SHANGRI-LA MERCHANDISE: Merchandise from the Shangri-La tour is now available to buy at the MKShop, simply click here to see and puchase items. (24/11/05)

VARIETY CLUB TRIBUTE LUNCH: The Variety Club have presented Mark with their highest accolade, the Silver Heart, at a special Tribute Lunch held at the Civic Centre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on Thursday 19th October 2006. Around 700 people packed the Banqueting Hall to hear Jools Holland MC the Tribute with contributions from, among others, John Illsley, fellow Geordies Jimmy Nail, Tim Healey, Alan Shearer, and legendary Shadows guitarist, Bruce Welch. Filmed tributes were also featured from various contributors including Eric Clapton, Sting, Emmylou Harris and Lord David Puttnam. Surrounded by friends and well-wishers, Mark spoke eloquently about his early life, of growing up in Newcastle and his deep affection for Northumberland.

Mark/Guy - Local Hero mp3 (Tom Dewey)

Auctioned items inculded:

Two Paddock tix for the British round of the F1 World Championship
Pair of VIP Passes for British F1 World Championship
MK Signature Strat signed by MK x 2
Framed and signed photograph on MK dedicated to the successful bidder
Framed and signed photograph of MK, additionally signed by all attending celebs

Raffle prizes included:

A luxury one week holiday in a 5* resort on Tenerife
Two tickets to see Van Morrison in concert in Newcastle in November

All proceeds from the event, including an auction and raffle, will go to the Variety Club which is a children's charity helping sick, disabled and disadvantaged children up to and including the age of 18 years, irrespective of race, colour or creed. (updated: 19/10/06)

ATRR LIVE VIDEO: If you were not able to get to a show during the recent ATRR tour, you can sample the atmosphere, etc, by taking a look at this video of the opening song taken by German fan Tomek at the Frankfurt concert click here. (Updated:01/07/06)

YOU TUBE VIDEO: If you can't wait to get to a gig on the MK-EH tour, or if you've been and want to re-live a little of it, then you can watch a video of I Dug Up A Diamond live at the Forest National in Brussels. June 26th 2006, on You Tube, click here to take a look. (28/05/06)

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MK AT LEMANS: Over the weekend 8th - 9th July Mark took part in the Historic LeMans 24 Hour Race. He and his co-driver did really well.

Mark says, "My 1954 Austin Healey 100S raced originally by Donald Healey himself, ran perfectly and we came ninth out of a grid of 65 with some very fast machinery in it. My co-driver was Max Wakefield who went like a rocket. A top ten finish first time out for the car is an excellent result and I intend to go on developing the Healey and entering it in future events."

(20/07/06)

BIA 20TH ANNIVERSARY: On May 9th, 2005, Mercury Records released a special SACD (Super Audio 5.1 surround sound CD) version of the Brothers In Arms album to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of its release in 1985. The 13 times platinum selling album has clocked up over 20 million sales to date and achieved

FENDER MK STRAT: The Mark Knopfler Signature Fender Stratocaster has become the fastest selling signature model of modern times. For more details go Fender Guitars

The USA MK Strat: Fender Texas Special pick-ups, C-shaped neck, rosewood fingerboard, kluson-type tuners, vintage tremolo, a three-way pick-up selector switch and a Hot Rod Red swamp ash body. Limited availability so order from your Fender retailer now.

(updated, 10/09/03)

MARK'S PENSA MK80: Mark has a new Pensa Custom guitar, a Daphne Blue MK80 presented to him just a few weeks ago by his good friend Rudy Pensa. The guitar's order number was #0188 but it has also been especially numbered #0001 and will be the only MK80 with a triple zero serial number. All other MK80s will have their order number as serial number. It has been engraved with "To Mark with love, R. Pensa." Fans in the UK can order their very own Pensa Custom exclusively from MKNews. Click the Pensa logo above for further details. (23/02/04)

LIVE AID DVD: Remember Saturday July 13th 1985 ? Well, most of the Live Aid concert, including the DS performances of Money For Nothing and Sultans of Swing, has now been put on a four disc DVD set. (06/10/04)

	MK at Live Aid, 1985

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PROMO IN THE USA: Here is pic of Mark and Richard on the Prairie Home Companion live radio show in St. Paul, Minneapolis, on 2nd Oct, 2004. (03/10/04)

MARK ON NEW WILLIAM TOPLEY ALBUM: Mark is featured as a guest musician on a recording made at Guy Fletcher's studio for the title track of the new William Topley CD Sea Fever. William and his band, who opened for Mark on the last American tour, have made a limited edition version of the album available via William's website on http://www.williamtopley.com . To buy the album click on the 'shop' section of William's site. (30/04/04)

EL XACOBEO PERFORMANCE: Mark appeared at the Plaza del Obradoiro, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, on June 10th, 2004. The appearance is scheduled to be broadcast on Spanish TVE and Galician TVG on July 25th. Mark performed two songs, What It Is and a new song called Boom Like That. Band personnel: Mark Knopfler (guitar & vocal); Jim Kimberley* (drums); Marcus Cliffe (bass); Luke Brighty* (guitar); Guy Fletcher (keyboards); and, Bobby Valentino violin). *Jim and Luke are members of William Topley's band. (updated, 11/06/04)

ROCK ISLAND LINE TRIBUTE: Mark performed two songs at the Lonnie Donegan Tribute show at the Royal Albert Hall on the 21st of June. The first song was a Lonnie Donegan song, Darling Corey, with Mark, Joe Brown and Lonnie's band. Mark was joined by Joe Brown alone for Donegan's Gone, a song about Lonnie from the forth-coming Shangri-La album. (updated, 22/06/04)