Dave Allen, the influential bassist who played with British post-punk Gang of Four during their early years, has died at 69.
The news was confirmed in a statement posted to social media by Allen’s former bandmate Hugo Burnham. In his statement, Burnham revealed Allen had been battling early-onset of mixed dementia.
“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 writes. “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 [King] and I [Hugo] went to see him and spent a lovely afternoon with him and the family,” Burnham continues. “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.”
A pillar of the British post-punk scene, Allen joined Gang of Four in 1976, and joined the lineup alongside drummer Burnham, vocalist King and guitarist Andy Gill, who passed away in 2020.
He made his debut on the band’s 1979 record Entertainment!, and his rock solid low-end nous – which became a distinctive and defining feature for the early Gang of Four sound – later returned for 1981’s Solid Gold.
Through his contributions to the band’s early works, Allen’s bass playing would go on to influence the likes of Nirvana and REM, with Entertainment! widely considered to be one of punk’s definitive records.
Allen was also a key influence for Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, who paid tribute to one of his heroes in a post on social media.
“Huge influence on me, those first two gang of four albums,” Flea writes. “Taught me how much you can define the character of a song with so few notes. A one of a kind. Lives forever.”
In 1981, Allen left Gang of Four to start Shriekback with former XTC keyboardist Barry Andrews. They were active at various points throughout the ’80s and ’90s, and explored a more new wave post-punk sound over the course of 17 studio records.
In 2005, Allen reunited with his Gang of Four bandmates for a tour, and put out a compilation album of re-recorded originals titled Return the Gift. Allen also played with The Elastic Purejoy and Low Pop Suicide, having founded World Domination Records in the late 1980s.
“It’s our dynamic that sets us apart from all the pretenders,” Allen told The Independent of his relationship with his Gang of Four bandmates at the time of their reunion. “It’s inspired by Hugo and I pummelling away on drums and bass, and Andy sending out shards of guitar, whilst Jon’s firing out thought-provoking lyrics.
“It also answers the question of why we’re back, because no one has proved to me that they’re capable of doing what we did. It sounds arrogant, but when we play live it still blows minds because the songs are still potent.”
Gang of Four announced a farewell tour earlier this year. Bassist Gail Greenwood, who had been drafted into the lineup, paid tribute to Allen, writing: “Dave was the OG master of some of the most iconic basslines in music history (which I now have the honor of playing live with the band).
“Learning his parts by listening intensely to every note and nuance he created has given me even more of an appreciation for his incredible talent. I only wish I had met him as I feel like I know him so well – both from listening to him play and hearing the wonderful stories about him from the boys.”
