Gang of Four: Ex-bassist Dave Allen dies at the age of 69

Dave Allen, the bassist of the Post-Punk band Gang of Four, died at the age of 69. His bandmates gave that. Accordingly, everyone died on Saturday morning with his family in his home in Portland.

The band did not comment on the exact cause of death, but informed that Dave had been suffering from a mixed dementia for several years, “which was a heartbreaking time for his wife Paddy, his children and close friends,” it says.

The band also reports on a last afternoon together. Accordingly, drummer Hugo Burnham (69) and singer Jon King (69) visited their bass players and his family: “We talked and laughed for hours and rich and lively memories of good, shared times shared. On adventures, music careers, family start-ups, our time together comprises half a century.”

The band’s drummer also writes: “We were so lucky to have this Ace of Bass in our lives.” In the end, the text points out that the musician would have wished to be no more eager than to step on stage at the Portland appointments of the band’s farewell tour, “now it is a bridge too far”.

Dave Allen was not a founding member, but after a few gigs, bass players Dave Wolfson at Gang of Four, which has been in changing constellations since 1977.

“Entertainment!”, The debut album of the post-punk band, appeared in 1979 and is considered one of the most influential albums of the genre. In 1981 everyone had left the band to found Shriekback. In 2004 he got back to Gang of Four for four years. Most recently, he had worked for Apple Music.