Is he a celebrity?
His son is a TD.
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Clifford is a very forensic journalist.
He is. I have ti e for him I must say
It sure as shit wasnât the late Peter Pringle anyway.
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Your local Member of Parliament is on Primetime here at the moment recounting a near death experience.
Martin Kenny is a good bloke.
Martin Kenny? Heâs an alright sort kind of 
Iâm watching a recording of Mississippi Burning for about the 3rd time. Itâs a classic.
Mr taytos cousin
An entirely unrelated coincidence surely
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Appropriate nevertheless
Doesnât sound good.
David Crosby of CSNY and The Byrds
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Crosby even
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He survived 40 years longer than expected
This thread is surviving beyond 2022 as well.
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The universe getting one final dig in there with the mountain being called Mount Baldy.
Iâm still in shock. Iâm gonna go to the place in Maynooth they recorded Hello Rascals and Helicopter of the Holy Ghost this weekend.
TelifĂs are incredibly good, though. What a fucking man.
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This is very sad and Bobby Gillespie and Andrew Innes come out of it looking like cunts.
http://www.dafts.co.uk/louieduffystatement.pdf
This is the personal witness statement of LOUIE DUFFY (son, aged 19) submitted as
evidence to the West Sussex, Brighton and Hove Coroner for the Inquest on 6th June
2023, into the death of MARTIN DUFFY (died 18 December 2022, aged 55).
The statement, as given to the court of HM Coroner, Ms Penelope Schofield, is as
follows:
My Dad, Martin Duffy, was born and grew up in Birmingham and although living in London and
then Hove for most of his life, was a very proud Brummie. He was a passionate and life-long
supporter of Aston Villa football club. Some of my earliest and happiest memories are going to
matches together, which we did right up to his death.
Dad apparently answered an ad when he was 16 years old asking: âDo you want to be a Rock
ân Roll Star?â He was a star in the true sense of the word and not just because of his musical
talent. He could play many instruments but he also had a brilliant mind and many interests. Dad
never chased fame, it just came with the job, he was quite a private person. His good friend
Tim Burgess of the band âThe Charlatansâ described Dad in his tribute as âthe only musical
geniusâ he has ever met.
Reading the many tributes to Dad in the press it is also clear how loved he was as a person and
this does not surprise me. He was down to earth, had time for everyone and you could not help
but like him: he was approachable, humble, a kind and genuine person who was without ego.
He also had the funniest, most absurd humour which gave so much joy to others, he made me
laugh so much, this is what I will miss the most.
Despite his fame, Dad was never arrogant and always put everyone at ease, treating everyone
with respect. He was a true gentleman. Rock ân roll posturing never interested Dad - he didnât
need it - he was the real deal, a total original.
Dad and I were very close. I knew him better than anyone and especially, as I got older, had
many conversations with him. I am able to express exactly what he told me about how he felt.
Straight after Dadâs funeral I left on a pre-planned 3 month trip abroad, so I have had a lot of
time to reflect. I want to be my Dadâs voice now because there were a series of circumstances
leading up to his death which I, my family and Dadâs close friends all believe contributed to his
sudden and rapid decline in the last months of his life.
My Dad had been a professional musician from the age of 18, first playing keyboards with the
band âFeltâ in the 1980s when his talent was quickly recognised and he then became a
respected member of the band Primal Scream for more than 30 years. This might lead people to
believe that he was a wealthy man but this is not the case at all. My Dad died in debt and I know
how badly this affected him in the last year of his life.
After joining the band, Dad had started out as an equal member of Primal Scream but he was
gradually cut out from getting any songwriting credits, then touring and merchandise profits,
eventually just being paid per gig. My Dad was so much more to the band than just a session
man, his keyboards were an integral part of their sound on every album and he had always
been a spokesperson, doing countless press interviews for the band over the years.
When I say âthe bandâ, I mean Bobby Gillespie and Andrew Innes; everyone else in the band
joined years later, donât make the decisions and are also employed as session musicians.
Dad said the money only really started coming in when Primal Scream did the 20th anniversary
tour of their most successful album âScreamadelicaâ in 2011 but he didnât get to benefit from this
as it was at this time that the band decided to demote him to only being paid as a session
musician from then on.
Anyone who knew my Dad knew he was a drinker, in the bandâs heyday in the early 90s, Primal
Scream were as famous for their excess as they were for their music. I would say that Dad was
alcohol dependent for many years; it didnât help that alcohol is so freely available in the music
industry.
