Less than two weeks before Gang Of Four are set to kick off the North American leg of their farewell tour, the band have bid a farewell of their own with the passing of original bassist Bruce Allen this weekend. In an official statement, Hugo Burnham said:
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. 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. 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. We’ve been so very lucky to have had the Ace of Bass in our lives.
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.
@GangOfFourOfficial
Allen played on the band’s two most seminal records – Entertainment! and Solid Gold before leaving to form Shriekback and continued on with various other musical projects as well as an impressive career in tech with high profile roles at Intel, Beats, and Apple. He rejoined an original lineup reunion of Gang Of Four in from 2004 to 2008.
This live performance clip dates to September 1980 and was released as part of the Urgh: A Music War documentary concert film which spotlighted punk, post-punk, and New Wave bands of the day. According to Nacho Video, who remastered the clip, the band headlined a bill also featuring The Au Pairs, John Cooper-Clarke, and Steel Pulse (who also appear in the film and on the soundtrack). The song, which wouldn’t be recorded for another three months and released as the closer for Solid Gold for six, is more of an Andy Gill showcase but is nothing without Allen and Burnham holding down the groove.
RIP, Mr. Allen.
