Sultan of snub: Mark Knopfler skips Dire Straits' rock hall of fame induction

[turbinetree]

British rockers Dire Straits have been inducted into the rock’n’roll hall of fame, but the occasion was marked without its lead singer and guitarist Mark Knopfler, who chose not to turn up to the ceremony.

Knopfler skipped the concert in Cleveland, US, on Saturday, and it was left to bassist John Illsley to explain his absence.

“I’ll assure you it’s a personal thing,” Illsley said onstage. “Let’s just leave it at that.”

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/apr/15/mark-knopfler-skips-dire-straits-rock-hall-of-fame-induction



I have just gotta to ask..................why isn't Ten Years After not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame................Alvin Lee was a better guitar player, and the band had more drive, than being just a commercial entity.................that is apparently what the Rock and Roll Hall Fame looks for ........................commercialism

http://www.notinhalloffame.com/rock-and-roll/261-215-ten-years-after


This is just not right.......................

[SonofDonald]

1. I'm a huge dire straights fan

Well, except for "money for nothing" which if I ever hear it again will bring out the Hulk

But yeah, Ten Years After

And btw, is Canned Heat in the Hall of Fame?, just played some Sunday morning wake up from Smokin, 'twas great.

Our era of music isn't out of date.

It just needs a cane to walk.

I love the classics

[brewens]

2. My biggest bitch about the HOF is Blue Oyster Cult. Explain that one! Tell me you can listen to a

classic rock station for long and not hear at least one of their big three songs. Godzilla, The Reaper or Burnin' for You. They have tons of other classic stuff.

I can totally see Knopfler snubbing them. Just who he may have been appearing with could do it. Every year they have acts that really have nothing to do with rock.

[SonofDonald]

5. Indeed, I'm also a lover of the cult

Their greatest hits cd is in the player in my car as we speak.

I like everything in moderation, I listened to foreigners greatest hits the other day for the first time in decades.

I almost even dug out some Styx two day ago, almost.....

Moderation you know

[exboyfil]

11. I said that for years about Rush

Agree with you about BOC. They are far better than many in there. Black Blade is a personal favorite given my love for Michael Moorcock when I was a kid. I also love Joan Crawford.

The original Dire Straits album though is one of favorites when I am with my wife.

[mr_lebowski]

29. It's a crime how long it took to get Rush in, no question ... at least they finally set it right tho

Yes, too ...

[mr_lebowski]

28. My biggest are easily The Cure and The Smiths ... but BoC ... meh ...

I listened to them a bunch as a teen, and they have some decent songs but I don't really find them 'HoF' worthy to be honest with you. They're really not 'influential', to me they're kind-of just another rock band ... YMMV.

Then again I was also shocked to see Moody Blues get in ... never been too impressed, myself. Apparently others find much more to like about them. Maybe I've just not heard their 'really good stuff'.

Following the Cure and Smiths, it's the absence of all these: Slayer, Motorhead, Judas Priest, and ZOMG IRON FREAKING MAIDEN FFS ARE YOU SHITTING ME ... are the biggest snubs to date.

At LEAST one of those four needs to go, and SOON.

Soundgarden also needs to be in, IMHO.

And I suppose they don't do 'multiple band' inductions, but I would carve an exception for Joy Division/New Order.

[Henry Krinkle]

62. Motorhead, you say?

Lemmy is entitled to an entire wing with a 12' bronze statue out front to greet his
worshipers from near and far to lay offerings of Jack Daniels, methamphetamine, and
ravaged woman at his feet!

[Henry Krinkle]

61. My very first concert was BOC.

Right around the time 'Agents of Fortune' came out.

I was in the Army at the time, and we were shipped down to Ft. Bliss Texas for 2 weeks
of training. Weekends were usually spent in El Paso or across the border in Juarez (back
when it was reasonably safe, and you could have a good time as long as you didn't get the
police involved ).

BOC was playing at the concert venue in El Paso, and myself and about 3 of my buddies
got tickets at the door (I think Bob Seager was the opening act).

We got good seats about 1/4 up from the side of the stage, and many beers were consumed both before
and during the opening act.

