Dave Allen, who played Basgitar during the influential British post-punk band of Four’s early year-and-continued to find the group scream-is dead. He was 69.
Allen’s former gang of four bandmate Hugo Burnham shared the news of his passing on Sunday (April 6).
“It is with broken, yet full hearts that we share the news that Dave Allen, our old music partner, friend and brilliant musician, died on Saturday morning,” Burnham wrote of Fours Instagram, where the band contained several photos in a tribute to Allen. “He was home with his family.”
“Dave had endured the early beginning of mixed dementia for some years, which has been a heartbreaking time for his wife Paddy, his children and close friends. Our love and thoughts are with them,” he said.
The note continued: “Jon and I [Hugo] Went to see him and spent a lovely afternoon with him and the family. We talked and laughed for hours and shared rich and lively memories of good times together. Adventures, careers in music, breeding of families, our interwoven lives spanning for half a century. We have been so very lucky to have had the essence of bass in our lives. We know that Dave would have wished nothing but step on stage with us again in Portland on our farewell us tour. But it is now a bridge too far. Goodbye, old friend. ”
After participating in progress of Four with Burnham, Jon King and Andy Gill in Leeds in 1976, Allen made his mark as a bassist on the band’s debut album, 1979’s Entertainment!and their follow -up set, 1981’s Solid gold. While none of them were short -success in the United States, Gang of Fours early work affected them like Michael Stipe, Flea and Kurt Cobain that included Entertainment! On his top 50 album list (as released in posthum Journals).
In 1981, Allen formed Shriekback with Barry Andrews (XTC, League of Gentlemen), and continued to record a number of albums with the group.
Allen joined forces with time for four for a reunion with the core state in the mid -00s. He also appeared with ribbons, including the elastic PureJoy and make pop -even murder.
Gang by four bandmate Gill, the group’s basic guitarist, died in 2020.
Allen’s experience in the music industry went beyond the recording studio and stage. Most recently, he founded and served as director of music relations in Dinworkshop, a consulting firm, design study and laboratory, which was built to create with musicians.
Previously, he had positions in artist relationships and artist lawyer at Apple Music and Beats Music, was business development director at Consumer Digital Audio Services at Intel, and in the late 90s was General Manager at Emusic. Allen was a speaker and panelist about digital strategy, music and technology at SXSW, CMJ, SF Music Tech and more throughout his career.