ACROSS
1 A guitar section playing with Dire Straits (11)
7 Return loan of transport (3)
9 Important businessman shortly scolds and curses (9)
10 One has to leave an abusive woman (5)
11 A diamond in Italy? (6)
12 Loses one's temper when trousers are lifted? (6,2)
14 Character in Greek semi-chorus (6)
16 Eastern girls love a frolic here? (8)
19 Make a trip to a Greek island to see the birds (8)
20 The Spices split up... (6)
22 ...as Geri heads off to America after a... (8)
24 ...chart rating finds Spices' current number going from No 1 to No 6 (6)
27 A right that is given to society (5)
29 Is able to get hold of cut price alternative (9)
30 It was familiar to Tolstoy (3)
31 Mallard perhaps or cuckoo nesting around river, note (5.6)

 

DOWN 
1 Sense the French to be involved with trickery (7)
2 Good metal alloy, with no hint of tarnish, should (5)
3 Eight-legged creature is a natural mutant – time's involved (9)
4 A new note given in advance payment (4)
5 Fashionable journalist, describing passionate lust, caused offence (8)
6 River has no point to divide (5)
7 Lawyers can be a joke in Scotland (3)
8 Score after whistle has finally gone: 3.14 to nil (7)
13 Of minerals containing mixture of silicon and aluminium compounds, principally (5)
15 A vulture you are, you b–––, you, you hear! (5)
17 Setter is in a race, showing vigour (9)
18 Magical little man is discovered in little house, married to a relative (8)
19 A number coming in to follow Labour (7)
21 Street on the Andes, say? That's odd (7)
23 First off, searches person for weapons to eliminate these? (5)
25 Short sleeved bodice worn by melancholic (5)
26 Plans to return junk mail (4)
28 Affirmation made at the altar – in this language? (3)