Dan Morrison, the drummer for the Melbourne ska punk band Area-7, has passed away after an injury from a fall over the weekend. 

The band confirmed the terrible news in a Facebook post earlier today, December 1st: “Family and friends, unfortunately our worst fears have been confirmed this afternoon.

“Our drummer, friend and brother Dan Morrison passed away today following an accident over the weekend. He died with his family and close friends by his side. We have no words to convey the grief we feel right now, and we are simply shattered.”

The statement continued: “Dan was supremely talented we remember Dave Grohl & Taylor Hawkins sitting on his drum riser and watching him play a whole show from start to finish, applauding his talent or Eric Sandin from NOFX calling him “a freak” after watching him play his unique style of offbeats. He was held in high regard by his fellow drummers across the ska scene and his loss is tragic.

For us he was backbone of our music. A cracking right arm that would split your ear drums with the swing and feel of feel of a big band player and a driving force that made you dance, all while grinning from ear to ear while spitting cheeky banter and one liners at the rest of us.”

“We send love and our deepest sympathies to the Morrison Family to John, Adele, Emma Jarrod, Dinesh thanks for sharing your son and brother with us. Much love to Jodie, Lachie and Gav and all of his close friends.”

Dan Morrison was one of the founding members of Area-7 in 1994. Between 1995 and 2005, they released four studio albums. In 2000, Area-7 earned an ARIA nomination for Best Rock Album for Bitter & Twisted. They were well-known for hits like ‘Second Class Citizen’ and ‘Nobody Likes a Bogan’.

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Check out ‘Second Class Citizen’ by Area-7:

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