Dire Straits Co-founder John Illsley to play 100 Club

Dire Straits Co-founder John Illsley to play one off London Show at The 100 Club in June to coincide with his Art Exhibition

John Ilsley from the legendary band Dire Straits will be playing a special one off gig at the 100 Club in London to coincide with his major Art Exhibition at the Chelsea Art Gallery. John will be showcasing material from his latest album "Beautiful You" which features singer/songwriter, Greg Pearle.

John Illsley and Greg Pearle started 2009 with a session on the legendary Bob Harris Show, BBC Radio 2. Last year they released the critically acclaimed 'Beautiful You' album, which was recorded in Mark Knopfler's studio. The album mixes elements of classic Straits song writing with a rich new sound, perfectly showcasing Greg Pearle's raw and emotional vocals. John and Greg toured extensively in Ireland and performed a sold out, one off special gig at Bush Hall, in London. John and Greg have just announced this one off gig at the 100 Club, London, on 23 June – as a precursor to touring the UK, Ireland and Europe in the autumn of this year

John's major art exhibition "Guitar Solos/French Lessons" will be running to June 24th and will feature a substantial body of very accomplished work focusing on his two great loves, the guitar and the French countryside. Being a member of one of the world's biggest ever groups until they disbanded in 1995 allowed John to travel the world and visit many of the major art galleries along the way. His self-styled retirement gave him the opportunity and time to concentrate again on his art.

The French oils interpret Provence, one of the most painted landscapes of the last 200 years and, notwithstanding echoes of his eminent predecessors, John has brought his own voice to the subject. The guitar paintings – of Gibsons, Fenders, Les Pauls – reflect John's musical career and obvious love of music.

Illsley also launched a new website (www.johnillsley.com ) with a unique twist – selected songs from 'Beautiful You' were initially available to download for free – and proved so popular that a new server was necessary to deal with the high traffic from all over the world. The planned touring activity comes as a direct result of this demand.

John, from the legendary, 120 million selling group – Dire Straits, first met Greg Pearle in March 2005 when Greg was fronting Irish band Cunla, in a pub in Leicestershire. John took to the stage for the first time since 1993, joining the band to play a couple of Dire Straits' numbers. John was immediately captivated by Greg's unique voice and style. The result was a two-year collaboration, and John's first studio album for 15 years.

John and Greg are currently working on new material, for their second album together.