All the members of the Grateful Dead were quite versatile and it was something that made their shows so unique, with long jams and different arrangements. The late guitarist and singer Jerry Garcia was a fundamental part of the band, which officially came to an end after his death in 1995, although some spin-off groups were created later on, such as Dead & Company.
To be a versatile musician, it is necessary to have a really broad musical background and that was something Garcia had. His wide-ranging taste was reflected in the kind of music he admired. During his career, the musician shared his opinion on many bands, including Dire Straits, the British group led by Mark Knopfler.
What was Jerry Garcia’s opinion on Dire Straits
Jerry Garcia was a big fan of Dire Straits and praised them many times throughout the 1980s, when the band was at its peak. “I don’t think there’s anybody who’s consistently putting out great stuff, time after time after time. But everybody’s got something to say and there’s moments in all of this that are really excellent. I go for the moments.”
“I keep listening till I hear something that knocks me out. Dire Straits-I love that band. It’s hard not to like that band,” he said in an interview with Relix magazine in 1980. One year later he praised them once again, saying: “I like Dire Straits, but that’s to be expected. It’s easy to see why I like them,” he told New Musical Express.
Jerry Garcia had the chance to watch Dire Straits playing live
Garcia had the opportunity to go see the Mark Knopfler band playing back then and really enjoyed their show. “The last band I went to see is Dire Straits. That was the last band I went to see live, a couple of years ago. There are others that I would, but most of the time I’m out working and stuff. So I don’t really get a chance,” Jerry Garcia said to Frets magazine in 1985.
At the time, the band had already released their most successful albums. They were “Dire Straits” (1978), “Communiqué” (1979), “Making Movies” (1980), “Love Over Gold” (1982) and “Brothers In Arms” (1985).
Dire Straits bassist John Illsley recalled in his book “My Life in Dire Straits” Jerry Garcia’s visit to the band backstage. “It was great, very flattering, but mildly unsettling to have all these VIPs and well-known faces from music and showbiz staring up at us from the tables right in front of us. I had to pinch myself sometimes, seeing people whose records I used to buy, now coming to see us play.”
He continued:
“The one I remember most vividly was Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, who turned up at the Old Waldorf and came backstage afterwards to celebrate his birthday with a giant cake in the shape of a guitar. You’ve never seen so much hair on one man. But he was the gentlest and most laid-back of souls,” John Illsley said.
Located in San Francisco, California, where Grateful Dead was based, the Old Waldorf was a famous music venue. The club was originally opened by Jeffrey Pollack in 1976 and was later sold to the famous concert promoter Bill Graham. Before it was closed in 1983 many important bands played there. Some were AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Rory Gallagher, Blue Öyster Cult, Iggy Pop, Journey, U2 and Metallica.
The success of Dire Straits and Grateful Dead
In terms of record sales, Dire Straits were much more successful than the Grateful Dead. They sold an estimated 120 million copies worldwide, while the American band sold around 15 million. However, when it comes to ticket sales, the Dead, who were essentially a live band, rank among the highest-grossing acts of all time. So they were more successful than Knopfler’s group in that regard.
Unlike Dire Straits, who achieved worldwide fame, the Grateful Dead became a massive phenomenon primarily in the United States. To this day they are not that well known internationally. It is mainly because they focused their tours within their home country and never matched Dire Straits’ record sales. That limited their global exposure but gave their American fans an unforgettable live experience that defined the “Deadhead” culture.
Both groups were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Grateful Dead was added first, in 1994, one year before Garcia’s death at the age of 53. The British band was inducted in 2018 but their main songwriter, guitarist and singer Mark Knopfler decided to not attend the ceremony. The group was represented that night by bassist John Illsley and the keyboardists Alan Clark and Guy Fletcher.