Influential Gang Of Four guitarist Andy Gill dies aged 64

Musician Andy Gill of the band Gang of Four performs onstage during Beach Goth Festival at The Observatory on October 22, 2016 in Santa Ana, California

(Image credit: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

Andy Gill, founder and guitarist of British post-punk band Gang Of Four, has died aged 64.

The news was announced via the band’s social media, which stated, “Our great friend and Supreme Leader has died today.

“His uncompromising artistic vision and commitment to the cause meant that he was still listening to mixes for the upcoming record, whilst planning the next tour from his hospital bed.”

Andy Gill. pic.twitter.com/DHNCz5lAe6February 1, 2020

Gill’s angular, aggressive playing style on his trademark Stratocaster - best showcased on landmark albums Entertainment! and Solid Gold - found fans in the likes of Nirvana, Fugazi, R.E.M. and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, whose debut album he produced.

In 2018, Gill told Guitar World of his signature sound, “I don’t really spend time thinking about the guitar tone. I tend to just plug it in and play with a few tremolo effects, tweak a few things and then off we go.”

Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello paid tribute to Gill on social media, saying, “[He was] one of my principal influences on the instrument as his jagged plague disco raptor attack industrial funk deconstructed guitar anti-hero sonics and fierce poetic radical intellect were formative for me.”

So sorry to hear of the passing of the great #AndyGill, guitarist of Gang of Four. One of my principal influences on the instrument as his jagged plague disco raptor attack industrial funk deconstructed guitar anti-hero sonics and fierce poetic radical intellect were formative for me. So glad I got to see him and revel in his incendiary art and wry wit several times over the past year. He was really, really fucking great. Tom Morello
A photo posted by @tommorello on Feb 1, 2020 at 10:04am PST

Prior to Gill’s death, Gang Of Four had just finished a new studio record, and completed their final tour in November 2019.

Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and 15 years' experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. His writing also appears in the The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.