nick.K - rest in peace

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When I visited London in May of 2003, Nick was one of the more memorable people I met. He made me feel earnestly welcome and expressed a great deal of interest about who I was and where I came from. As fate would have it, I subsequently realized that nick.K was the same guy I had exchanged musical tastes and opinions with on Soulseek. His personal collection of greatest hits from 2003 is one of my favorite playlists from recent years.

Rest in peace, Nick.

Ben Perini, Friday, 11 February 2005 18:50 (nineteen years ago) link

So sorry to hear the news, a real shock and very sad. Nick, along with the rest of the Gabba crew gave me my first break at DJ-ing in London for which I am very grateful and I know he will be greatly missed. RIP.

united states of audio, Friday, 11 February 2005 19:13 (nineteen years ago) link

This is really sad...
your efforts are always recognized and missed allready...
peace

lovefoxxx, Friday, 11 February 2005 19:28 (nineteen years ago) link

RIP

RJG (RJG), Friday, 11 February 2005 19:37 (nineteen years ago) link

Much love to Dee, Jake and Kate, and Nicks folks.
Can not believe that we are bereft of the very individual passion of mister K.
Tireless enthusiasm, never known anybody quite like him.

Peace out champion.

naomi groves (nomusg), Friday, 11 February 2005 19:52 (nineteen years ago) link

Although I had never met him, I am sorry to here such terrible news. As a fellow blogger, his was one of the blogs I most envied. The programming alone was by far the most ingenious of all the big MP3 blogs. It's obvious, even to those who never met him, that music was more than passion. It was life.

steve marchese, Friday, 11 February 2005 20:25 (nineteen years ago) link

Very, very sad news. I'm lost for words...

Siegbran (eofor), Friday, 11 February 2005 22:59 (nineteen years ago) link

RIP Nick. lookig at this board its amazing how many lives he touched.

Andy j (andy b*), Saturday, 12 February 2005 00:41 (nineteen years ago) link

rest in peace honey.

raoul f. f., Saturday, 12 February 2005 02:07 (nineteen years ago) link

Shocked and sorry to hear this very sad news. My sympathies to jk and those close to Nick, and to all that knew him, online and off.

dermot, Saturday, 12 February 2005 04:24 (nineteen years ago) link

Dear, dear people, thank you so much for all your love and tributes to our son Nick. It’s comforting to know he made a difference and touched so many lives. It was evident from an early age that Nick was special. He would badger and bribe us to take him to see films on the opening night. I could never see the point of an opening night, but to Nick it mattered. Long before he got his hands on a camera, he had a stubby pencil, notebook or drawing paper with him wherever he went.

At the moment we can handy bear to look at the future without his love and enthusiasm, but time is a great healer. Not only did we lose a son we also lost our best friend. Thank you all.

Mary and Gerry Kilroy

Mary and Gerry Kilroy, Saturday, 12 February 2005 11:42 (nineteen years ago) link

having found out about this pretty early and having to bear the bad news to many people has hit me a lot harder than any bad news has done in a long time. so much to the point that i didn't realise quite how much until a couple of nights ago.
i didn't know nick as well as maybe i should, but i'd always see him out at gigs - often ones where i never expected to see anyone i knew - and it's this range and depth of enthusiasm that i always respected immensely.
now that i know his parents have read this thread, it feels slightly (only slightly) better to know that they have an idea of how many people he connected with on his, way too short, time on this earth and of the great things he did while he was here.
whenever any of us were doing anything, whether it was wandering around the derelict warehouses and canals of east london, djing somewhere, or just meeting in a pub to swap mix cds and shoot the breeze, he was a dependable presence... whenever music or anything creative needed a bit of support he was one of the guys you could count on to give it.
Words are very difficult to find, but this and this are great tributes to his commitment. he believed in something and made it matter to many more of us.

stelfox, Saturday, 12 February 2005 12:36 (nineteen years ago) link

Respect. Rest well.

Kid Kameleon, Saturday, 12 February 2005 18:00 (nineteen years ago) link

Rest In Peace Nick. Thank you. My heart goes out to Dee and all who knew him.

Dan_H, Saturday, 12 February 2005 18:07 (nineteen years ago) link

Like so many, I only knew Nick through gabba/POD. He found so much love & joy in music and communicated that to all. Bless those who knew him. Peace be on you Nick.
Love & Peace, Clarence

Clarence Jones, Sunday, 13 February 2005 03:49 (nineteen years ago) link

This news has stopped me in my tracks. Nick Kilroy, I will miss you terribly. Back in 2001, when you first came to London. We met up each week to talk about what we were writing and listening to. It was you me and Eddy Lawrence.

