Killing Joke Guitarist Geordie Walker Dead at 64

Geordie Walker, longtime guitarist of revered post-punk rockers Killing Joke, has died at 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 family. We are devastated. Rest In Peace brother.”

In an (*64*) publish shared by former Killing Joke drummer Martin Atkins, he wrote, succinctly, “Geordie Walker has left the building.” Blabbermouth reported on Walker’s demise, citing a Facebook publish written by Walker’s shut good friend Luca Signorelli:

This morning I acquired a telephone name, telling me that Kevin ‘Geordie’ Walker had died few hours in the past in Prague, following a large stroke final Friday … I do not keep in mind even one second Geordie was round that was awkward or boring. Geordie had a repute for being abrasive and generally curt with individuals who tried to method him, however the actuality is that he did not wish to waste his time with folks he did not like. And ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ was for Geordie fully 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 massive riffs as the founding guitarist of Killing Joke, are so loved and influential — covered by everyone from Metallica to Foo Fighters. Jimmy Page was a fan. Kurt Cobain borrowed one of his riffs. He was a gentleman, and we had some great times. We will miss you my old friend.”

Geordie Walker and the Beginning of Killing Joke

Walker helped type 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, Turn to Red, and virtually 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 tune “The Wait,” which Metallica would later cowl on The $5.98 E.P. — Garage Days Re-Revisited. Metallica’s cowl was featured within the blockbuster film starring Jack Black, School of Rock.

Walker was identified for his aggressive guitar enjoying model, although in a 2013 interview with Metal Assault, he admitted that he began to “play with a little less violence on the right hand. Which has helped me a lot in definition, if you know what I mean, and not breaking as many strings either. I used to snap the D strings and be spiteful with certain chords.”

In addition to this explicit model of enjoying, 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 partially to Walker discovering the Gibson ES-295 hollowbody electrical guitar.

In the May 2016 problem of Guitar World, he mentioned, “When you find something that you express yourself through the best — something that is completely your sound — why would you use anything else?”

In that ’13 interview with Metal Assault, Walker mentioned one thing comparable, admitting, “I just found the right instrument pretty early in the game.”

Rest In Peace, Geordie Walker

Kevin “Geordie” Walker” was born on Dec. 18, 1958, in Chester-le-street, England, and became interested in the guitar at a very young age. In an interview with Music UK in 1984, he said the worst part about learning how to play guitar was having to stop when his dad got home.

“I used to run residence 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 each day ritual.”

Killing Joke’s influence began virtually as soon as they formed and has continued throughout their career. In 2015, they released their 15th studio album, Pylon, and three years later, they toured the world celebrating their 40th anniversary as a band.

In a conversation about Killing Joke’s diehard fans, Jaz Coleman said he preferred to call their fanbase “the gathering.”

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“In reality, this was partly impressed by an expertise he and Walker had in 1982. “I remember back in 1982 talking with Geordie [Walker] when I was in Iceland and we made a decision to start the gathering,” he advised Loudwire in 2022 following the discharge of Killing Joke’s EP, Lord of Chaos, “which is the idea that it can be so much more than a fanclub. It has so much more meaning to be a gatherer and to be a part of this Killing Joke family.”

As this story develops, the Loudwire workforce extends its deepest sympathies to Walker’s associates, household and bandmates.

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