Nikki Sudden RIP

for those of us who knew this wonderful and talented man, and for those of us who appreciated his fine music (swell maps, jacobites, nikki sudden), sunday, march 26th was a very grey day. rest in peace nikki 1956-2006

If this is really the case, just an incredible loss. I'm glad I had the chance to meet him, albeit briefly, that night.

I was recently going though the archives of the Little Hits blog and found this post, featuring a longtime favorite song of mine:

http://www.littlehits.com/2005/01/song-of-day-january-17-2005.html#comments

Both people who had it going well (onthe surface, certainly), and so much respect from people I knew (of), it seems both people had one really great day and then say "I know what'd round the day off nicely"...

I know that's probably too soon, too raw. But I had to say something more than "Man that sucks" or something. There's so much in the world that's dangerous but that people should know of or have experience of, but there's some things it's better never to know.

Too many people die doing things they like. I'm rambling now, (shuttup mark) I'm going to.

Don't look back

Rest well.

just one of the best bands ever .. certainly more imaginative and insightful than 90% of the "post-punk" stuff we're supposed to love .. Swell Maps simply just a cut above

very sad news..

RIP Nikki

I read RecordCollector, pretty much since it started, and one day there was an article about the Beach Boys by Nikki. I recognised the name, and thought, hey anyone can write articles for magazines then! (i.e. as opposed to staff only, obv) So I penned one about the Jesus and Mary chain, and they published it about a year later.

An inconsequential anecdote, and my only article yes, but hey.

Other Jacobites stuff:

Jacobites
Lost In A Sea Of Scarves
The Ragged School
Fortune Of Fame (Big Hits And Broken Biscuits)
Howling Good Times (1,000 copies + free 7")
Kiss Of Life (999 copies)
God Save Us Poor Sinners

And yes, they either re-relased many of the same songs or ddid different versions of them, but that was what that pair was about--terminally lazy, great collaborative songs)

Nikki Solo:

Dead Men Tell No Tales
KIss You Kidnapped Charabanc
Crown of Thorns
Treasure Island
Back To The Coast
The Jewel Thief
Seven Lives Later
Egyptian Roads
Red Brocade
Waiting On Egypt
The Bible Belt
The Jewel Thief
From The Warwick Road To The Banks Of The Nil

Ok, I've prattled enough. I am desperately going to miss this man.

Thom Jurek

Thanks for all the great music over the years. RIP Nikki.

I shall play Robespierre's Velvet Basement in his honor.

Regrettably not. What I had heard of his post-Maps stuff often struck me as a reverent approach to Marc Bolan (when frankly an irreverent one works better -- though Devendra seems to have his cake and eat it too). I'm willing to be convinced otherwise but that's a discussion for another day.

--- In [email protected], desko2000@... wrote:
>
> woe woe WOE!!! Didn't he play shows in NYC this past week?!?!?!?! Any
> details?

I checked with the original poster to confirm this and it's true. There aren't really any
details as of yet though I'm sure they'll be announced in some manner.

And I guess this is as good a place as any for me to offer a review of saturday night's show
at the Knitting Factory tap bar. The band, Nikki, Danny Hole (the Warlocks) and Alan Merrill
(the Arrows, the man who wrote I Love Rock-n-Roll?) started out a bit shambolic and raw,
and it was quickly pointed out that the bass player hadn't even rehearsed with them.
Considering that, his/their improvisational abilities were pretty impressive and when they
got it together it was quite rousing. They played some old songs, some newer songs and
some covers to a small but dedicated and appreciative crowd, myself included.

Then halfway through a cover of T Rex's Bang a Gong, Evan Dando of the Lemonheads came on stage and tried to get his guitar to work. It didn't. Only at the end did they
get it sorted out, just in time for Bang a Gong to turn into Sister Ray. At this point, I
realized I was watching something very special! The rest of the show went along like that.
Things would fall apart, they'd pick up, they'd rock out, Nikki would sing some heartfelt
tunes, then delve into a classic Swell Maps number, which would somehow morph into Sympathy for the Devil. They also covered The Stone's Dead Flowers.

After the show, I had the chance to briefly meet Nikki thanks to an introduction by Joly.
Following that I stood in the Knitting Factory hallway as the huge line formed for people
who'd come to see the Gossip to get their coats. I laughed as Evan Dando pushed throw
them, mostly unrecognized, and thought what a shame that all these people don't realize
that Nikki Sudden, one of the towering figures of Post-punk, just finished a set. Later at
the Gossip after-party I got to meet their bass player who exclaimed "I can't believe Nikki
Sudden's playing downstairs while we're up here, what a fucked up world this is!" or something to that effect. I'm not sure if he meant Nikki should've had the mainstage, or if
he was simply expressing frustration that he couldn't check the show out because he had
his own concert to play.

