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To mark Halloween this year, and because it is overdue, I am uploading this video to honour a friend.

On 12th May 2016, our friend and fellow musician Chris Burgess was killed in a car crash on the way home from playing a gig with his band. Chris was hit head on by a drunk driver, who had decided that despite being twice over the legal limit he wanted to drive the wrong way down a dual carriageway in his parent's car to go and get a burger. The drunk driver survived unharmed, but Chris was killed instantly. He was 27.

I was absolutely shocked to hear this news, and so saddened to think how unfair and unnecessary it was that Chris had been taken away from us. I thought for many days after hearing the news of all the friends Chris and I had in common, and how devastating this loss would be to them, not to mention Chris's family.

In spite of the tragedy they were faced with, Chris's family immediately encouraged everyone who knew Chris to share pictures, stories and videos of him on social media, to ensure we all remembered the good times with him, and what a kind-hearted and fun person he was. Those tributes are still rolling in on my Facebook feed today.

Chris's Mum wrote to me and asked if I would play at the funeral. His band mates helped me choose a song he would have loved, and we came up with this, by Clutch, who were one of his favourites.

On the day of the funeral, three hundred friends and family packed the church right to the back to give Chris a final encore, with the order of service printed out like a set list. They also cleared the pub out of Jägermeister partying at the wake afterwards, and toasted his memory with his favourite whiskey, Monkey Shoulder, which also features in this video along with one of Chris's guitars, the Les Paul he played at his last ever gig.

Instead of flowers for the funeral, Chris's family asked for donations to Oriol's, a charity that gives people with learning disabilities and other restrictive conditions the chance to get involved making music, and get experience in a recording studio to learn basic studio skills. The donations raised were just shy of £2000, which was enough for Oriol's to put on an entirely free summer school named after Chris, as well as being able to upgrade some recording equipment. If you believe as I do that music changes and enriches lives, please consider donating to this brilliant cause in honour of Chris:

www.oriols.co.uk
www.facebook.com/oriolsmusic

There is also a local music festival called Never4get raising money for charity, in honour of Chris and James Patton, which has now been fully funded. More details here:

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► Check out Chris's band, Heinous Pianist
www.heinouspianist.co.uk
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► Chris's last show at Sanctuary, Basingstoke, UK
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Thanks to:
Christine Hindle, Chris's Mum, for letting us borrow his Les Paul to feature in this video.
Ben Turk - Director, post-production
John Hoskison and Simon Martinez - Camera ops
David Stanton - End title animation

RIP Chris. You rock. x

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#clutch #drinktothedead #rock

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