Dire Straits — Sydney, 1986

Recording of the final concert of Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms tour, given at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on 26 April 1986. Led by guitarist and singer Mark Knopfler, the British band was then at the global peak of its popularity, carried by the colossal success of the Brothers in Arms album. This full concert of more than two hours covers the essential repertoire: the epics Sultans of Swing, Romeo and Juliet, Private Investigations and Telegraph Road sit alongside the hits Money for Nothing and Walk of Life, before closing on Going Home, the theme from the film Local Hero. Originally filmed for Australian television and transferred from a period cassette, the video has archive-grade picture quality but decent sound. It captures Knopfler’s stagecraft and the richness of the band’s live arrangements. For fans of 1980s rock, this live filmed concert is a rare document — one of the greatest bands of the decade caught at the end of a triumphant tour.