But he had a complicated relationship with alcohol, I know you donât have to drink every day to
still be an alcoholic - and Dad didnât - I know this because I lived with him half of the time (after
Mum & Dadâs divorce) and spoke to him most days when staying at my Mums. Dad was a
âbinge drinkerâ when he would drink for two or three days in a row and then stop. He would also
have long periods of sobriety. He had been a heavy smoker his whole life but managed to give
up about five years ago, I would say that he took his health very seriously,
He would think nothing of regularly doing 10 mile walks over the Downs. Dad loved nature and
photography and posted thousands of beautiful images on his private Instagram. Our fridge and
kitchen cupboards at home looked like a health food shop with so many bottles of vitamins, he
juiced every morning and cooked us really healthy meals. He loved his flat and especially
enjoyed the garden. He kept our home clean and tidy and also took pride in his appearance, he
was known for his large collection of hats.
Dad was a functioning alcoholic who had a professional attitude to his work, in more recent
years, not drinking before gigs, not letting it affect his performances. He was very reliable, as far
as I know, he never once missed a gig.
It was during lockdown when things started going wrong for Dad. No gigs meant no income and
he got into debt. He was also diagnosed with prostate cancer during lockdown and despite the
band knowing this, they hardly made any contact with him during this very difficult time. I
remember Dad telling Bobby Gillespie on the phone that he was having to sign on for benefits to
get by as he had no savings but the band offered no support either emotional or financial. I saw
how much this upset him.
After months of not working, the first gig after lockdown was the Bigfoot Festival in Warwickshire
in June 2021. I remember it because Dad had just had the surgery for his cancer and still had a
catheter and bag fitted. He insisted that he was fit to play but should never have attempted to do
the gig, but by this time he was desperate for money. Dad was really nervous leading up to that
gig, which he never normally was. He had post-op complications and was in constant pain, I will
never forget how distressed he was by this.
There was a problem with the fitting of his catheter which meant it wasnât working and he had to
visit the A&E department at Hammersmith hospital during rehearsals in London, just a couple of
days before the gig. Dad said he was in agony - but he would never have let the band down -
and continued to do the gig but was so preoccupied trying to cope with his discomfort that it lead
to him messing up on stage. Dad admitted that he had drunk alcohol before the gig but only to
help him deal with the pain, he ended up having what he described as a âbrain freezeâ on stage -
a panic attack - and had struggled to play, something that had never happened to him before.
This lead to the band suggesting that he go into ârehabâ but Dad was adamant that this was
unnecessary as his issues were to do with his medical problems that day, but he did agree to go
to alcohol counseling for a few months afterwards and was able to perform without incident at all
subsequent gigs, a fact which has been confirmed by several people who worked with him.
.
Last year in spring 2022, Dad finally got the all clear for his cancer and he was very happy - we
all were - it was such a relief after so many months of worry. But then, shortly after this, at the
end of April, he read in the press that the band had sold half of their back catalogue to BMG -
for what turned out to be five million pounds - and he didnât receive a penny. He wasnât
consulted or even told about it. Dad had played on every Primal Scream album - had
songwriting on at least two - but still the band chose not to offer him the opportunity to get his
share, at a time they knew he really needed financial help.
Although he only had a comparatively small amount of publishing, if he had been included in
this sale it would have been life-changing for Dad. He could have cleared the debt he had built
up during lockdown and been able to pay off some of the mortgage, relieving him of all of his
money worries. When he asked about it, he was told by his manager - who is also the bandâs
manager - that âit wouldnât be worth his solicitorâs fees pursuing itâ. It is clear that Dadâs
interests were never properly managed on his behalf.
Dad was understandably really shocked that he had been sidelined in this way, he did not live
an extravagant life, as long as he could pay his monthly bills he was happy. But after this, I
witnessed him really start to go downhill. He became depressed - he started smoking again -
and started drinking more. He knew then that he was never going to get his pay day, a time
when he didnât have to worry so much about paying the bills. All of our family and Dadâs friends
noticed this change in him and tried to support him but felt helpless. I can say without any doubt
that the bandâs total disregard of Dadâs circumstances directly impacted on his mental health.