I wrote about the disappearance of old people, Eddy wrote about raves in Israel and you.... In the time it took us to write two scenes, you had finished two screenplays, and wow they were brilliant. I can still see the multi coloured cards stuck on your wall, with every twist and turn of the plot. Eddy and I sat completely engrossed those nights.

What we were hearing was some of the most exciting ideas we had come across. You felt as if you were in the presence of someone very special. Nobody had an understanding modern culture like you. You managed to bring out facets of modern life that showed it in all its perversity. Incredible stuff.

And you could act too, I bet not many people know that. I remember a CD you passed me. It was you, improvising an entire monologue about a guy who thought that he had been contacted by the future and asked to take part in a great experiment. We moulded that into a great piece, you were very modest about your acting.

I can't come to your remembrance service, I am sorry about that. But I will be thinking of you. Lots of love. Christopher Hogg


Christopher Hogg, Sunday, 13 February 2005 12:14 (nineteen years ago) link

Man - just got back from the UK, and this is horrible news. i didn't know Nick personally, but we exchanged emails many times. He was always working hard for Junior Boys, working me for Scissor Sisters touring spots (we actually offered them one because he was so passionate and persuasive).

I was also a weekly gabba visitor, and picked up a lot of great music because of him.

Anyhow, R.I.P. Nick - this world is better for passionate, creative and generous people like you, and I'm sure you're spirit will encourage someone somewhere to make great music, help out a friend, or shout their passion to the mountaintops.

Much love,

NH

Neil Harris, Monday, 14 February 2005 03:44 (nineteen years ago) link

We don't need any more tragedies like this. If you have friends who work in music that want help, Musicians Assistance Program and MusiCares offer assistance and recovery, regardless of their financial situation.

Again, my sincere condolences to Nick's family. I never knew him, but I visited gabba frequently and learned so much about music from him.

One love --
EJF

EJ Friedman, Monday, 14 February 2005 11:06 (nineteen years ago) link

I lit a candle for him in church yesterday. Least I could do.

Deerninja B4rim4, Plus-Tech Whizz Kid (Barima), Monday, 14 February 2005 11:55 (nineteen years ago) link


It is extremely sad, but paradoxially heart warming to read these posts.

Nick was a dear friend going back to my early teens. I can say that he was always an inspiration and always pushed the boundaries of everything he was involved with. I can say for sure that he was a defining influence to me and many of my comtempories.

I know that he will live long in many peoples memories and will remain a part of out lives.

Tom Hobbs, Tuesday, 15 February 2005 00:13 (nineteen years ago) link

i first met nick in the spring of 2003 at the 100 club. i believe his first words were hi, and what are you listening to? i soon realized that i'd never met anyone as obsessed with music as nick. looking back to that night, i clearly remember nick zipping through the streets of london dropping the brand new sounds of dizzy, wiley and kylie.

later that night, i recieved my first gabba disc which is amazing and getting better with each listen. my next few times in london, i stayed at nick and dee's place. it became my favorite place in london. nick would go to all lengths to pick me up or drop me off at the airport and always refused gas money.

once in his flat, we would sit in front of nicks computer, drinking mad caffeine, shooting off names of songs and groups loved, forgotten, or hardly known. we'd also discuss our
ups and downs and find a way to laugh at everything.
visiting london will never be the same for me!
nick kilroy RIP

terrence tessora, Tuesday, 15 February 2005 08:13 (nineteen years ago) link

Just heard. POD and the Junior Boys kept me smiling through some bad times. Thanks Nick, RIP.

dx*, Tuesday, 15 February 2005 10:25 (nineteen years ago) link

I hate to ask this... as it's so obviously unmentioned here...

but did Nick die of a particular cause?

Lil Mike, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 03:15 (nineteen years ago) link

Even though a week has passed since I heard the news - it still hasn't sunken in yet. Every bit of music, every interesting photo opportunity every article that has made me smile, seems saturated by his spirit.
I knew Nick through e-mails, enthusiastic phone calls and the occasional gathering, so I wasn't by any stretch of the imagination what one might term "a close friend", but every time we did talk his utter concentration with whatever you had to say was astonishing.

RIP and my condolences to both Dee and his family.

tom monstatruk, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 19:48 (nineteen years ago) link

I only met Nick online and not nearly for long enough. It's clear though that someone very special is gone. My condolences to Nick's family and to his many, many friends.

