Dave Lennox

Mick writes:

To my shame, I only learned of Dave's death some three or four weeks after it had happened. A lesson to me - must keep in touch. So it was a bit of a shock.. I had last spoken to Dave when he phoned a few months back, eager to share a story he'd remembered that he thought I might like. Something about the Gunnell Brothers and Nazi memorabilia.. anyway..

He seemed in fine fettle and was telling me about some music he was creating. He had a home studio and had written and recorded many instrumental tracks. He was now working on some classical pieces - he would have been well up to the job.

And I had been recently thinking it would soon be time for an update. Oh well.

Dave spent his last days in Barnet Hospital - I've yet to learn the full details. I knew he had health issues but I didn't think they were life threatening. Since his partner Suzanne died a couple of years ago I think Dave found life quite hard but faced it stoically. He had basically retired from live work but still did the occasional local pub gig, playing and also taking some vocals.

Dave was the keyboard player in the Mick Clarke Band on many of our tours, festivals and club gigs, performing all over Europe. He was on the 'Live In Luxembourg' album and also on the studio album 'Solid Ground'. He was on our last major gig in 2019 - an open air festival in Sweden, playing up a storm as always. He also played on Killing Floor's re-union gigs in Germany, Belgium, Italy and Sweden - always a confident professional job.

He had a busy and productive career before we even met, notably touring with Ginger Baker (the inspiration for a thousand amusing stories) and Blodwyn Pig with Mick Abrahams who he affectionately referred to as 'Dodgy Deals from Milton Keynes'. Dave enjoyed a nick name - I always enjoyed his term for horn players..'plumbers'. His regular pay gig had been The Equals, flying over to Germany for well paid concert appearances.

So Dave had plenty of stories to tell, and being a true Irishman he told them well, summoning up his best Dave Allen. He could be good company whiling away the hours on the road, or celebrating after a good show.

And he was a helluva player.. no one could touch him on the Hammond, and I knew that if I went into a guitar keyboard exchange with him he would always rise to the challenge with enthusiasm and charisma.

So it's a sad day to lose an old friend and colleague, and the music world has lost a great player. R.I.P. Dave.



Our last gig together - rocking the Karlshamn Baltic Festival, Sweden, 19 July 2019.