The last time I saw Dad play was at Glastonbury in June last year. It was the 50th anniversary
of the festival and he had a felt trilby hat made especially for the occasion - in claret and blue -
Aston Villaâs colours. I watched the gig from the side of the stage, Dad looked great and was
on top form. But just a week later, when the band played in Glasgow, he apparently drank too
much and messed up. The next morning, the band (Gillespie and Innes) and the tour manager
had a meeting with him and made him leave the tour, telling him to get help. The band had great
reviews for that gig - I doubt fans would have even noticed the mistakes he made that night -
Dad told me there had been times when other members of the band occasionally made
mistakes without any consequences.
Dad admitted that he had drunk alcohol before the gig, he made no excuses, he was
embarrassed about it but couldnât believe that after one mistake, the band hadnât even given
him a warning. He told me that he begged them to give him a chance, told them it wouldnât
happen again but they refused - I know Dad - just a reprimand would have been enough to get
him back on track. After he died, Andrew Innes told my Mum that the reason they got Dad to
leave the tour was because âNo one wants to pay to see a 60 year old man fall over on stageâ.
My Dad was only 55 and as far as the family have been told by people who know, he never
once fell over on stage.
After being forced off the tour, I literally saw Dad age 10 years in a matter of weeks. The band
continued to pay him his session fees for the tour but by then I donât think it was just about
money worries for Dad, he had been a member of Primal Scream for the majority of his life, he
had lost his identity.
Last summer Dad was in a panic about the possibility of losing our home, which the band were
fully aware of. Rather than offer him a small loan to clear his debts - so he could concentrate on
getting well - when he contacted the manager, was just advised to either try and get equity
released from his flat or to sell it if he couldnât afford to pay his mortgage in the future. Dad did
go ahead and put his flat on the market but this only added to his stress. So, not a good time
for him to try and get sober with that kind of pressure, I donât really know what they expected.
At the same time Dad was also stressing about not being able to pay his previous yearâs tax bill
of ÂŁ8,000. Friends did offer to lend him the money but he was too proud to accept this help. He
was very angry to be in this position because he said Bobby Gillespie still owed him money -
having never paid Dad for playing on his solo album âUtopian Ashesâ the previous year - I
remember Dad going up on the train to London many times to work on that album.
After having to leave the tour it was on the understanding that he would be able to return. The
band offered for Dad go into rehab but he opted to go to AA instead and was doing really well.
The 12 step programme in AA is a process, it takes time and requires total honesty. A few
weeks before his death, when the band asked Dad whether he was still drinking, he told them
the truth, that he was attending AA, had cut down a lot but was still drinking occasionally. When
I called Bobby Gillespie to tell him of Dadâs death, he explained to me how they had used the
âtough loveâ approach with Dad. I know this because I heard it, I saw it for myself. It amounted
to him and Andrew Innes phoning Dad and threatening him that he wouldnât be allowed back to
play the festivals this Spring. They told him he wouldnât be getting his job back unless he
stopped drinking completely. Bobby Gillespie actually told Dad that he âwas finishedâ.
What Dad needed was encouragement and hope. The bandâs belief in the âtough loveâ they
thought they were qualified to dish out to Dad when he was at his most vulnerable, only made
things worse. I understand they thought they were helping him but this method backfired, it
made Dad become completely overwhelmed.
Immediately after these two conversations, with the threat of losing his livelihood, I think Dad
just gave up, which is why, despite having gone to a lot of AA meetings, he went on his final
bender instead. He was a sensitive soul, the band had been his life for over 30 years and I saw
that he was simply not able to cope anymore. During this time he became very emotional, Dad
told me he felt totally unsupported by the band, he seemed completely devastated.
After this he started drinking really heavily, every day, I couldnât stop him. It was frightening, I
had never seen him like this before. He stopped contacting people and I was really worried
about him. This is why out of the blue I decided to go round to see him on the 15th December
2022 - the night of his accident - even though I wasnât supposed to be staying with him that
night.
I got there at around midnight and found Dad lying on the kitchen floor, there was blood from an
injury to the back of his head. There are steps down into our kitchen and it is clear from where
he was lying that he had tripped on the steps and fallen backwards, hitting his head.
Luckily Dad was conscious when I found him and knew I was there to help him, I donât know
how long he had been on the floor. I was able to talk with him and comfort him. I helped him
onto the sofa and called the ambulance but was told there would be a long wait as there was a
backlog of calls. I knew Dadâs injury was serious because he wouldnât stay still and kept getting
up and falling over, I struggled to keep him calm, he was behaving very erratically and was
confused. Over a period of 2 to 3 hours he deteriorated further, losing the use of his legs
completely.
