Melbourne music writer and good friend of the I-94 Bar, Patrick Emery, has passed away suddenly, aged 52.
In a brief statement posted on Facebook earlier tonight, Spooky Records chief Loki Lockwood spoke on behalf of Patrick’s family.
On behalf of Patrick’s loving wife Bettina, and children Babette and Baptiste, I’ve been given the solemn task of sharing the untimely passing of my beautiful friend Patrick. On Christmas Eve at home, Patrick suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the Austin Hospital where he was diagnosed with a stage 4 inoperable brain tumor. He passed peacefully with his beloved family by his side.
Patrick was a passionate and beautiful soul. There will be many from the music community around the world that will be shocked by this news. Patrick wrote for many publications across Australia over the years I knew him: Beat, The Australian, The Age and The I-94 Bar, to name a few. There’s no doubt that anyone with a passing interest in music will have read his music reviews and interviews for thousands of bands.
For those that he wrote about, I know they will be overwhelmingly shocked by the news of his untimely passing. His greatest gift to us all was his belief in his beloved local music scene - always wanting to help elevate some little known artist through his writing because he could.
On a personal level he was one of the few writers I know that wouldn’t just skim the top to deliver an article. He’d dig deep into the music and the people involved, always producing articulate and expressive writing, even if it wasn’t exactly his thing.
Of the many personal interviews I did with him, either for my label, my music or his fantastic biography, ‘Execution Days - The Life and Times of Spencer P. Jones’ it would involve hours of talking, [and plenty of stuff off topic] often taking place on his back porch. I will forever cherish these moments. I’m in shock, I’m going to miss you Patrick.
A lawyer for a Federal Government agency, Patrick brought a deeply analytical mind to his passion for music. He’d frequently reference historical events or societal trends in his reviews.
A resident of Melbourne’s northern suburbs, Patrick rode a pushbike between gigs and, depending on geography, could catch two or three in a night. Patrick had the knack of relating to musicians and knew Melbourne’s rich scene intimately.
Patrick was nothing if not a champion for Melbourne and its music. One of the people he backed was Spencer P Jones, and their friendship spawned the biography. Spencer trusted Patrick implicitly but didn't expect him to gild the lily.
Patrick and I last crossed paths in person at Chris Masuak's Melbourne show in May 2023. I was working rhe merch stand and keeping an eye on stage, and my regret is that we didn't get to spend more time catching up that night.
