome! Terry on the drums was rockin' it!! They're great anyway but they're putting on their A+++++ performance here. Thanks for listening to everyone. I really enjoyed this!

This song isn't the best vocal performance, but the instrumental performance more than makes up for it. The drummer's groove is on point, and Knopfler's guitar playing is perfection.

The drummer is Terry Williams. I heard his parents were backstage and that this was the first time they'd watched him play in front of a live audience.

Around 05:15 when Terry Williams lays down those fills and Mark and John look at each other and say....this is going to be next level.

This is the quintessential performance of this song and one of the best performances of any song captured on video.

Hey ladies if you want to see another song from this concert, Telegraph Road will blow your mind like Sultans if not more. It also has an incredible instrumental ending of biblical proportions. Loving your channel. Cheers from Oz 😊🎸🎸

Two stunned faces! I saw Mark Knopfler twice in 2019. Like many of us he's put on some weight and lost some hair, but Mark's hands are still mesmerizing. The only sad part of those concerts is that he didn't play this song. I can watch this concert every day and never get bored.

And Terry Williams (drummer) is killing it live as it was the first time his dad went to see him.

That was phenomenal!!! Wow! I had never heard this version! These are incredible musicians. Guitar playing off the charts. Drummer inserting beats in between beats. Keyboardist reaching for multiple keyboards like Yanni! Thank you for reacting to this!

Terry Williams could sure handle a drum set!

One of the best guitar solos of all time and just as good no matter how often you hear it, absolutely love it.

Mark sounds like he's playing a banjo...amazing...

One of the greatest live performances ever recorded. Seeing them in 1985 was a concert highlight!

Best version EVER!! Mark's end solo is amazing & the drummer is amazing!

Transcendental playing.

The best comment here is silence… eight decades, doesn’t get more real. Enjoy.

I saw Dire Straits at the Birmingham Exhibition Centre September 1991. Sultans of Swing was one of my favourite tracks and I pretty much only wanted to hear that live….(I can’t believe I’m writing this). When they played it I was SCANDALISED that it wasn’t note for note as the single…..oh dear…. Well, you live and learn.

Fantastic performance! Mark Knopfler just looks so effortless when he plays. To make it even better, I've read that he's one of the kindest, most genuine people you'll ever meet.

What about the drummer what a bloody legend 👏 fantastic

Anyway all in all....pure magic

He is rated as one of the best guitarists of all time. fact

I love this version so much I'm almost disappointed when I hear the studio version. Awesome talent on display.

Nothing beats this!!!!

As a bass player myself, I’ll accept the ‘bookends’ moniker. If the shoe fits, wear it.

Loved your reaction to the greatest live performance of all time. I was there that night. The crowd was awed!

This performance came after they had performed their hit hundreds of times, and polished it perfectly.

The Drummer is a different level!!!

One word….PHENOMENAL 👏👏👏👏👏 Now to check out more songs from the same Alchemy Live tour. Tunnel of Love is brilliant 😊

Mark Knofler does not use a guitar pick...just fingers and thumbs...Terry Williams is the drummer

Thanks for this....Mark Knopfler one of the best guitar players ever.....Dire Straits were great 😘

The drums on this live performance are just epic ❤ this

no one plays guitar like mark, genius.

Terry Williams the drummers performance is outstanding, not only on this track but on the whole concert, interestingly his father was in the audience and it was the first time he had seen him play live.

Terry Williams (drums) was on FIRE! He almost stold the show. Allan Clark (keyboards) is his usual amazing self). John Illsley (bass) - pushing the song with Terry. Hal Lindes (rhythm guitar) still learning to keep up with Mark. And Mark Knopfler - one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Best live performance ever by a rock band. NOBODY wanted it to end.

the secret to play drums like this is to never cramp and keep your body loose.

Couldn't on click on this reaction fast enough. If you play guitar every day for years your fingers build up callouses. That super strong drummer is the great Terry Williams. Now, do yourself a favor and listen to "Telegraph Road" from the same show, you won't be sorry.

Mark Knopfler is a master of his craft 🙏

Imagine being part of the live audience!😵

Glad you took the time to watch this undoubtedly incredible performance. It must be amazing to reach the level as a musician to stand on stage and be so comfortable, experienced and skilled that your can just jam almost without limit. I bet that feeling is like a drug.

