In 2007 Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler said he didn’t miss the global fame at the height of the band’s success, explaining that “It just got too big”. In October 2008, bandmate John Illsley said he wanted Knopfler to agree to reform Dire Straits for a comeback tour. Knopfler declined, saying that in the past he was often reluctant to reform the group and insisting that he “isn’t even a fan of Dire Straits’ early hits”.