Primal Scream have paid tribute to former guitarist Robert 'Throb' Young who has died at the age of 49.
The Scottish musician was found dead in his Hove home on Tuesday, Sussex police have confirmed. There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.
In a statement, Primal Scream singer Bobby Gillespie and guitarist Andrew Innes say: “We have lost our comrade and brother Robert Young. A beautiful and deeply soulful man. He was an irreplaceable talent, much admired amongst his peers.
“He was a true rock and roller. He walked the walk. He had ‘Heart & Soul’ tattooed on his arm and I’m sure on his heart too. In the words of Johnny Marr, ‘Throb with a gold top Les Paul – unbeatable.’
“Our love and thoughts are with his sons Brandon and Miles and their mother Jane, his wife Rachel, and his immediate family.”
Young joined the band in the mid 1980s and left in 2006. He played on some of the band’s most successful records, including seminal album Screamadelica which won the Mercury Music prize in 1992.
Stars of the music world, including former Scream bassist Mani, Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher and The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess paid tribute to Throb on Twitter. Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting, tweeted: “RIP Robert Young. One of the best, the most beautiful, who was rock n roll. Big love bro, give them it big time over the other side.”
Music journalist and Primal Scream biographer Kris Needs, who became close friends with Young, remembers him fondly.
Kris tells TeamRock: “I first encountered the force of nature known as Throb when I hooked up with Primal Scream in the early 90s and became their tour DJ for the next few years. Rob was a serious Stones and rock ‘n’ roll fan and was in his element forging stoned soul classics like Damaged or unleashing stinging guitar salvos on Movin’ on Up.
“We became best mates and partners-in-mischief on the 1994 tours of the UK, Europe and Japan. Rob was an immensely funny guy who possibly pursued the hedonistic rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle further than anyone I’ve encountered in my 45 years immersed in it, but his phenomenal talent and stage charisma embodied the Primal Scream of this time for many.
“He was one of a kind but sadly ran into problems in later life. Only recently he had been working on demos with Scream pianist Martin Duffy but now won’t be around to see them through. I’m writing the ultimate book on the band next year and it will be dedicated to Rob, one of the best friends I ever had.”
