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Dave AllenBassist in the core cast of the post-punk band Gang of Fourdied at the age of 69.
Allen’s former bandmate at Gang of Four, the drummer Hugh Burnham, announced the sad news on Sunday on Sunday. The bassist died in his house in Portland, Oregon. No cause of death was given. But Burnham wrote that everyone “had been suffering from an early set mixed dementia for several years”.
“With a broken but full heart, we share the news that Dave Allen, our old music partner, friend and brilliant musician, died on Saturday morning,” wrote Burnham. “Jon [King, Sänger] and me [Hugo] Visited him. And spent a nice afternoon with him and the family. We talked for hours. Laughed and exchanged rich and lively memories of good times together. Adventure. Music career. Family education. Our interwoven life. That span half a century. We were so lucky that we had the Ace of Bass in our lives. ”
Hugh Burnham about Dave Allen:
Although he was not the founding bass player of Gang of Four – he displaced bass players Dave Wolfson after only a few appearances – was all a member of the core of the band, to which singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill and drummer Burnham belonged. This cast produced classic post-punk LPs like Entertainment! from 1979 – One of the 500 best albums ever from Rolling Stone – and Solid gold from 1981.
After Another Day/Another Dollar EP from 1982 left everyone the Gang of Four to found the band Shriekback together with the former XTC member Barry Andrews and drummer Martyn Bench. After seven years and six albums – in which songs by Shriekback in the films Manhunter and Miami Vice of the well -known fan and director Michael Mann – left all Shriekback. He founded King Swamp and later joined Gang of Four on one of the many reunion tours in the group, in which he also performed with the band at Coachella in 2005.
In recent decades, everyone has switched to the other side of the music industry. And worked as a director, Artist & Music Industry Advocacy for Beats Music (now Apple Music).
After the death of guitarist Gill in February 2020 to Covid Toured Gang of Four in recent years with a changing line -up, which also included King and Burnham. The group terminated her farewell tour at the beginning of the year to. The tour “Long Goodbye” is scheduled to begin on April 20 in Boston.
“Goodbye, old friend”
Gail Greenwood, bassist of L7 and Belly, who joined the Gang of Four before her upcoming farewell tour, wrote on social media: “Dave was the master of some of the most iconic bass lines in music history. Which I now have the honor of playing live with the band. Learning his parts by listening to every grade and nuance that he created intensely, his incredible talent taught me even more. Also through the wonderful stories that the boys tell about him. “
“We know that Dave would have preferred nothing but to be on stage with us on our farewell tour through the United States in Portland. But that’s a number too big now,” wrote Burnham. “Goodbye, old friend.”