In between the break, some stagehand/roadie came up to us and asked us if we wouldn't mind
serving as 'security' to stand in between the crowd, barricade and the stage. Not only would we
be right up front, but we were told that after the show we could go backstage and meet the band.

'Fuck yeah! Why not? That, plus being young, drunk and stupid had a lot to do with it too.

The roadie ushered us to our places, ran down a laundry list of what to do, and what not to do
(cautioned us to duck down at the start of 'Born to be Wild' because of the flashpots about
5' from our heads), then left us.

We were having a great time even though we weren't able to leave for more beer; the crowd was
fine and not a single problem to deal with, when about halfway through the set I had to piss bad...
really bad.

I couldn't just break through the crowd to use the bathroom, so I just said 'fuck it', pulled up
the canvas in front of the stage, and ducked underneath the stage to relive myself.

It wasn't until a minuter later, and I shook off the last drop that I noticed that I was pissing on
a shit load of electrical cables and connectors the whole time.

I zipped up, got the fuck out of there, and enjoyed the remainder of the show.

Of course the roadie was full of shit, forgot about us as we never got backstage, but at
least I got some satisfaction in return in knowing that the crew had to pick up and put away
the piss soaked cables.

[brewens]

64. How was the show? I know some early BOC aficionado's that would tell you the set you

must have seen would be the ultimate classic of their career. All the good early stuff along with most of their best album.

The first time I saw them was I think 1981 after they fired their original drummer. The band was really better show Albert Bouchard was with them. I have seen them another five times at smaller venues over the years, they always put on a good show.

Good guys too, at least Bloom, Roeser (Dahrma) and Lanier that I met a couple times. They hung out and drank and told stories until closing time at one bar I saw them at in Idaho. It's funny how little those dudes were up close. They had been giants to me!

[Henry Krinkle]

67. Y'know, to tell you the truth, I really don't remember.

It was so long ago, and given my condition at the time I have no fucking idea
if they were a great band, lousy band or mediocre one.

Other than my bladder experience , I do remember their laser show before regulations
limited that kind of thing... that part was was pretty intense for the time.

[Nanjeanne]

3. Alvin Lee one of the very best. Its amazing how overlooked he is.

Remember seeing Ten Years After first time at Woodstock. Amazing. So glad someone else recognizes the travesty they are not in Hall or Fame. Zombies aren’t either. Another travesty.

[turbinetree]

8. Saw them them also at Woodstock, hitched hiked from CA to New York, and in the middle seventies

-----------I just do't get it, others that made a dent in the underground music Quicksilver Messenger Service another travesty, Cactus, Mason Profit, Blue Oyster Cult ...............I just don't get it....................

[underpants]

32. You were at Woodstock?

Dayum.

[kwassa]

54. well, so was I.

We only saw the first day, and none of the electric acts. We left early being soaking wet and with colds, having arrived early.

and I am in this picture, from Life Magazine.

[underpants]

55. Awesome

[Nanjeanne]

66. Yup.

[turbinetree]

4. It is amazing...........I also like some Dire Strait music, lyrics and the compositions and all

but to hear songs like this live was amazing with "Captain Speedfingers" and that back beat was just driving home the setting of his Gibson Les Paul just leading the licks of being rhythm and lead and him playing was amazing when you saw him play and the band play

[argyl]

20. Lee may have used a Les Paul on occasion but his #1 was a Gibson ES 335.

It was a cherry color, a real beaut. Alvin even called it
"Big Red."

On their LP entitled simply" Ten Years After" (their first, I believe) recorded in 1967 Lee does a version of
"Spoonful" that puts Clapton's version, recorded on
"Wheels of Fire," to shame.

[Ligyron]

60. Yeah, he wired a couple strat pickups between the Humbuckers.

Which is one reason he got some unique tones going on. He had good teeth too!

[judesedit]

41. "Goin Home" my favorite. Love me some Alvin Lee & 10 Years After

RIP Alvin. You were the best! Woodstock 69.

[Ferrets are Cool]

58. Im with you. Love Goin Home

[Tipperary]

21. Straits.

Please.

[Kirk Lover]

6. I'll have to imagine at some point Alvin Lee and Ten Years After shall be

inducted. He wipes the floor with Knopfler.

