{"product_id":"9780552177894","title":"My Life in Dire Straits : The Inside Story of One of the Biggest Bands in Rock History by John Illsley","description":"With a foreword by MARK KNOPFLER'An uplifting  journey through the sheer hard work, pitfalls and thrills of navigating a  great rock band to the pinnacle of success. I so enjoyed the ride!'  ROGER TAYLOR__________Dire Straits filled giant  stadiums around the world and sold hundreds of millions of records.  Throughout the eighties they were one of the biggest bands on the  planet. Their classic songs - 'Sultans of Swing', 'Romeo and Juliet',  'Money for Nothing', 'Brothers In Arms' - formed the soundtrack of a  generation and live on today: still racking up sales, still being played  on the radio on every continent. In My Life in Dire Straits, John Illsley - founding member, bassist and mainstay - evokes the spirit of the times and tells the story of one of the great live acts of rock history.   Starting  with his own unlikely beginnings in Middle England, he recounts the  band's rise from humble origins in London's spit-and-sawdust pubs to the  best-known venues in the world, the working man's clubs to Madison  Square Garden, gigging with wild punk bands to the Live Aid stage at  Wembley. Until, ultimately, the shattering demands of touring on a  global scale and living life in the spotlight took their inevitable  toll.   John's story is also a tribute to his great friend Mark  Knopfler, the band's lead singer, songwriter and gifted guitarist - the  only band members to stay the fifteen-year distance. Told with searching  honesty, soulful reflection and wry humour, this is the first and only  account of that incredible story.\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback \/ softback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43201828782258,"sku":"9780552177894","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/products\/9780552177894_8a020d23-267a-4f5d-bd7b-b29616876d2c.jpg?v=1699029245","url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/9780552177894","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}