Primal Scream keyboardist Martin Duffy inquest hears he died after “having to sign on to benefits to get by”

nme.com:

Primal Scream keyboardist Martin Duffy have paid tribute to the musician, and suggested that his death followed suffering from a lack of finances after parting ways with the band.It was announced in December that the musician had died aged 55 after suffering multiple skull fractures.Now, six months on, an inquest in Brighton on Tuesday (June 6) heard that the keyboardist — who was a member of Primal Scream for over three decades — was struggling financially at the time before his death, with his family have suggesting that this was partly due to the lack of financial support.“Dad had played on every Primal Scream album – had songwriting on at least two – but still the band chose not to offer him the opportunity to get his share, at a time they knew he really needed financial help,” read a statement from his 19-year old son Louie, who also alleged that his father was cut out of a £5million deal to sell part of the band’s back catalogue (via The Argus).“He wasn’t consulted or even told about it,” he added. “I remember dad telling [frontman] Bobby Gillespie on the phone that he was having to sign on for benefits to get by as he had no savings but the band offered no support either emotional or financial.”The inquest also heard that Duffy was diagnosed with prostate cancer during lockdown and was battling an alcohol addiction.

According to his son’s statement, his physical and mental state worsened after he was “forced off the tour”. This came following a gig in Glasgow, when the keyboardist was made to leave the lineup due to his struggle with alcohol, and not allowed to play until he had the issue under control.This decision, according to his son’s statement, saw him “age 10 years in a matter of weeks” and left him “not.