[MiltonBrown]

7. Must be the right commercialism since Chubby Checker is still not in the HOF.

He had a long string of hits and sold a ton of records. He should've been honored back in the 1980s just a couple of classes after the first.

Chubby Checker- who could possibly be against his RnRHOF candidacy? Connie Francis should be in too. That they didn't particularly influence much of the music that followed them is a really lame reason to exclude them, yet there seems to be no other.

[turbinetree]

10. I agree, Listened to Checker all the time when I was growing up

I just don't get it................Allen Freedman would be turning over in his grave

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame_inductees

[Kirk Lover]

57. He should be in there too. You ain't kidding with that string of hits...he was one of the best...

Fats Domino.

[nolabels]

9. My expectations of brillant musicians is to never get expectations of anything from them

I find them interesting to the fact they are unpredictable which probably parallels to the fact of them making music. Many artistic portrayals are a result of close and deep emotions. They gave so much to bring what they have to us and so why should we expect anything more?

[EL34x4]

12. Alvin Lee was an incredible guitarist for a mediocre band...

...And save for a couple of hits, the songs just weren't that great.

That's why the fame that his guitar-slinging British peers enjoyed eluded Mr. Lee.

Sure, he could play circles around Clapton, Page, and Beck but in the end, they created better music. Rory Gallagher had the same problem.

[turbinetree]

14. What do you think of Uriah Heep, Manfred Mann's Earth Band or Savoy Brown, King Crimson, Fog Hat ?

Just curious, everyone of the above groups had hit singles on the FM underground dial sound

[mr_lebowski]

30. King Crimson is worthy, not the others, imho (n/t)

[Zorro]

19. A Space in Time is one of my favorite albums

Every song on it is outstanding, especially Hard Monkeys and I'd Love to Change the World.

At the time his Woodstock performance appeared excessive, but there is no doubting his exceptional talent.

[Cartoonist]

13. Let's induct everybody then

I turned my back to the Hall when they inducted the Bee Gees. I won't list the bands I love that aren't in because it's not my Hall.

[tonyt53]

43. The Bee Gees got in for their early days. They copied the melody of The Everly Brothers.

Everybody wants to forget that OTHER shit they put out.

[KG]

15. RRHOF is a joke.

[lame54]

16. Knopfler is an amazing guitarists

[Zorro]

18. Yes he is

The Sultans of Swing is clear evidence of his talent.

[Codeine]

17. The only way to make everyone happy

is to put every old-people band into the RRHoF. Even then they’ll be cranky because too many “new bands that are all just noise” will also be included.

Easier to just not pay attention to such silliness. I never want to find my older self on a diatribe about the injustice of Siouxsie and the Banshees or Christian Death not being inducted, or worse, hear my daughter in her middle age whining about My Chemical Romance or Panic! at the Disco not being included within those hallowed halls. It really is the height of silliness.

[FormerOstrich]

24. If it ain't your thing it ain't your thing

but silliness has it's purpose in life. I suspect there are some endeavors of which you enjoy which some of us ole folk would consider foolhardy.

Hence, our silliness-es is attention worthy to us and easier for you to ignore. This begs the question why bother to comment. Your comment included details of which spanned generations. Why bother since by your own admission it is difficult to pay attention to such.

Is it possible that while the topic at hand is silliness to you, insulting your elders is serious business? Does it make you feel more youthful? Youth is a fleeting thing and priorities/interests mature right along with the face.

Have a fabulous day!!

[Adrahil]

27. Lol....

I love this post. But MCR and Panic! Will both be in tha hall! My favorite band, Green Day is already in, so I’m happy.

[mr_lebowski]

44. Okay, but neither better get in before Blink, Death Cab, or Fallout Boy ...

Last edited Sun Apr 15, 2018, 07:30 PM - Edit history (7)

Elsewise we got us a PROBLEM ...