Jeremy Hedley, Thursday, 17 February 2005 05:34 (nineteen years ago) link

Nick

Im sorry that my emotional defence mechanisms stopped us from becoming close friends again. I missed out on so much. Thanks for the music. Goodbye and sleep well. You were one of the best.

Much Love.

Tom

Tom Neath, Friday, 18 February 2005 18:50 (nineteen years ago) link

The memorial was today, wasn't it? My best to any who were attending it.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 18 February 2005 19:12 (nineteen years ago) link

i set off this morning for it, but, i dont know, things have been.... i ended up walking around leeds aimlessly for hours.

gareth (gareth), Friday, 18 February 2005 19:21 (nineteen years ago) link

my thoughts go back to all the cups of coffee,all the cigarettes,all the albums,all the ideas,all the films and all the fun we had together. Didnt see nick for too many years, i'll miss him..
Probably bump into him again somewhere though y'know? scott gray

scott gray, Friday, 18 February 2005 23:31 (nineteen years ago) link

Just thought I would add something to all this stuff.

Obviously a true original,and horrible news.

Very funny and clever guy.

He seemed to know a lot of people...

rest in peace, nick, wherever you are...

Andrew Potterton, Sunday, 20 February 2005 01:58 (nineteen years ago) link

Dammit, I posted here and it's gone. I'd only just heard about this yesterday - I guess my eyes must have passed over the thread title and since I didn't know any musical stars of that name they passed on, or something. I feel kind of ashamed of that.

I only met Nick once. At the last Club Freaky Trigger he came up to say hi and to tell me he really liked my writing on FT. It meant a lot to me. It's a shame to only have one brief real life memory, but one of friendliness, enthusiasm and generosity is a pretty good one.

Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 20 February 2005 22:05 (nineteen years ago) link

i met nick over a year ago in london. we hung out and talked for hours, about music, film, art, blogging, basically everything. i must say that nick had this energy about him that i can hardly place with any other human being. he had a kindness and openendedness to him that i will never forget. nick, wherever you are, i hope you are resting in peace.

Malcolm Levy, Monday, 21 February 2005 00:10 (nineteen years ago) link

Its snowing in the sunshine today in Yorkshire, and Nick, as a Yorkshireman, would love it.

Springtime again, and I'm sad for the loss of my friend.

Much love, Andy P.

Andrew Potterton, Monday, 21 February 2005 10:19 (nineteen years ago) link

I keep reading the posts on this thread, still half in denial, struggling to accept this reality.

The memorial in leeds on friday was one of the hardest days of my life. It was a comfort to spend time with nick's family and friends, all interesting and lovely people.

It was great to see all the UWCN gang in one place again, but it's sad that it took such a tragedy and that we've not managed it before.

Coincidentally, just a couple of weeks before his death, nick had answered the time honoured question, "what song would you like played at your funeral". Nick's characteristically irreverent and mischevious choice was The Butthole Surfers - Kuntz. After several readings music was played, first a Tom Waits track then the Sparks disco anthem nick loved so much. Kuntz, next on the cd, was just about to start when everyone was ushered out of the building to make way for the next cermeony, but Jk made sure it blared out accross the grounds of the crematorium at full volume from his car stereo as we pulled away.

We all gathered in a nearby pub after the ceremony to share fond memories and stories, shedding tears of laughter and deep sorrow, recalling just how unique and special nick really was.

james tindall, Monday, 21 February 2005 11:45 (nineteen years ago) link

then the Sparks disco anthem nick loved so much

"The Number 1 Song in Heaven"? If so, an inspired and witty choice (but all of Sparks's disco anthems are, it's just that one seems very apropos).

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 21 February 2005 14:35 (nineteen years ago) link

Not to derail, but sadly, another person I once knew died over the weekend under similair circumstances to Nick. These just aren't happy times now.

Deerninja B4rim4, Plus-Tech Whizz Kid (Barima), Monday, 21 February 2005 15:16 (nineteen years ago) link

RIP Nick.

Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Monday, 21 February 2005 20:08 (nineteen years ago) link

damn

Though i never met Nick, we talked via email, mainly bout futurisk...he was a big fan at a point where i needed a fan or 2 in my musical life. I am in the US but is there some place one could make some sort of donation/condolence...?
I will sorely miss Nick's occasional emails of support...

jeremy kolosine

jeremy kolosine, Monday, 21 February 2005 20:09 (nineteen years ago) link

hi ned,

yes it was "the number one song in heaven"

james tindall, Wednesday, 23 February 2005 10:52 (nineteen years ago) link

Just heard of Nick’s passing and felt the need to add to the growing list. I first met Nick and Dee when we worked together on Human Traffic, the three of us becoming very close, amusing considering the fact that they were both in the year bellow me at college, and I’d never come across them. The last I spoke to him was in the early summer of 2002. Nick had just started work on My Wrongs and was trying to get me to be an extra in it so I could meet the actor Paddy Considine who he knew I liked. Absolutely typical behavior of Nick, constantly trying to involve people and there passions. Sadly it never happened and soon after I moved and changed jobs, losing touch with Nick and Dee. My failure to keep in touch is particularly distressing, I have not so much lost a friend than wasted a friendship. On my key ring is an Arricam fob they got me and on a summer hat an Arricam badge, now to be constant reminders when I film. He was one of the good guys.

I've also only just seen some of Nick’s photos on his site, and I'm thinking shit! I never knew he was such a great photographer. You will truly be missed dude.

jason clare, Wednesday, 23 February 2005 17:28 (nineteen years ago) link

just got this very sad news from my mother at home...nick lived for a few years in a road just near mine when we were at primary school. he was one of my earliest and best friends. then he disappeared from my life only to reappear later at Ilkley Grammer (I recognise a few names on earlier posts..) we'd grown apart more than I can explain then parted again when I left for Uni. I never forgot him. then about 4 1/2 years ago I bumped into him In Hoxton Square, standing with his girlfriend Dee...we met a few times after but like many postings here I never made the effort to keep in touch but always regretted it. and I guess now I always will.

I'll always treasure the copy of girlfriend in a coma he leant me.

my deepest condolences to his family and friends……

alec howson, Wednesday, 23 February 2005 18:25 (nineteen years ago) link

not gone

Aaron Sanders, Wednesday, 23 February 2005 22:39 (nineteen years ago) link

Like many I only knew Nick through his presence on the net, his excellent taste in music, and photos. I never met him, though he had a presence in my life all the way across the Atlantic. I will always remember him whenever I spin music I was introduced to through his postings.

Nitsuji M, DJ2ticky, Thursday, 24 February 2005 15:25 (nineteen years ago) link

X.


Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so ;
For those, whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy picture[s] be,
Much pleasure, then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Thou'rt slave to Fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well,
And better than thy stroke ; why swell'st thou then ?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And Death shall be no more ; Death, thou shalt die.
(John Donne)

ralph, Tuesday, 1 March 2005 10:08 (nineteen years ago) link

I just remembered Nick once gave me a postcard with a little sepia picture on it.

The picture is of a guy standing at the top of a ladder, pointing to the moon, saying " I want, I want".

I think that was Nick, always wanting the moon.

Miss you mate. Andy P.

Andrew Potterton, Wednesday, 2 March 2005 15:01 (nineteen years ago) link

I knew Nick as my neighbour in Belgium for much of my childhood and all your descriptions of him and his immense enthusasm for all things related to music, art, film and everything new/old/different ring very true to me.

My heart goes out to those who were closest to him and also to those who so clearly enjoyed his presence.

This thread is a wonderful tribute.

Paul

Paul Shotton, Monday, 7 March 2005 22:18 (nineteen years ago) link

He once told me "I don't know what to do with my life now. I don't think i need it anymore". it took a loooong time to make him take these words back and think different.
but now i myself think that i don't need my life anymore.

Lena, Monday, 14 March 2005 10:44 (nineteen years ago) link

http://www.mertleandgeorge.co.uk/images/Scan0002.jpg
We went to Betty's today and walked around Ilkley remembering Nick

it's true that he was such a big influence on all of us in Ilkley growing up... introduced us to so much great stuff, and ways of thinking about things.

x x x x x x x x x we'll never ever ever forget him x x x x x x x x x

KILROY WAS HERE XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adelaide + Sarah, Wednesday, 16 March 2005 21:23 (nineteen years ago) link

http://www.gabba.cc/back_soon.jpg

Sven Bastard (blueski), Tuesday, 22 March 2005 13:27 (nineteen years ago) link

one month passes...
new Vice issue has article written by Nick.

and yes tis all about drugs.

didn't know of his Ilkley connection.

i grew up there a long time before Nick i suppose.

mark e (mark e), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 11:54 (nineteen years ago) link


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