Peter Neill

I see from several Facebook posts that Dave Silk left us yesterday.

Many of us will have fond memories of him, both at work and later when he was running jazz nights right up to the end.

One that stands out for me is the year that his wife had a summer season playing piano and Dave was playing bass with her.

But it was on the Isle of Wight.

He seemed to spend the whole summer paying colleagues to deputise for him at work and paying another musician to sit in for him on the IoW. He meanwhile was just travelling back and forth. And there were two ferry routes he used and his car was always in the wrong port.

RIP Dave.

Dave Newbitt.

How sad. Yet another of the really nice guys gone. I spent time on a crew with him and numbered him amongst the great individualists with a prodigious knowledge of musical instruments – did he deal in them to some extent or is that my memory playing tricks?

Our family piano in schoolboy days was an inherited Monington & Weston which, although wooden rather than iron framed, interested the piano tuner sufficiently for him to buy it when my parents lost patience with my sister’s unwillingness to continue past Grade 5. Dave was the only person I had ever encountered who knew anything of the maker.

Like Peter’s, my memories of him are very warm.

Dave Plowman

Yes – he dealt in pianos. When I bought this house, one of the things left was a piano. Odd, given they took all the light bulbs. And even lino. And not only did Dave arrange the collection, but gave us a few quid too. It was, to me, in pretty poor condition both in how it worked and cosmetically.

Nice online article about Dave https://slippedisc.com/2024/07/british-jazz-mourns-dave-silk/

Mike Giles

The reference to Dave not always being present reminds me that I was asked a question on my SS board as to what I would do about an SA1 who was habitually late – my answer was that if his absence caused no problems, then it was to his credit that he ran a good crew. In my experience this was never truer than of Dave, but I also never found him “missing” when a full set of pairs of hands was required – as with his music, timing was of the essence!

How was he on the harp, by the way?

Susanna Fyson

I’m so incredibly sad to hear this news! I adored Dave and his ‘truly wondrous’ ways. What a legend and a sad loss to us all.

Jem Whippey

I still treasure the image of Dave sashaying into TC 4 swinging the bongos (I was purchacing from him for 30 quid) at his side , wearing shades and a purple jacket in corduroy and a huge grin.

Too cool man ….

Graham Wilkinson

A true legend of the sound department – how lucky we have all been to enjoy Dave and so many other colourful and charismatic colleagues. Carpe diem the rest of us!

Nick Ware

Sad to hear about Dave – I always liked him, as anybody would.

Dave Plowman

I well remember while on the boom pool working with a crew where they decided to strike one morning – due to their SA1 always being late and expecting everything to be done without him. And in this case he was sharing a lift with the SS. And on this occasion they were 40 minutes late. Not a happy crew – so I’d guess a lot more to it than just being a few minutes late once in a while? So we sat in the control room until instructed what to do. The TM2 noticed, and wasn’t happy. But understood the protest.

Tony Nuttal

It would be nice to hear “THE EVESHAM CLEANERS” again, if any one has a copy, that I was told was made by Dave when on a course at this esteemed institute.

Pat Heigham

The story/explanation that I know is that:

Dave rigged his room to apparently indicate that he had been – ahem – ‘entertaining’. The curtains were drawn, so the light had to be switched on.

There was a red bulb in the fitment!

Bedclothes mussed, a few long hairs across the pillow, and a lipsticked cigarette butt in the ashtray.

There was a mic wedged into the bridge of his double bass, leaning in the corner which had been for several days, so nothing new to alert.

This was cabled to a Revox, hidden in the cupboard, with 10″ spools and running at slow speed, for max recording time.

Dave edted the tape, adding some comments of his own.

I think there is a copy in existence, but the holder would not release it without Dave’s say-so. Altogether a well planned and excellent ‘spoof’!

Peter Neill

I’d forgotten all about that- even though I was there!

I was on my TO course in late 1965 and Dave was on his STO Course at the same time. I’ve probably got a copy somewhere unless someone can find one sooner.

Dick Blencowe

I was on Dave’s crew in the 70’s as his SA2. He had an old banger of a car which was parked on the pavement (we could then if there was room) outside TC. There was a bomb warning and the police were called. They checked all the cars parked along the pavement and saw a large object covered up in the back of Dave’s car. Being suspicious the traced the ownership of said car and there was a phone call in the gallery from the police asking to speak to Mr. Silk. What is in the back of your car they asked. Its only my double bass said Dave.

Would you please come down and show us said the police. I busy at the moment said Dave, just pull the door hard and it will open. We would rather that you came and showed us yourself said the police. Reluctantly Dave went down to show them.

Parking on the pavement was banned after this bomb alert!

He was living on the Isle of Wight at the time and I think he had an old banger over there and one parked somewhere in Pompy for his commute to TC.

Happy days

Note from editor:

I normally omit details of funeral arrangements from these tributes, but I thought this one was pitch perfect and said so much about Dave. It should be archived too.