Just four weeks after embarking on a brief Irish tour, Nikki Sudden has collapsed and died following a show at New York’s Knitting Factory.
“Nikki Sudden believed in rock ‘n’ roll and how hard was that in this cold new millennium?” his longtime bandmate Dave Kusworth says in tribute.
The co-founder of legendary ‘70s post-punkers The Swell Maps, the 49-year-old – real name Adrian Godfrey – included REM, Wilco, Mike Scott, Mercury Reb, Evan Dando and Sonic Youth among his army of admirers.
Along with over a dozen solo albums, Sudden penned a cracking biography, Another String Of Pearls, and appeared in the acclaimed German independent film, Honey Baby.
The official cause of death has yet to be determined.
Another tragic death has occured in the Blood And Whiskey camp. Alan Confrey (pictured), the tin whistle player, died from a heart attack on Thursday 23 March, having just returned from a Irish and UK tour with Stiff Little Fingers that very day. Messages of consolation can be left at www.bloodorwhiskey.ie.
Hot Press send our condolences to both parties.