Dire Straits keyboardist Alan Clark has confirmed that members of the UK band will perform without frontman Mark Knopfler at their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on April 14.
“Fame at last!,” writes Clark on his website. “While it's nice to receive recognition for my work, I really can't take it seriously. That said, I've bought a new tuxedo and my signature now ends with the words ‘Living Legend’.
“There's a lot of conjecture on forums about whether the band is performing at the Hall of Fame, and if not why not, and who in the band are going to the ceremony,” he adds. “Well, here it is and it's official: Myself, Guy Fletcher and John Illsley will attend the ceremony where we'll be performing an unplugged version of ‘Telegraph Road’, with me on harmonium, Guy on ukulele, John on banjo, and the vocal sung by Stevie Wonder.”
While Mark Knopfler has not commented publicly on the event, his brother and co-founding member of the group, David Knopfler, shared his reason for not attending the induction via a comment on his Facebook page.
"Travel costs. In their wisdom, after promising to pay my expenses they reneged on their promise," writes Knopler. "I can well understand that with only $5 mil a year in sponsorships and 100k a table and no fees for the
artist, that paying my taxi to the airport must have given them heart murmurs like Squeers hearing Oliver Twist asking for more and frightened them into refusal, otherwise one might get the wrong idea entirely about what they're all about."
With worldwide sales of more than 100 million albums, Dire Straits are being inducted into the Rock Hall as part of the Class Of 2018, which includes The Cars, Bon Jovi, the Moody Blues and Nina Simone, with Sister Rosetta Tharpe to be honored posthumously with an Award For Early Influence.
The 33rd Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, OH on April 14 and will be broadcast by HBO in the spring.
See also:
The Cars, Dire Straits and Bon Jovi among 2018 Rock Hall inductees
Judas Priest, Dire Straits, The Cars among 2018 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees
Mark Knopfler announces North American tour
Canada overturns Dire Straits censorship decision
Search Dire Straits at hennemusic