All seriousness aside though, you ever heard these guys/gals? I actually really, really like this CD. Every song is at least 'good' and there's a few REALLY good ones. This particular one of their's is quite retro/80's (though their previous two are fairly different from this one, and each other) ... one of the few 'kids' bands I actually quite enjoy ... great driving tunes ... in particular song 4 (Beautiful You) is so 80's alt/synth bands like Cure, New Order, Depeche Mode it's not even funny ... and in the best way

If you know your 80's bands, it's pretty fun to play 'spot the influence' when listening to it ... like 7 (Masokissed) is heavily influenced by The Smiths ... The song after that is very Cure ... one song in particular, and I KNOW you know it

If you just want a quick intro, see if you wanna invest the time to listen to all of it ... this is one of my favorites from the album, song 9 (Life After Life), and if you like this, you'll probably like the CD. Aside from it being catchy, I think the lyrics in particular are damn excellent ...

I still care about Christian
Does he care about me?
When I see him around he looks down,
Afraid of what he’ll see

And I know there’s a heaven
That he’s dying to find
But it’s hell he creates, careless and afraid
Of the ones he’s left behind

And the touch of his body
So tender and cruel
When he made me play Girlfriend
There wasn’t much I could do

Then he’d come to my garret,
We’d make something like love
The flowers he gave me have wilted
But I keep them
As I keep him

He wants a life after life
But the world he didn’t love,
And the one he didn’t love
Should have been
Night after night
But the world he didn’t love,
And the one he didn’t love
Will never know
Paradise

When he makes his confessions,
When he says his prayers
And kneels beside his bed in the moonlight,
Is a part of me there?

He’s taken up with a new girl,
Who keeps his conscience clean,
And tells him he’s a keeper,
Though I don’t know if he knows what that means

Pretty damn good, yeah?

The vocals are a guest spot from the lead singer from Sunny Day In Glasgow, I forget her name but I love her voice ...

[Adrahil]

45. Im with ya except for Fall Out Boy.

For some reason, I’m not a fan. Too pop maybe?

[mr_lebowski]

48. Please see my edit :)

I don't actually like FoB much, I can tolerate some Blink (I like Angels and Airwaves way better) and Death Cab (tranatlanticism I think it's called is a pretty good album) ... it was more a name-dropping joke

[Adrahil]

51. Cool!

Had not heard of the band you linked, but will listen!

[mr_lebowski]

53. From what I know of your tastes, you won't be disappointed ... check out my 2nd edit ...

I added a particular song to start with that's well-representative of the album (first link is the whole CD), and if you like that one, you'll likely like it all.

It's like a timewarp back to the 80's, I'm not even kidding.

[mr_lebowski]

33. You mentioned Christian Death ... over THE CURE? Really? I have a sad ... nt

[Codeine]

35. Only because I believe the Cure is an obvious

shoo-in, eventually.

[mr_lebowski]

37. You'd THINK, right? And yet ...

[Codeine]

39. The Grey Ponytail Brigade will only hold sway

for a few more years.

[mr_lebowski]

42. lol ... i didn't peg you for being THAT young Codeine ... also ...

[aikoaiko]

22. Its true, Ten Years After and Alvin Lee should be in the Hall of Fame.

I support any artist who doesn't attend the Hall of Fame concert when inducted.

[Iggo]

23. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has people in it you've never heard of.

That says it all.

[reflection]

25. Alex Lifeson of Rush made fun of the RnRHoF

A lot of people thought he was just being funny, but he was actually having fun at their expense, especially Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone magazine. Rolling Stone never had any love for Rush.

I remember some member of perhaps Velvet Underground calling it the Rock and Roll Hall of Lame. Some of the inductees are truly ridiculous. Every year there's a straight up rap artist or pop artist that, while good, doesn't belong anywhere in a Rock discussion, much less in a Hall of Fame.

[mr_lebowski]

34. Alex Lifeson had EXTREMELY good cause to give RRHoF a ration of shit ... leave it at that (nt)

[reflection]

47. Totally agree.

Huge Rush fan, know the whole back story.

[DonCoquixote]

50. BEST SPEECH EVER

You did not need to hear him say anything to know exactly what he meant.

[OneBlueDotBama]

26. Ten Years After Was...

like a freight train coming at you live, Alvin Lee, very talented player and could read the crowd like a physic.

[blogslut]

31. How many guitarists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Five.

One to screw it in and four to say: "I can do that!"

