Dave Allen, iconic Gang of Four bassist dies ahead of final tour
Dave Allen (photo: Getty Images)
Dave Allen, who was the bassist in the cult British post-punk band Gang of Four, has died at the age of 69. The guitarist was to return to the stage this month.
Allen's death was reported on Instagram by his former bandmates John King and Hugo Burnham.
“Dave Allen, our old music partner, friend, and brilliant musician, died on Saturday morning. He was at home with his family. Dave had endured the early-onset of mixed dementia for some years which has been a heartbreaking time for his wife Paddy, his children, and close friends,” the post reads.
Allen was part of the original lineup of the band, which emerged in the late 70s and immediately became at the forefront of British post-punk. His deep, recognizable bass became the foundation of the sound of albums such as Entertainment!, a record that is still considered one of the most influential in the genre. It is known that it was included in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
It was planned that the Gang of Four would tour the US in mid-April. And Dave was to return to the stage as the band's bassist.
“Our love and thoughts are with them. Jon and I [Hugo] went to see him and spent a lovely afternoon with him and the family. We talked and laughed for hours, sharing rich and vivid memories of good times together. Adventures, careers in music, raising families, our interwoven lives spanning half a century,” the musicians said.
“We know that Dave would have wanted nothing more than to step onstage with us again in Portland on our farewell US tour. But it’s now a bridge too far... Goodbye, Old friend,” the band summarized.
In addition to working in Gang of Four, Allen founded World Domination Recordings and played in two bands. Dave was the vocalist and main songwriter for The Elastic Purejoy and played bass in Low Pop Suicide.
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