It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Chris Austin, the songwriter and driving force behind Tape Error, who died earlier this month after being diagnosed with liver cancer. He was 36 years old.
Chris had complained to doctors that he was short of breath. Four days later, at Medway Maritime Hospital, he was told he had liver cancer. Rather than stay for treatment, he walked out of the ward to be with his mother Bev. He died the following day. As his close friend John LongPlay said, it was a very him thing to do. He was the kind of guy who lived on his own terms.
Nicknamed Afro Chris for his wild shock of black hair, he had been a fixture on the Medway music scene for years — playing with local musicians who went on to wider recognition, including Kid Harpoon and Lupen Crook, and forming bands including Hospital Bombers and Burn Paper Tigers before Tape Error. A guitar never left his hand. Nine-to-five jobs held little interest. Music was everything, and he pursued it with a perfectionism that those around him found both demanding and inspiring.
Earlier this summer, Tape Error released their debut EP Perfect Conditions For A Cure on Dancing Turtle Records. It was the record that introduced him to a wider audience, and it is a testament to what he was capable of — honest, unhurried and quietly affecting. At the time of his death, Chris and the band had been working towards a full album. That work is not lost, and in time we hope to find the right way to honour it.
Chris is survived by his mother Bev Austin, his brother Tom Moore, his sister Theresa Austin and his girlfriend Leila Soames. Friends have started an audio tribute page at soundcloud.com/chris-austin-rip.
He will be missed.
