The Sound Lounge (Sutton)
216-220 High Street, Sutton
Sat
October 30, 2021
8:15 pm
GMT
(7:00 pm DOORS)
John Illsley - The Life and Times Of Dire Straits LIVE @ The Sound Lounge
GBP25.00
We're very excited to be hosting a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. John Illsley, bass player and co-founder of Dire Straits and a distinguished solo artist, will present an evening of music and memories of that legendary group, plus songs from his own catalogue, including a possible preview from his upcoming album. His band will feature the hugely respected guitarist Robbie McIntosh (Pretenders, Paul McCartney et al).
The evening will feature classics from Dire Straits’ history, and include a Q&A led by Paul Cummins (ex-Dire Straits management), in which John will reveal the story and development of the band, from its humble beginnings in a council flat in South London, where songs like Sultans of Swing and Wild West End were created, to playing all over the world to millions of fans, and making albums in London, New York, Montserrat and Nassau.
A founder member of the band with Mark Knopfler, Mark's brother David and drummer Pick Withers, John played a major role in the development of the Dire Straits sound. As a constant linchpin of the band, he was the recipient of multiple BRIT and Grammy Awards and a Heritage Award.
John and Mark were the only founding members to remain in the line-up of Dire Straits right through from 1977 until they decided to call it a day in 1995. They remain close friends and recently produced the programme Guitar Stories for Sky Arts.
Dire Straits sold over 120 million albums and toured extensively across the world. When the band took a couple of well-earned breaks, John released two albums, Never Told a Soul (1984) and Glass (1988). Both featured Mark Knopfler as a guest musician.
John happened upon the Irish band Cunla in a Leicestershire pub in 2005, and appeared with them on several occasions, most notably in 2006 at Cathedrale d’Image in Les Baux de Provence, France. In 2008 John released Beautiful You with Greg Pearle from Cunla and followed the album with a a short tour of Ireland.
2010 saw the release of Streets of Heaven, with appearances from Knopfler and a host of other musicians on an album recorded at Mark's British Grove Studios and produced by John and Straits bandmate Guy Fletcher. John signed Native Roses to his label, Creek Publishing, in 2011, and produced their debut album alongside Guy.
When Dire Straits finished touring in 1993, John became heavily involved in the art world. Having carved a reputation for himself as a painter, John had solo exhibitions in London, New York, Sydney and across Europe. He also co-founded the children’s charity Life Education in 1987, recently integrated into Coram, one of the oldest UK charities. John also owns the East End Arms in the New Forest.
A DVD of the Life and Times of Dire Straits show, recorded in 2019 with Robbie McIntosh on guitar, is available via johnillsley.com. 2019 brought the album Coming Up For Air, again recorded at British Grove and co-produced by Fletcher. John's upcoming album will be his eighth solo set and his book My Life In Dire Straits is published on November 11.