CPI Archive 2008: After 15 years without picking up a guitar, John Illsley is back. Andrew Hamilton chats to the legendary Dire Straits bassist about taking chances, a possible reunion, and his newfound interest in Celtic rock.
IT’S not exactly rock and roll, but somehow, it all made sense. Fifteen long years had passed since Mark Knopfler quietly dissolved Dire Straits in favour of a solo career, but still there was some business left unfinished. As Knopfler continued on his musical odyssey, his base player - his right hand man - had turned his back on music. A successful hotelier and painter, John Illsley went a decade and a half without playing a single meaningful gig. But that all changed in March of 2005. Then, in a pub in Leicestershire, Illsley happened upon Greg Pearle and Irish Celtic rock group called Cunla. Compelled by their music, his musical heart began once more to beat, and by the night’s end he had taken to the stage to jam through a few songs with the band. And that, as they say, was that. “I have to say that the first time that I got up and played with them was a bit shambolic. Nobody was really quite sure what we were going to play so we jammed a few things and had a bit of fun. It was only really the second time that I played with Greg and boys that I started to really concentrate on the music,” he said.
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