There's So Many Different Worlds.

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.

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.

I'm Not A Collector, However, And I Have No Desire To Own 50 Or 60 Guitars.

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.

A Strat Was A Thing Of Wonder .. When I Was 14 Or 15, The Shadows Were A Big Influence, And They Had The First Strats That Came To England. I Like To Play All Kinds Of Guitars, But I Wasn't Getting The Sound I Really Wanted Until I Got A Stratocaster