Geordie Walker, longtime guitarist of revered post-punk rockers Killing Joke, has died on the age of 64.
On Sunday afternoon (Nov. 26), the band shared on their social media pages that Walker handed away after struggling a stroke. “He was surrounded by household. We’re devastated. Relaxation In Peace brother.”
In an Instagram submit shared by former Killing Joke drummer Martin Atkins, he wrote, succinctly, “Geordie Walker has left the constructing.” Blabbermouth reported on Walker’s loss of life, citing a Fb submit written by Walker’s shut good friend Luca Signorelli:
This morning I obtained a cellphone name, telling me that Kevin ‘Geordie’ Walker had died few hours in the past in Prague, following an enormous stroke final Friday … I do not bear in mind even one second Geordie was round that was awkward or boring. Geordie had a repute for being abrasive and typically curt with individuals who tried to strategy him, however the actuality is that he did not wish to waste his time with individuals he did not like. And ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ was for Geordie totally a matter of intuition.
Matt Pinfield additionally shared the tragic information, saying he obtained a textual content on Sunday morning alerting him to the lack of his good friend.
“His songs and big riffs because the founding guitarist of Killing Joke, are so liked and influential — lined by everybody from Metallica to Foo Fighters. Jimmy Web page was a fan. Kurt Cobain borrowed one among his riffs. He was a gentleman, and we had some nice instances. We’ll miss you my outdated good friend.”
Geordie Walker and the Starting of Killing Joke
Walker helped kind Killing Joke lower than a 12 months after drummer Paul Ferguson and singer Jaz Coleman first met. On Oct. 26, 1979, they launched their debut EP, Flip to Crimson, and nearly precisely a 12 months later, they launched their self-titled full-length, which featured the singles “Wardance” and “Requiem,” the latter of which was lined by the Foo Fighters’ EP 00979725.
Killing Joke additionally included the music “The Wait,” which Metallica would later cowl on The $5.98 E.P. — Storage Days Re-Revisited. Metallica’s cowl was featured within the blockbuster film starring Jack Black, Faculty of Rock.
Walker was recognized for his aggressive guitar taking part in model, although in a 2013 interview with Steel Assault, he admitted that he began to “play with rather less violence on the fitting hand. Which has helped me rather a lot in definition, if you realize what I imply, and never breaking as many strings both. I used to snap the D strings and be spiteful with sure chords.”
Along with this explicit model of taking part in, Walker developed what many would name a signature sound over time with Killing Joke. That sound, most distinct on Killing Joke’s early-’80s data, is thanks partly to Walker discovering the Gibson ES-295 hollowbody electrical guitar.
Geordie Walker – Killing Joke
Within the Could 2016 difficulty of Guitar World, he mentioned, “Whenever you discover one thing that you simply specific your self by one of the best — one thing that’s utterly your sound — why would you employ the rest?”
In that ’13 interview with Steel Assault, Walker mentioned one thing related, admitting, “I simply discovered the fitting instrument fairly early within the sport.”
Relaxation In Peace, Geordie Walker
Kevin “Geordie” Walker” was born on Dec. 18, 1958, in Chester-le-street, England, and took an interest within the guitar at a really younger age. In an interview with Music UK in 1984, he mentioned the worst half about studying learn how to play guitar was having to cease when his dad obtained dwelling.
“I used to run dwelling from college at about 4, lock myself within the bed room, flip the amp up full and thrash it until he got here in. It was a every day ritual.”
Geordie Walker – Killing Joke
Killing Joke’s affect started just about as quickly as they fashioned and has continued all through their profession. In 2015, they launched their fifteenth studio album, Pylon, and three years later, they toured the world celebrating their fortieth anniversary as a band.
In a dialog about Killing Joke’s diehard followers, Jaz Coleman mentioned he most popular to name their fanbase “the gathering.”
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“In reality, this was partly impressed by an expertise he and Walker had in 1982. “I bear in mind again in 1982 speaking with Geordie [Walker] once I was in Iceland and we decided to begin the gathering,” he instructed Loudwire in 2022 following the discharge of Killing Joke’s EP, Lord of Chaos, “which is the concept it may be a lot greater than a fanclub. It has a lot extra which means to be a gatherer and to be part of this Killing Joke household.”
As this story develops, the Loudwire staff extends its deepest sympathies to Walker’s mates, household and bandmates.
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Gallery Credit score: Loudwire Employees
