The death of Nicky Tesco, former frontman of British punk band The Members, has been announced.
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The Members emerged in Camberley, Surrey, in 1976. The 1979 track "The Sound of the Suburbs", co-written with Tesco and Jean-Marie Carroll, raised a particular furore. For many, it has remained one of the liveliest of them all hymns of the new wave.
Tesco formed the band with guitarist Gary Baker, bassist Steve Morley and drummer Steve Maycock, the latter soon replaced by Clive Parker and then Adrian Lillywhite. Tesco remained with the band throughout their original era, which ended in 1983, and briefly afterwards headed reunited and expanded line-up since 2007. The band also hit the charts with the 1979 album containing their title song "At The Chelsea Nightclub" and the single that reached the Top 40 of the charts "Offshore Banking Business".
Later, the frontman took up acting He became a music journalist, notably writing for Music Week magazine. He then became a music journalist, notably writing for Music Week magazine. Richard Jobson, his contemporary and soloist Scottish punk band The Skids, wrote on social media:
Sad to hear about my mate Nicky Tesco. He was the best to his friends and family.
What colleagues were saying about Nicky's death
Fellow musicians have also expressed regret about his death.
Rest in peace, Niki Tesco," wrote Danny Kelly. There are trillions of words written about punk. Wasted effort - you did it in five. David Quantic added: The Members were a brilliant band with fantastic witty songs. Their lead singer Nicky Tesco was a fantastic frontman and in later years he had a strong social media presence.
Musical journalist Pete Paphides noted:
I remember the first time my brother played "Sound Of The Suburbs" by The Members, a song that perfectly reflected the contained energy of teenage life away from the epicentre of punk. He loved punk rock and soon grew to love it and so did I. Much later I saw Nick Tesco's name in Music Week and wondered if this was the guy. I found out on Twitter that not only was he Nicky Tesco, but that he was wise, humane, funny and gentle, the kind of pop star many people would want the pop star of their youth to be.