Dire Straits veteran to play Barcelona in October

With hits like "Sultans of Swing," 'Romeo and Juliet," "Money for Nothing," and "Walk of Life," Dire Straits were one of the world's biggest rock bands in the 1980s.

Made up of Mark Knopfler, David Knopfler, John Illsley and Pick Withers, Dire Straits became a global phenomenon, selling over 100 million albums.

Although Dire Straits disbanded in the mid-1990s, it is not too late to enjoy some of the band's classics live, as bass player John Illsley is due in Barcelona in October.

With special guest, guitarist and former Pretenders member Robbie McIntosh, Illsley will be playing Barcelona's Sala Apolo on October 3, in the first of 12 dates around Spain.

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Since starting out in music in 1977, Illsley has won a number of awards, including Grammys and the Ivor Novello award for “Outstanding contribution to British Music” in 1988.

As well as playing Dire Straits classics, Illsley will perform tracks from his latest album “Long Shadows,” which was released in May last year.

“The new songs fit very comfortably next to the Dire Straits classics which I still love to play, and it seems people love to hear,” says Illsley.