KILLING Joke guitarist Geordie Walker has died aged 64 – with his heartbroken bandmates saying they are "devastated".

Walker died after suffering a stroke in Prague yesterday morning, the band said.

Killing Joke said: "It is with extreme sadness we confirm that at 6:30am on 26th November 2023 in Prague, Killing Joke's legendary guitarist Kevin 'Geordie' Walker passed away after suffering a stroke.

"He was surrounded by family. We are devastated. Rest In Peace brother."

The band's drummer Martin Adkins said he was "gutted" by the news of Walker's death.

Walker joined Killing Joke in 1979 after seeing an ad in music magazine Melody Maker.

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The ad read: "Want to be part of the Killing Joke? We mean it man.

"Total exploitation, total publicity, total anonymity. Bass and lead wanted."

Walker said: "I liked the sound of it, it looked rather serious, fanatical, I don't know what it was but it clicked with me. 

"So I went down to see this guy and immediately started arguing with him about his taste in music and whatever.

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"I kept in touch and kept hassling them for some reason. I think it was the intensity of the argument I liked."

Walker was a founding member of the band and performed alongside members Jaz Coleman, Paul Ferguson and Martin Glover, also known as Youth.

The band was influenced by the rhythms of the dub scene and in 1980 they released their debut self-titled album.

Killing Joke released its self-titled album in 1980 before making 15 more albums.

The band released a new EP, Lord of Chaos, in March last year. 

Walker's friend Luca Signorelli said: "This morning I got a phone call, telling me that Kevin 'Geordie' Walker had died few hours ago in Prague, following a massive stroke last Friday.

"I don't remember even one moment Geordie was around that was awkward or boring.

"Geordie had a reputation for being abrasive and sometimes curt with people who tried to approach him.

"But the reality is that he didn't want to waste his time with people he didn't like. 

"And "like" or "dislike" was for Geordie entirely a matter of instinct."

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