Brian Hooper of Beasts of Bourbon/Surrealists has cancer

What's being called "incurable lung cancer," to be precise.

There's a benefit concert for him in Australia, with the Beasts, Surrealists and others.

https://www.facebook.com/events/176408202991842/

Also a GoFundMe page at the same link.

Between this and Spencer P. Jones' illness (anybody heard anything about that?), it appears that being a Beast is bad for your long-term health. To put a selfish spin on it, I'm so glad I got to see the Beasts play at SXSW however long ago it was.

I have Hooper's solo albums. His record Trouble is pretty remarkable. He has something in collaboration with the Drones' Gareth Liddiard coming out soon.

He's worked on some great records, Rowland S. Howard's Exit Everything is a grand tune. Really sad news. Keeping
an eye out for a Sydney benefit but doesn't look like it. Better news on Spencer Jones. A mutual friend says
he isn't too bad and has recently done a few shows with his band, The Escape Committee and occasionally with the re-booted Johnnys.

Great to know about Spencer, at least.

News has just come to hand that Brian Hooper has passed away. His last gig being his own benefit at which the aforementioned Spencer Jones performed.

I saw that this morning. I'm very sorry to hear it, though I can't say I'm surprised. I've heard he was a devoted family man, so my heart goes out to his loved ones, not to mention the Beasts and the Surrealists.

I love his solo album Trouble. I hope his own music gets a bigger spotlight now.

interestingly a great deal of the tributes are focusing on the Surrealists despite all his Beasts work. The Charlie Marshall on the Body Electric stuff (featuring Warren Ellis and Jim White) needs recognition too methinks.

I'm not familiar with Charlie Marshall - I'll have to check that out.