Mark is probably the most versatile of all the great guitarists, everything from rock, blues, country, folk, to Spanish and everything in between. You don't have to react, but listen to 'Altamira' one of his Spanish tunes, it'll give you goose bumps.

so many dynamics in this version, light and shade

Great choice. Incredible live show. Mark is incredible as usual but the drummer Terry Williams put this one over the top.

Please have a look at the live version of "Tunnel of Love" from the "Alchemy" Tour- You will love it! Mark and the guys were on fire that night- I know, I was there!

Mark doesn't use a pick, just his fingers, it's the reason his playing sounds the way it does.

Wonderful performance and song. Some people joked that this tour was sponsored by a sweatband company. Speaking of the best live performance ever, Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb," Pulse Concert.

Mark plays guitar without a plectrum. I saw on another video the drummers dad was in the crowd watching his son for the first time hence the amazing machine gun drumming.

Telegraph road from the same concert 10/10 even better than the studio version, It's the amalgamation of every dire straits style/songs combined into one beautiful story about the humble beginnings of Detroit to its desperate endings... The song talks about rise and fall of civilization. Not really fall, but rise of a civilization, industrialization and shatter of a man’s dream. How industrialization can cause a man’s dream to fall. In that track you'll see Alan Clarke (the piano/keyboardist) playing at his best 100/10

Great reaction, girls! They play Sultans faster live, its much better! I was there at Hammersmith Odeon , London in July 1983. I was there, just turned 18 and 39 years later this is still the best. I thought this was normal! The musician who stood out was Terry Williams on the drums, I've seen good drummers in my time (Phil Collins, Chester Thompson, Charlie Watts, Mark Brzezicki and more) and Terry's performance was the best. They were ll on top of it. The whole place was rocking, I was on the balcony and it was shacking, we thought it was coming down! As you say, all of the band Mark Knopfler - guitar, vocals, Alan Clark - keyboards, John Illsley - bass guitar, backing vocals, Hal Lindes - guitar, backing vocals, Terry Williams - drums were world class. We knew they were good, it was amazing. Now, ladies, its compulsory, you have to watch the Alchemy version of Telegraph Road, it was the encore

Yes I do love this version, seen it but never get tired of it! ❤️❤️🌺🌺

As you loved this, you'll also love 'Telegraph Road from the same Alchemy Live - the keyboard playing is fantastic

Seen dire straights live in 85 deeside north wales,awsome concert and the reason why i bought a guitar and learnt ❤

Watching your Video the fourth time. Terry Williams , the Drummer is almost everytime underrated. Guy on the Keys is als great, but can't remember his name. All members changed over the years. But Drums are shure Terry!!!

So cool to see you appreciating the skill of these musicians!

Never fails to catapult me in feelgood mood! Perfect everything, guitar, drums, etc. Pure rock'n roll!!!🤘🤘🏻🤘🏻 Even watching you celebrating great music is beautiful!!! I am really curious if there is anybody who dislikes such music.

So cool that at 5:59 the keys play a foreshadowing of the new theme added soon after in the guitar solo

I am amazed you saw he played with his fingers! He is self educated. I've been to a concert of them in Rotterdam and they were/are amazing! Thank you for your reaction!

That drummer is living his best life! Some rapid drumming to keep pace with Knopflers fast note playing!

And this is why Eric Clapton calls Mark Knopfler "Easy"

When Dire Straits came to Australia in the 1986 they sold out 52 concerts. They were the best band in the world at this time. Sultans of Swing is an early hit and my favourite. This live performance is the one to play if your child asks you what a Rock concert is.

Alchemy tour. Hammersmith Odeon theater. London. July 22-23, 1983. Mark Knopfler. Guitar John Illsley. Bass Hal Lindes. Guitar Alan Clark. Keyboards Terry Williams. Percussion

Mesmerising. Watched this maybe 50 time or so I think lol. You can watch this again and again and so great watching them having such a blast. A set of musicians at the top of their game. Glad you've finally watched and enjoyed this

Mark Knopfler is one of the most under rated guitarists, he's already great, but when you notice he isn't using a standard pick, but is instead finger-picking, which is pretty unheard of outside of acoustic guitarists, just raises his skill level a few more notches. And what can you say other than, WOW, about the drummer!

