Sultans of swing

When Derek Bisset and Paul Guy first saw Aled Williams take the stage at a music festival more than a decade ago, they knew they had found the key to a great Dire Straits cover band. “Paul and I were playing for a Tom Jones tribute band and Aled was playing a solo spot.
He was just 19 at the time, and sounded so much like Mark Knopfler. So we just went up to him and asked him if he would like to form a Dire Straits tribute band,” says Derek.
Eleven years and a few line-up changes later, the band Money For Nothing now comprises Derek on drums, Paul on bass, Aled as the lead vocalist and guitarist, Alex Haines on rhythm guitar, Aidan Bradley on keyboards and backing vocals, and Lisa Marie as the percussionist and backing vocalist. And when they come to Bangalore this week, they’re looking forward to a “great night and an excellent atmosphere”, says Derek.
The fact that Dire Straits frontman Mark has played in the city before doesn’t perturb the members of Money For Nothing. “We play in places Dire Straits has been to. We play at outdoor fests and theatres and we do their live performances. We do some of the versions of their songs from On the Night, an album featuring songs from their last tour,” explains Derek. While some tribute bands prefer to just sound the part, the members of Money For Nothing go all out to look the part as well. “We use the same guitars and the same clothes that Dire Straits wore. There’s also the very recognizable headband that Mark wears,” adds Derek.
It’s not unusual for members of tribute bands to pursue other original, more creative projects. But Derek says that the music of Dire Straits has enough variety to keep them creatively satisfied. “You get the rockier side of things with a song like Money For Nothing, down to the very mellow music of Romeo and Juliet and So Far Away, and the energy of Sultans of Swing. We get all our excitement while playing that music,” he says. Besides, they also have their hands full with another tribute band. “We do a Blondie tribute band called Atomic Blondie. It has the same band members as Money For Nothing, but Lisa takes the lead as Debbie Harry,” says Derek. In fact, they sometimes end up doing the two acts at the same venue, and Derek says they enjoy switching between the two vastly different styles of music that Dire Straits and Blondie have to offer.
So if Dire Straits fans in the city are looking for some Solid Rock, and a little Heavy Fuel, they’ll just have to settle for the next best thing.