the darkest days 2013

In 2013 it seemed barely a month went by before we said goodbye to yet another of rocks leading performers. The year saw no less than 11 artists who had been making music from the 1960's on and helped shape the way rock was changing through that revolutionary decade and beyond. Mayer and Hanneman were musically active a decade later but they were no less important influences on their genre. They were all inspirational musicians and artists.
Collectively they have created countless hours of recorded music and performances that connected deeply to their audiences.
It's a sad loss indeed to lose all these artists in just 12 months. They are not replaceable, they were a result of the times they lived in and that reflected in the music they created. We will not see their like again.
These were the darkest days...

Kevin Ayers - (Soft Machine) see post

Alvin Lee - (Ten Years After) see post

Richie Havens - (Woodstock) see post

Jeff Hanneman - (Slayer) see post

Ray Manzerak - (The Doors) see post

Alan Myers - (Devo) see post

Mick Farren - (The Deviants) see post

George Duke - (Frank Zappa) see post

Allen Lanier - (Blue Oyster Cult) see post

Ronald Shannon Jackson - (Decoding Society) see post

Lou Reed (Velvet Underground) - see post

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mick farren RIP

Mick Farren died last night after collapsing onstage at a Deviants gig at the Borderline, London.
He was one of the 1960's counter culture underground writers and journalist for the International Times.
Singer for The Deviants.
Prominent activist in the White Panthers UK movement.
Organised the Phun City Festival in 1970.
Released 15 albums under his own name and with The Deviants.
Collaborated with Lemmy, co-wrote "Lost Johnny" for Hawkwind, "Keep Us on the Road" and "Damage Case" for Motörhead. With Larry Wallis, co-wrote "When's the Fun Begin?" for the Pink Fairies.
Writer/contributor for the New Musical Express in the 1970's.
Author of 23 novels.
Poet.
Columnist for the weekly newspaper Los Angeles CityBeat.
Wrote Doc40 blog...
and the list continues on because Mick Farren lived life to the full.
Committed and passionate he dared to rail against the machine. His last blog entry dated 15th July read "IT’S THE RICH WHAT GETS THE PLEASURE (by any means necessary and no matter what it takes)"
In the latter years he was suffering from some ill health and returned back to England. This last year The Deviants reformed and continued to gig.
Mick Farren made a difference.