During this time I think I called the ambulance back around three times but each time they said
they couldnât come any quicker and suggested that I take Dad in to hospital myself but after he
had lost the ability to walk, I knew this would be very difficult without a stretcher or wheelchair
and I was scared of moving him without medical help.
I called my Mum as I didnât know what to do and my Stepdad Neil came straight over but by the
time he arrived, Dad had had a seizure and although still fully conscious, was mostly
unresponsive. It was only after the seizure, when I called again, did they then blue light it and
the ambulance came about half an hour later. When the paramedics were trying to move Dad,
his legs gave way and he fell to the floor. He reached up his arms and the last words he spoke
were âHelp me upâ. He fought to live, I know he didnât want to die. I went with Dad in the
ambulance where he had another seizure, it was only when this happened that I just knew that
he wasnât coming back. I am so grateful I was there with Dad in his final hours and he wasnât
alone.
At the hospital Dad was put into an induced coma and was on a ventilator. The neurologist
explained the results of his brain scans, he said his deterioration was due to the brain swelling,
something that could not be stopped. He said the brain injury from the fall had been so
catastrophic that Dad could not survive it - even if the ambulance had arrived straight away - it
would have made no difference. This made me feel better as it took hours for help to arrive and
I had worried about whether there was more I could have done rather then just waiting for the
ambulance.
We had a small and private cremation with just close family, which is what I wanted. The band
did pay for the funeral - which I was grateful for as Dad left no money - but itâs so sad to know
that this generosity wasnât offered to Dad when he really needed it. His fellow musician and
friend Steve Mason organised a gathering for friends to attend on the day. Only Dadâs good
friend Darren, the drummer in Primal Scream and crew members - past and present â from the
group came to pay their respects.
Straight after Dadâs death, I had a couple of phone calls with Bobby Gillespie and Andrew Innes
and was sent some photos of Dad on WhatsApp. I havenât heard from them since.
In the publicity after Dadâs death, Bobby Gillespie was congratulated by many for his âbeautifulâ
tribute, in which he stated that Dad was âthe most talented musician of all of usâ which is high
praise for a session musician. Dad had a very unique talent, the band described him as their
âSoul Brotherâ but I think Dad actually was âthe soulâ in Primal Scream. It took his death for his
contribution to be acknowledged and for him to be given the respect he deserved.
Iâve seen on Instagram how Bobby Gillespie is always urging everyone to support the strikers -
fair pay for the workers - and there is nothing wrong with that, Dad supported the strikers too,
but not if at the same time you arenât paying your own bandmate of over 30 years even a small
share of the tour profits to make his life easier. As the band got older they did less touring and
more one-off gigs which meant Dad was getting paid less and less, only earning around ÂŁ40k a
year for playing with Primal Scream, not a lot for someone with his talent and experience.
My Dad came from humble roots too, my Granddad - who died when Dad was 12 - worked in
the British Leyland car factory in Birmingham and was a Shop Steward for the workers. Many
bands start from humble beginnings but it seems to me that success and money can make
some people lose touch with their roots - with reality - and when the greed kicks in, they lose
their humanity. They end up caring more about their expensive designer clothes and buying
holiday homes than for the welfare and mental health of the people who helped them achieve
their success.
I am well aware that financial reward may not have saved Dad from himself - we will never know
- but I do know that while the band were reaping the rewards from touring âScreamadelicaâ, a
classic British album, he was having to live month to month - just being paid session fees to
perform it - when in fact he had played such an important part in creating it. I know Dad found
this really insulting and not right. His 30 years of loyalty to Primal Scream was never repaid.
I lost my Dad too soon, I know his death was an accident but I just wish he hadnât died feeling
so unappreciated and distraught about having to sell our home, he didnât deserve that. I am so
proud of Dad - and who he was - an authentic and good person. He was truly loved by so
many people and along with his music, this love is his legacy.
He lived an incredible life and didnât die in vain, his kidneys were successfully donated to two
very sick recipients on long-term dialysis, giving them a chance to live healthy lives. I know Dad
would have wanted this as his own Dad died from cancer of the kidneys and his uncle died on
dialysis, waiting for a kidney transplant. This has brought comfort to me and my family.
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I was reading that this morning actually. Very articulate young lad. Grim reading though.
I think Gillespie fucked the late Denise Johnson over as well