I left for the same reasons everyone leaves jobs that are no longer fulfilling their hopes and aspirations. I didn't see myself spending the rest of my life being a strummer for someone else's dreams. Whatever the opposite of regret is best describes how I've always felt about that decision - it opened me up to a million creative opportunities I needed to experience away from the bullshit and distorting mirrors that fame engenders.

My playing is fairly straightforward, really, and everything's pretty much standard no frills or special effects.

I used to go to the school folk club with my songs when I was only 13 or so and say "this is a traditional folk song" and sing it with a bad Irish accent to disguise the real source.

When you point your finger 'cause your plan fell through You got three more fingers pointing back at you!

I was into playing American music, especially the blues.

I'm not a collector, however, and I have no desire to own 50 or 60 guitars.

While I was into many different types of music, and played with many different local groups, I really didn't have a band to call my own until Dire Straits was formed in 1977.