David Thomas, founding member of Pere Ubu and Rocket From the Tombs, died aged 71

David Thomas, founding member of influential American rock band Pere Ubu, has died at age 71 "after a long illness."

"On Wednesday, April 23 2025, he died in his home town of Brighton & Hove, with his wife and youngest step-daughter by his side," the band to their Facebook page. "He will ultimately be returned to his home, the farm in Pennsylvania, where he insisted he was to be 'thrown in the barn.'"

Pere Ubu had been recording a new album with Thomas and have said they would continue to work on it "so that his last music is available to all."

"Aside from that, he left instruction that the work should continue to catalog all the tapes from live shows via the official bandcamp page," they added. "His autobiography was nearly completed and we will finish that for him."

Thomas formed his first band, Rocket From the Tombs, in 1974. Despite exciting live performances and an influence on proto-punk, the band was shortlived and never recorded any material.

Pere Ubu would be created shortly after, with Thomas, Peter Laughner, Tim Wright, Allen Ravenstine, Scott Krauss and Tom Herman.

The band split after five albums by 1982, reforming in 1987. While the lineup had changed somewhat between 1975 and 1982, after the revival Thomas would remain as the sole founding member, with a supporting band of over 20 regularly shifting names.

While Thomas' tastes would evolve over the years, he and Pere Ubu are hailed as a considerable influence on the punk and post-punk movements, despite his resistance to the labels.

Alongside Pere Ubu, Thomas would work on a variety of side projects, including multiple Rocket From the Tombs reunions in the 2000s which saw the group release their first studio album, Rocket Redux.