Mark Knopfler

Former Dire Straits front man Mark Knopfler, lead singer of supergroup Dire Straits that sold millions of albums, talks to DAVE WILLIAMS of NZPA about sport, beer, not listening to pop music, having a bit of luck and living an ordinary life.

Wellington, Sept 6 NZPA - British guitarist, songwriter and producer Mark Knopfler is promoting his new album but the bad news is that he isn't returning to New Zealand any time soon.

"I'd love to. I actually miss the country quite a lot," he says, on the phone from London to talk a bit about his sixth solo album Get Lucky, due out on September 14.

Knopfler talks a little about the album, which he says has a lot of "little connections" to aspects of his childhood in Glasgow, Scotland and Newcastle.

"Ship building towns, lying in bed and listen to the foghorns."

It was recorded at his own British Grove Studios in London, where Hayley Westenra recorded her album Hayley Sings Japanese Songs last year.

The studio is in Chiswick, near a brewery, and Knopfler is just as happy talking about anything else. Beer and sport, living a normal life -- you could be talking to an ordinary bloke in the pub.

"The beer in the pubs round about is really good. So it's always nice to go for a drink near the studio," he says.

Golf? Knopfler doesn't want to know about the game, apparently because he is scared of commitment.

"I was having a golf lesson some time ago and they said `get that man some spikes'.

"I said, `no please don't get this man some spikes, because I don't want to get to like this game'."

However, he does like tennis. He admits his instructor manages to "beat him up" at each lesson and getting a point or two off him is a big thrill.

"The thing I like about sport is that it's such a break from art. When you are involved in making choices all the time with that that's fine, but really with a tennis shot there's not a choice really.

"I like the way that that is very definite and I find it very relaxing and I find myself completely absorbed in it."

The same thing applies to watching sport, and people want to watch live sport they also want to listen to live music, he says.

"The kind of people that come to see me play, they don't want to hear a bunch of backing tapes."

Now he is talking about people watching him play guitar, rather than tennis.

Knopfler turned 60 last month and suggests there is a forever young element in music.

"I think that music does keep you pretty young and just being in touch with things that you always loved as a kid helps that in a way.

"I seem to be making quite a lot of records over the past few years, maybe that's because I can't find anything better to do.

"I think I am going to end up doing this until I fall over. There's no sign of it coming to an end.

"I find that I have more things to do than I ever had. What that means I really do not know. It should be slowing down but it seems to be speeding up."

Knopfler says he is best employed writing songs and trying to record them.

"I find myself really feeling incredibly lucky and very, very fortunate to have found this thing that I can do."

Working with different people is part of the joy of being in music, he says, and there have been "happy accidents along the way".

Knopfler has performed and recorded with the likes of Emmy Lou Harris and Bob Dylan -- which he describes as a great thrill.

"I have always been a massive Dylan fan since I was a kid."

He enjoyed touring with Harris and would love to do another album with her.

"This is a very pleasant part of being a player. But the song writing for me is the most important thing. Really, all I want to do is try and make a good record. That's a never ending quest."

His next series of performances is around Britain and Europe, promoting the new album. H e is quite happy recording and performing at smaller venues.

Although Dire Straits conquered the charts, selling more than 120 million albums Knopfler admits these days he doesn't follow popular music.

"I couldn't tell you what's on the charts. I don't know anything about it. The pop game is over there and mine's over here. It's in a different place. It doesn't touch my life."

The music he listens to is "pretty folk" or rootsy.

"It all makes sense to me because that's really where I come from."

And there is always the question; Will Dire Straits reform?

The group broke up in 1995 and it was a suggestion put forward by bass guitarist John Illsley last year.

"No I don't think so," Knopfler says. "It would just be a huge commitment. Massive. To me it would take away from the work I am doing now, it would take too much time."

Dire Straits was "in at the deep end" and an enjoyable experience, but "everything that was connected with it was big and I was finding I wasn't really having quite enough time to write and to have a proper life outside of it".

Knopfler played at Illsley's birthday party with other Dire Straits members and admits getting back together would be fun.

"But that's the trouble, everything would be big again."