SPOILERS: John Illsley will publish a book about Dire Straits

[border_reiver]

MKs reaction will surely be that his current yet secret ongoing project with a massive autobiography now will end up in the same bin as the Madrid DVD and the Hansen documentary. 

 

I'm sure Mark wasn't happy about things like his minions collecting the Hall Of Fame award for Dire Straits, things like Danny C. playing in a tribute band, he's not happy. The same guy also refused to play a lot of songs live so tribute bands have to go out and play all those underplayed songs, and John Illsley have to go out and write a biography book about Mark without Mark, and the fans need to go out and make a live DVD for Mark's show without Mark. That's quite amazing

Nailed it!

[KnopfleRick]

Fantastic news

And then Mark should write a book about his solo career. I am a naive dreamer

What is life without dreams, so let's dream on. 


Fantastic news!

[dmg]

Mark seems a right miserable old git!  Sorry but it has to be said.  John is exactly the opposite and appears to be the nicest guy you could ever wish to meet.

Mark never does anything for the people who made him and only thinks of himself when it comes to music.  I think if you look at the personnel he's been through over the years it tells the story.  John appears to be very easy going and I will look forward to his book with great anticipation.

[Robson]

Fantastic news

And then Mark should write a book about his solo career. I am a naive dreamer

What is life without dreams, so let's dream on. 


Fantastic news!

It is true

[Love Expresso]

Mark seems a right miserable old git!  Sorry but it has to be said.  John is exactly the opposite and appears to be the nicest guy you could ever wish to meet.

Mark never does anything for the people who made him and only thinks of himself when it comes to music.  I think if you look at the personnel he's been through over the years it tells the story.  John appears to be very easy going and I will look forward to his book with great anticipation.

Exactly, totally nailed it with every single word. That's the reason I split with him after more than 33 years being a crazy fan. Now it's done. Haven't listened to him about more than 18 months now. Not a single note. Don't miss it. Worst thing about it was that you people always were and still are such a nice and friendly bunch here. It was much harder to leave you all than him. But I felt I had no right to be here anymore as you all are still so loyal and in love that it's unbelievable.

About him and John, if the rumour is true, it would fit so perfectly well that now, in the end, he would also end the relationship with his oldest and best mate John Illsley because of his ego.

Good news about the book. In a way, for me, it's a much better news that John writes it. So it will be a good read for sure. Kudos to him. I really hope it does well and he will earn a big heap of money with it.

LE

[KnopfleRick]

I think the problem for MK with the book is, that he has no control of the content or rather the stories John will tell or not.
To protect his privacy - that he is mostly concerned of - is to sit down with John to write the book together.

Just a dream. 

[jbaent]

Apparently Ed Bicknell is also writing a book. That would be a good one, he knows some great stories and  he's hilarious, with a great ironic and sarcastic style!

[Love Expresso]

I think the proposal or exposé mentioned in the first post makes clear that it will be about his personal way and adventure. Also, John would never say a single bad word about MK. Mark being angry is the typical reaction of a control freak who feels some obscure danger threatening his holy legacy.

Ed Bicknell however I would see spill the beans and MK totally being right in being anxious. It seems it all comes back to MK now. David Knopfler anyone?

LE

[jbaent]

I don't expect David doing such a thing... He looks very calm and in peace with his past, and lately he doesn't talks bad about him, he refers to MK with respect... and melancholy too.

[jbaent]

I think the proposal or exposé mentioned in the first post makes clear that it will be about his personal way and adventure. Also, John would never say a single bad word about MK. Mark being angry is the typical reaction of a control freak who feels some obscure danger threatening his holy legacy.

Ed Bicknell however I would see spill the beans and MK totally being right in being anxious. It seems it all comes back to MK now. David Knopfler anyone?

LE

John would have to be very careful with what he says about MK, but I bet that won't be problematic with John, he is a good chap, very elegant, in the contrary, I expect from Ed a lot of "tasteful" anecdotes, not only from MK but from everybody...

[TheTimeWasWrong]

I love how such happy news turns into a typical "grumpy MK" situation on this forum. I'd love to read John's stories, and I understand how some are unhappy with MK lately, but I wouldn't give a damn either if I were him. He has done 40 years of touring, got more money than he could ever spend, and his physical health is not great. He never cared about live releases or releasing old and abandoned stuff. Sure, I'm curious what's in the faults as well, but in the meantime, I enjoy all the things that he did release. Today I listened to both Lucca 2001 and Woodinville 2019. Incomparable, but that's life. Heroes grow old too.

I have deep respect for John. He didn't lose his cool when MK basically dumped him. I loved the Guitar Stories show, and it's a lovely gesture he visited some of the 2019 shows. I think he knew it was now or never. He wouldn't bet his friendship with MK over a book.

[quizzaciously]

I love how such happy news turns into a typical "grumpy MK" situation on this forum. I'd love to read John's stories, and I understand how some are unhappy with MK lately, but I wouldn't give a damn either if I were him. He has done 40 years of touring, got more money than he could ever spend, and his physical health is not great. He never cared about live releases or releasing old and abandoned stuff. Sure, I'm curious what's in the faults as well, but in the meantime, I enjoy all the things that he did release. Today I listened to both Lucca 2001 and Woodinville 2019. Incomparable, but that's life. Heroes grow old too.

I have deep respect for John. He didn't lose his cool when MK basically dumped him. I loved the Guitar Stories show, and it's a lovely gesture he visited some of the 2019 shows. I think he knew it was now or never. He wouldn't bet his friendship with MK over a book.

Somebody's got to write that book, but since Mark is too cool for books and too cool for many other things, John decided to step up and just do it. I bet the book won't even have a foreword by MK, because he's too cool for even that... You know, as much as I love MK, and as much as you are so right, that every topic seems to gravitate towards bashing Mark into the ground, I think there's no smoke without fire. Seems like more we fans want from MK, more he doesn't care about it. Good for him!

[border_reiver]

Given that the rumor is true, it would be really unfair to Illsley as he has every right to tell his story or stories.

And the only way to neutralize those things?

Write your own bloody book!

[hunter]

Cool! Looking forward to this. He has all the right in the world to tell his story. My only fear is that, John, being the kind gentleman he is, might keep things a little too polite though.

[jbaent]

Cool! Looking forward to this. He has all the right in the world to tell his story. My only fear is that, John, being the kind gentleman he is, might keep things a little too polite though.

Yes, I'm sure. Actually it's his book so he's gonna tell HIS story. Obviously he would mention MK, and I'm sure he would do it with the highest respect and praise to him, as they are still friends, and he knows MK better than anyone else.

I'm also sure he would be not that way with the rest of the band, in the "Story of DS" concerts he had been playing before the pandemic, he used to refere to people like Hal Lindes as "a relieve when he left", I guess he would say similar things in his book, but in a gentle way.

Ed would be very different, his book would be more "juicy" as he doesn't give a d**m, lol