“I dedicate the rest of my life to finishing what we started”: Geordie Greep pays tribute to former Black Midi bandmate Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin
Geordie Greep, frontman of Black Midi, has written a touching letter on the loss of his friend and former band mate, Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin.
Kwasniewski-Kelvin sadly passed away after a long mental health battle at the age of just 26. He played guitar for the band from its formation in 2017, and stepped away in 2021 to focus on his mental wellbeing.
His family announced his death through a statement shared by the band’s label, Rough Trade Records, earlier this month. They described him as “a talented musician and a kind, loving young man”, and urged people to check in on their loved ones.
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Geordie Greep has now written his own statement, shared via social media, in which he has thanked their friends, those the band have worked with, and their fans for being so kind. He also passed on his love to the family of Kwasniewski-Kelvin.
“It’s really such a sad thing that’s happened,” he writes, “but I have been trying to focus on what a great person he was, what a force for positivity and goodwill, and how much better he made the lives of everyone who knew him. We all loved him so much, we really did. And he will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
“Even though I haven’t seen him in some years, I thought about him very often, and I always wished and hoped I would one day see him again. There is so much I wish I could say to him. I wish I could say how sorry I am for everything that happened, how sorry I am that he was unlucky enough to be battling such a cruel, unforgiving and persistent illness, how much I miss him and will miss him always, and how thankful I am for everything he did for me.”
He later continues, “We had a dream when we were 14 years old of making crazy music and playing it around the world, being able to make music on our own terms and be able to do it for a living – and we bloody did. We did and in a short time too.”
Before sharing some throwback photos of the band, Greep concludes: “So thank you Matt, thank you for everything. You’re always gonna be with me. Every stage and studio or wherever I play I’ll be thinking of you. I dedicate the rest of my life to finishing what we started. And I would never be able to do any of it without you. I love you, thank you so much.
“And thank you everyone else too. Best wishes to everyone. I love you all. I don’t have many good pictures of us all together, but here are a few. One from our very first recording session (in a proper studio) and a few from our very first gig, and some from us and a few other great friends from school playing the blues. That was nine years ago now, and I remember it like yesterday. These are the sort of memories you can’t forget.”
You can read Geordie Greep’s full post below:
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If you’re struggling with your mental health, you can find support through Find A Helpline.
The post “I dedicate the rest of my life to finishing what we started”: Geordie Greep pays tribute to former Black Midi bandmate Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
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