British band Massive Attack have led the tributes to their “brilliant and eccentric” guitarist Angelo Bruschini, who has died aged 62.
Bruschini, who helped develop the Bristol trip-hop collective’s distinctive sound as well as playing guitar in the city’s art rock band The Blue Aeroplanes, revealed in the summer that he had cancer.
He wrote: “Twice now I have been told ‘good luck’ by specialists at the hospital over lung cancer, I think I’m fucked! Had a great life, seen the world many many times, met lots of wonderful people, but the door is closing, think I will write a book.”
Massive Attack said on X, formerly Twitter: “A singularly brilliant and eccentric talent. Impossible to quantify your contribution to the Massive Attack canon. How lucky we were to share such a life together.”
They posted a black and white image of the guitarist on X and Instagram, saying they were “devastated” over the loss.
Bruschini’s wife, Jessica Merritt, wrote on Facebook: “I am very sad to announce that my beautiful husband, Angelo Bruschini, died on 23 October 2023 at 12.15am. It was from a rare and aggressive cancer – pleomorphic carcinoma.”
She said he had been a “gentleman to the end” and would be remembered for his “madcap” sense of humour as well as his musicianship.
Bruschini played in the studio and on the road with Massive Attack. Among the tracks he will be remembered for is Angel, from the album Mezzanine, which is driven by, as one critic described it, by a “wall of guitars”.
On their Facebook page, The Blue Aeroplanes, who describe themselves as “Bristol’s longest-running band, an art-rock institution acknowledged as an influence on REM and Radiohead”, said: “We are devastated to announce the passing of our brother Angelo Bruschini. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. Rest In Peace Ange x”.
The band posted a picture of him playing on a sunny day at the harbour side in Bristol.
Despite his diagnosis, Bruschini said he wouldn’t give up and, as well as playing music, had continued to take swipes at the Conservative government over the last few months.
Bruschini’s death is being keenly felt in the tight-knit Bristol music scene, where friends and fans remembered him as a fine human being as well as a brilliant musician.
Steve Poole, a professor of history and heritage at UWE Bristol, said: “Last saw him playing with the Aeroplanes in December, lost in the music and cheerfully encouraging random crowd members to help him bang out the chords to Breaking in my Heart on his guitar. So sad we’ll never see him again.”
Suzanne Fitzgerald said: “I worked with Angelo throughout the time he was signed to Ensign Records. But I was an admirer of his transcendent guitar playing before that from seeing him on many Bristol stages throughout the mid-80s. He was a fantastic presence on stage and on record. He was also unfailingly charming and talented to work with.”