For fans hoping Dire Straits would be performing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony this Saturday (April 14), those hopes have unfortunately been dashed.
Bassist/co-founder John Illsley recently spoke to Billboard and confirmed that Mark Knopfler will not be attending the ceremony. Illsley said, “I wouldn’t perform without Mark there, so it’s as simple as that, really. If Mark’s not there, there’s no point.”
Guitarist David Knopfler also won’t be in attendance at the ceremony.
As for a reason why for not attending, Illsley said Mark Knopfler “just didn’t feel like coming.” He explained, “It just didn’t appeal to him, and I appealed to him on several occasions. I said, ‘Look, I’d love you to get your head around this.’ He said, ‘Look, I just can’t do it, John. I’m really sorry. It’s a great honor for us and all the rest of it, and I just can’t get my head around it,’ so I’ve just got to respect it. He’s got his reasons, which he really doesn’t want to share with me which is unusual because we’ve shared most things over the years.”
At past Rock Hall ceremonies, other bands or groups of musicians have performed in place of bands who opt out of performing. So far, no Dire Straits set of any kind has been confirmed.
Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock blogger that loves the smell of old vinyl in the morning.