[Adrahil]

38. Lol...

As beginning guitarist, I can assure you I can’t do
Any of it!

[underpants]

36. Shooting hoops on a Friday night by myself and Billy stopped by

Billy was my brother's age so I'd never really dealt with him much.

We were talking and I asked what he was doing that night. He was going to Norfolk to see Dire Straights at the Kings Head Inn. Max occupancy couldn't be more than 200. I saw The Fleshtones there - the lead singer hit on me. I'd never heard of Dire Straights.

My wife took my iPod and Skate Away and Romeo and Juliet were on it. She'd never heard those songs before. LOVES them.

I'm a huge fan. Sounds like Mark has some issues going on.

[mr_lebowski]

40. The trio that opens Making Movies is so brilliant ... (nt)

[USALiberal]

46. Cool story Bro. nt

[underpants]

52. Hazy days

I appreciate you responding so I'll set the mood.

Tidewater VA. I was 100 yards from a swamp. We had a stirring station, just behind me. One of the top polluted areas in the country was just above the neighborhood. Fly ash from the refinery.
or something. We called it "the property" because a friend's dad (lawyer) owned it and the cops were told to stand off. We set ties on fire to get rid of the mosquitoes. It's now a softball complex.

This night the mosquito truck had already passed through so I was there just shooting. Me and the rim. Nothing else in the world. Oh those days.

Billy had an extra ticket but at 12-13 I knew going to Norfolk wouldn't fly with my folks. Opportunity lost but I was draining it (basketball) so I was good.

[blockhead]

49. I agree, they should be in.

also Jethro Tull and The Guess Who

[Henry Krinkle]

56. There are a lot of questionable/laughable inductees there.

Donna Summer
Hall and Oates
Joan Baez
Madonna
Micheal Jackson
Tupac Shakur
Ray Charles
The Bee Gees
ABBA!... Fucking ABBA!
etc, etc, etc, etc...

They might be great (or lame), musicians in their chosen genre, but
they have as much to do with rock as classical has to do with rap.

[Blue_true]

59. Ray Charles and Micheal Jackson don't belong in the Hall.

What are you talking about? Ray Charles was one of the greatest pop music composers of all time and one of the greatest pop pianists EVER! Micheal Jackson only saved the pop music business while pioneering a whole new breed of pop music. Summer is marginal, she started a class of music, but it was short lived, although elements of that music form exists in some of today's songs.

[Henry Krinkle]

63. It's a shame that their 'Monsters of Pop' tour was cancelled...

due to ABBA's unfortunate incident involving excessive drug and alcohol abuse that
resulted in many hotel rooms being trashed and TV sets thrown from the balcony
into the pool below where Ray and Micheal were coming up with new ideas for pyrotechnics
and Harley Davidson motorcycles... it would have been a tour to tell my grandchildren about.

[jalan48]

65. Ray Charles was probably the biggest influence on male vocalists in his era-Steve Winwood for one.

[Henry Krinkle]

68. I'll take your word for that.

But, inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a performer, is an insult, and
laughable to those who were/are genuine, deserving rock legends... take your pick.

Inductees are nominated/categorized by performers, early influences, sideman, non-performers.

Maybe nominate him as an influence (early or not), but as a rock performer, I think not.

As a side note, I did see Ray perform at UMass Amherst back around 80-81 or so.
I was a member of the concert committee that voted on and decided which performers.
bands we would host (for the record, this was the same committee that turned down U2
because no one had heard of them, and they would have been playing in the student union hall
or cafeteria).

This was at UMass's auditorium and it was pretty packed. I didn't want to be there, but it was part
of what I volunteered for so I tolerated it.

About half way through the set some voice rang out about "how about dedicating something to
the children of Atlanta?" This was at the time of the 'Atlanta Child Murders'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_murders_of_1979%E2%80%9381

Ray paused a bit from what he was doing and replied back "I'm not here to perform for the fucking
children of Atlanta, I'm here to perform for you".

You'd think there would be some kind of hushed silence, but instead it was mostly applause and laughter
from the audience... myself included.

[jalan48]

69. Sorry to hear about your experience with Ray. I saw him in the 60's and he was fantastic.