Good points. So that’s six favourable points concerning the Sultans.
It’s a bizzarro version of Klaus Voorman stumbling into a Hamburg dive and discovering some English band.
After watching the clip, Knopfler is not really saying they are shitty (though he may be implying it), just that the imponent name “Sultans of Swing” contrasts heavily with the actual circumstances of the band (playing in a shitty bar to a disinterested audience)
Overnight I did some research, and there also was a Munich gay cabaret band called Les Boys (don’t pronounce the S). Knopfler didn’t think they were any good, either. So that’s two songs about “bad” bands.
It has always been so obvious to me that guitar George is the rhythm player, it surprised me that someone thought he was playing lead. A rhythm guitarist shouldn’t “make it cry or sing” it’s not their job.
Rhythm is the structure of the music, it gives it shape and stability. You can have a tune with just rhythm, but you can’t with just lead.
I also like the positive interpretation of the song. There are definitely context clues that can defend the positive view.
Having heard Knopfler talk about the incident on other occasions I’m in no doubt this is correct.
Bear in mind that at the time Knopfler was not a wealthy music legend - he was a nobody living gig to gig and hand to mouth in London just like the Sultans. He enjoyed the band’s music and his warmth and empathy for them shows through the lyrics.
On grounds we have just recited the song is substantially complimentary about the Sultans.
He just thought it amusing that they had such a grandiose name.
Remember also that Knopfler is a dour Geordie not an effusive American. Faint praise from a Geordie is approximately equivalent to wild enthusiasm from a Californian. And slight implications of shittiness from a Geordie are not incompatible with a degree of quiet affection.
I really like the fact that Knopfler called out a couple of song suggestions while they were playing. He might not have thought they were all that amazing, but he still wanted them to know that there was one guy in the audience who at least dug the genre a little bit.
Huh? Where do you get this from?
I first came across it in one of those posts of questionable believability that keep bubbling up in my Facebook feed. I wasn’t going to post here until I had hunted around a little bit and found better sources. This is a pretty good one. As a bonus, since everyone has been going back and forth about what Knopfler really thought of the band, it quotes him as thinking they were “average” and even goes into what he thought they could’ve done better.