What people don't realise is that Mark is left handed but plays right handed. Think there are a couple of videos of him actually playing left handed. The rhythm guitarist is Mark's brother. Rumour has it that the drummer had to go and get his arms reattached when he came off stage. An amazing performance by all. A masterclass for for people starting out in the music industry. Brothers in Arms is worth a listen - very poignant and sad. Also, more light hearted, is Twisting by the Pool. A holiday song.

I recall an interview with Mark Knopfler, many years ago, when he said that, at some point he found using a plectrum inconvenient and so just used his fingers. I remember thinking: Mark, that's just you, mortals don't really have that option.

the audience must never forget the show i watched kate bush final show at palladim you never forget ❤

This whole show is awesome! All songs are longer than their studio versions, the drummer plays very aggressive and powerful, non-stop. The keyboard player was jumping, dancing and heaving the most fun. Mark Knopler is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.😊

If you notice, there are two keyboardists. One is surrounded by pianos and the other has organs. I read somewhere that the drummer's father was in the audience and that this was the first time he had seen his son play in concert.

This was with a new drummer Terry Wiliams and his dad was watching him play for the first time. He let him show it!

That drummer is going ham! He's certainly feeling the live vibe!!

It's one of the best, and most uplifting live performances that I've ever seen...bravo!

The studio version of this is one of the best songs for cruising. It's nice that you enjoyed it so much.🤗 What I love about this clip is how much fun they're having. A job like that wouldn't suck. Shout out to the production crew. The filmography during a LIVE concert is incredible. 🤩

An epic live performance by an incredible band. Not a weak link in the bunch! Thanks for the reaction. Mark Knopfler (lead singer) is one of the best guitarist of all time.

A key note on Mark Knopfler: He was the composer for The Princess Bride. Just a fun note.

Drummers father had never seen him in concert until that night. He pushed that song and was so thrilled his dad was there.

I do watch this over and over again love it.

Interestingly, the drummer for this concert is Terry Williams, and he’s potentially the most famous drummer in Dire Straits since this concert is one of the all time most famous concert series ever (the album and video that came out with it were incredibly popular and also notable since they made a point of the fact that there were no overdubs or ‘fixes’, so the sound you hear on the concert media is only what was produced in the live recording, an unusual situation as most ‘live’ s albums include re-recordings to fix errors and sound issues like feedback or buzzes or whatever). However Terry didn’t really play on much of their studio material at all. Pick Withers was their original drummer and he played on the first four albums leading up to this concert. He was much more of a ‘finesse’ player, whereas Terry Williams was much more busy in his playing - less groove but more bombastic and obviously helped the band with a driving energy for this concert. He’s also the drummer that played the famous drum intro on their iconic Money For Nothing song, but he didn’t actually play on the rest of the song, and I think he pretty much got wiped from the rest of the Brothers In Arms album as Mark was a perfectionist and Terry wasn’t able to provide the feel that Mark wanted. So Terry played one concert and did the videos for the Alchemy live and Brothers In Arms studio album plus the drum intro for Money For Nothing, but he was one of the least contributing drummers over Dire Strait’s whole existence.

Mark finger-picking his Les Paul with his right hand (being left-handed!) makes it even more phenomenal...

So glad you were able to react to this. Great reaction.😊😊👍👍

Yes! great reaction video. So glad you did it. I play it in my car aa it makes a perfect track to brighten up a long dull journey.

Mark never gets his due as one of the best guitarists to ever play, he plays with his fingers only, no pics. Dire Straits is awesome, from their first album I bought in Naples Italy in 1978 when deployed with the US Navy, in the Navy exchange I bought a Pioneer SX3900 with a Technics turntable and the 24 band Pioneer graphic equalizer and a pair of JBL studio monitor speakers and they sounded SICK at 240 watts in a small crew quaters.

He showcases his amazing guitar playing a lot more. He's a pretty awesome guitar player.

He makes the guitar cry and sing at the same time.

You are making me relive my youth; I will be 59 years old on February 23, 2023.

So glad you finally got to see this version. Like many, I've watched it several times and I always get the same thrill seeing the guys giving it their all and having such fun performing together. Loved your reaction ❤