Yesterday we can say we lost a true rock-n-roll legend, never quite given his due, but with
influence as wide as can be imagined. At the very least we can be satisfied that in recent
years more and more people became aware of his work, we can thank Secretly Canadian:

http://www.secretlycanadian.com/

for putting his solo records, and the Swell Maps records back in print, and they're all worth
checking out.

RIP, Nikki.

-dan

Tom Hyland, local show promoter, had this to say:

such terrible news...I was actually working on a Swell Maps reuinon for this Summer, Dot Dash Fest, plus SF, LA, Seattle, Boston, Chicago.

Nikki and Jowe were really into it and plans were being made; they were working on convincing Richard Earle (the other original guitarist) and it was looking like it was gonna happen...

He will be missed...

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002236579

Swell Maps --
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YweKU8ckalk&search=swell%20maps

http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article354462.ece

I was not a fan until Saturday, March 25, my birthday. Early morning, March 26, a friend and I stopped off at the Knitting Factory before going home. Not knowing who was playing, I asked the bouncers if it was worth going into the club and one of them chimed in enthusiastically, "the set is almost finished but you should check out the band playing on the ___ floor. Great sound." So we went in and sat almost directly in front of Nikki Sudden (hence I feel the need to share this). There was someone on the side of the stage videotaping the set. We heard two songs - I think the last song was Sympathy for The Devil. Midway through the first song I looked over at my friend and said what a great way to end the night - their amazing.
The vibe was definitely punk yet gentle (strange combination, but true). Nikki Sudden was dressed in what I now know was his trademark glam rock suit; I recall seeing rings on his fingers. He hovered over the mike and strummed his guitar like a legend actually...I knew that we were watching someone special.

All around were young punk rockers adding to the vibe, all of them listening appreciatively - in fact it was clear that those guys looked up to Mr. Sudden by the way they were watching him. There were a number of British folks there. One of the guitarist walked off the stage midway through Sympathy for the Devil (I think) and did not return...but Mr. Sudden carried on without a pause. I don't even think that he noticed that the guitarist had left.

I wanted to hear more and was disappointed when the band concluded their set. The audience was definitely appreciative - so much so that Nikki Sudden said something like, we can keep playing if you'd like. But the other band members were already walking toward the back of the stage. Someone said something to him - I cannot remember what - but it was a flattering comment. Mr. Sudden seemed humble and just born to be a musician. All of this I got in two songs time....I cannot believe that he died hours later.

I was quite lucky indeed to hear the last two songs he would ever play. I will be purchasing Groove (I think that's the title) at my next visit to the record store.

May Mr. Sudden rest in peace.

Amy

Devon e. Levins

To bad Nikki didn’t have a chance to see the Max Blagg rant in Emily and Pat;s Nightclubbing Retrosptive at the Downtown Show in NYC …Blagg nailed it with his amazing bingo on junk, junkies, musicians and those who lives the junkies make toxic.

Remember when the dead junkies body lies on a cold slab in the police DOA room .. it is just that a dead naked junkie with a nametag tied to the big toe .. in death the junkie is no one but a dead junkie

What a waste .. you’d had thought after loosing his brother epic to an OD Nikki might have learnt something.

Please people deal with this stupid, unnecessary death not by being romantic ( the nice sweet guy is in reality one cold dead junkie) but by confront the reality of what junk does to a human being. You can start with the words : selfish, manipulative, self-centered, whinner, soulsucker .. and add what ever other words come to mind.

Called narcotics anonymous if you need more information.

tasty

Everybody knows what junk does, unfortunately those addicted are usually unable to do anything about it by the nature of their, erm, addiction.

But thanks for the pious bullshit all the same.

I have since checked out Mr. Sudden's journal entries....he was quite a character and seemed to live life quite fully. Among the things that touched me was his love for his parents and the solace he felt when visiting them.

My hearfelt condolences to everyone for this huge loss.

Amy

Amy

Wish people would stop the rumours which are very hurtful to family and friends at this time.

Those of us who knew Nikki well will remember him for being excentric, tenacious, confident, funny, charming, sometimes selfish, terribly vain, but totally lovable and a totally dedicated rock star (move over Keith).

I was fortunate to have managed Nikki and Epic in the 80's for a couple of years. They we classic characters to work I have many happy and fun memories of working together. I kept in touch with Nikki off and on through the years and just heard from him a few weeks ago.

So sorry I can't make it over for the funeral on the 18th but my thoughts and prayers are with Nikki’s family and friends. I will be with you in spirit.

I know you are up there Nikki and just lovely all this attention. May you rest and I look forward to reading your biography. Andy sad it was a good read.

Fiona MacPherson, Melbourne Australia

What does "a totally dedicated rock star" mean?

