Find Dire Straits bio, music, credits, awards, & streaming links on AllMusic - With Mark Knopfler's tightly executed songs and… Dire Straits were a British rock band that formed in Deptford, London, in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), his younger brother David Knopfler. Dire Straits new music, concerts, photos, and official news updates directly from Dire Straits's Twitter and Facebook. Stream Dire Straits by Dire Straits and tens of millions of other songs on all your devices with Amazon Music Unlimited. Exclusive discount for Prime members. Get the latest news and exclusive ticket presales at Mark Knopfler's official site – MarkKnopfler.com. Get the latest news and exclusive ticket presales at Mark Knopfler's official site – MarkKnopfler.com. Watch videos & listen free to Dire Straits: Sultans of Swing, Walk of Life & more. Dire Straits were a British rock band from Newcastle, United Kingdom, formed. The most eagerly anticipated release from Dire Straits -- their seminal live concert recording 'Alchemy Live' restored to pristine high definition visual. Visit Amazon.com's Dire Straits Store to shop for Dire Straits albums (CD, MP3, Vinyl), concert tickets, and other Dire Straits-related products (DVDs, Books, T-shirts). Thesaurus Antonyms Related Words Synonyms Legend: Switch to new thesaurus. Noun: 1. dire straits - a state of extreme distress. desperate straits. straits, strait.