Oddly enough, I'd never even heard of Swell Maps till this thread.

Pleas stop talking bout drugs, noone knows whats happen at this time, and although Epics death was not drugrelated.
Nikki, god blessyou wherever you may be

J.Breu

I'd actually met Nikki just the once in 1982 at a london flat. The first time I saw him on stage was his last gig. So I was fairly freaked out by this news. I live in the Uk and just happended to be visiting NYC at the time. I bought a cd from him after the gig and got it signed - possibly his last signed cd? Who knows. It was to a common friend saying "where the hell are you?". I just hope the 15 bucks I gave him wasn't used to buy any substances. But i guess if it was going to happen, it was going to happen...

I spoke to the person that filmed the show. He explained it would be online on his website. I forget the name something like www.punk*****.com. Hopefully it'll be up online sometime soon. I'm not that familiar with Nikki's back catalogue, but i do remember them playing the Stones "dead flowers" and the lyrics "no i won't forget to put roses on your grave" now kind of echoes....

My sympathies go out to his parents/friends.

tf

Ps yes, he had a very young looking chinese girl helping him sell cd's / t-shirts.

He also cracked a joke about gary glitter - something along the lines of "he didn't do anything wrong, just saving a girl from a lifetime in vice trade!" (fairly sick but i found it funny... think i was the only audible voice laughing, but then i have a perverse sense of humour).

tf

The rest is still projection, but we can agree to differ there if you like.

It wasn't your post I was objecting to. It was 'tastytool' above.

I have no issues at all with what you said previously.

(oops. Bigtime)

no worries re: our misunderstanding.

That'll be Joly's http://www.punkcast.com - not posted yet although there is a Nikki Sudden 2004 show.

http://www.nikkisudden.com/news/index.htm

Nikki Sudden Thanksgiving Service

A Thanksgiving Service for the life of Nikki Sudden will be held at 12.30pm on Wednesday 19th April at the Baptist Church, Chandos Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England.

Everybody is most welcome to attend and it will give us the opportunity to meet and thank you personally for all your love and support during this very difficult time.

There is a good train service from London (Marylebone Station) direct to Leamington Spa.

The Church is about 10 minutes by taxi from the station.

Here are some examples of train times:

Marylebone depart 09.20 arrive Leamington Spa 10.57
----------------- 09.50 --------------------- 11.14
----------------- 10.20 --------------------- 11.54

Nikki came back to the place he was staying in New York after his final concert after the others had gone to bed. He sat at a table reading a book and that is how he was found the next morning. The initial autopsy conducted in New York revealed that he had a slightly enlarged heart. Mercifully, he would have suffered no pain nor known anything about it. We believe he is now with his beloved brother, Epic.

Thank you all so much,

Lois & Trevor Godfrey

Parents shocked by musician's sudden death

Says it all really.

listening to The Ragged School lately

what an album, i am in love

it's like if lou reed and bowie tried to write an album of "wild horses" by the stones

this guy has a dense, confusing discography, but it's kind of fun that way -- i'm always discovering different records of his that i end up loving.

2006 was a rough year for cult rockers -- grant mclennan, syd barrett, nikki sudden, arthur lee ...

ha that's funny tyler i was going to ask you if you liked nikki, seems super up your alley.

what else should i get?

all of the jacobites 80s records are worth getting, actually haven't heard the later stuff. Robespierre's Velvet Basement is probably my fave after the Ragged School. the waiting on egypt/bible belt reish on secretly canadian is great too.

x-post

I like that description of The Ragged School (and I like that album alot too. haven't listened to it in awhile but I should).

yeah that's the only solo one I have and it is a great record

cool news from easy action: Well we are a bit late on getting stock on the long awaited Nikki Sudden book but we will ship out the day they arrive due to be first week of March. Nikkis albums The Jewel Thief & Seven Lives Later have both been expanded and are available as downloads. Playing with Fire is in the shops ( yeah all four of them !)and the Epic Soundtracks Anthology Wild Smile is now due for May. This will be 1 disc of remastered tracks from existing albums and 1 disc of unreleased material compiled by Chris Coleman ( what a nice way to turn seventeen fanzine ) The Nikki Sudden box set "The Boy from nowhere,who fell out of the sky" is now going to be 6 discs . We are NOT including any dvd material as that would delay the release even further .We are hoping for a September release on this one !

RIP Dave Kusworth

:(

Oh no!

oh sad....The Ragged School is a favorite

Whenever I dip back into Sudden/RS Howard/Soundtracks/Kusworth and hear their louche surrealism, I think post-1980 Dylan would sound great backed by a shambling, clanging band like Jacobites.

damn RIP. think I’ll bust out my jacobites CDs tonight.