A living legend, Fred Cole, is gone….

This is what Toody posted on Pierced Arrows‘ Facebook page:

‘I’m so sorry to have to let you know that Fred lost his battle with cancer & passed away peacefully in his sleep last night, Nov 9, 2017. Thanks you one & all for all the years & memories we all shared together, for being friends first & business partners second, so proud to be a part of your lives.

Fred had that quality of being “immortal” and I believe his songs & recordings will make it so. We can always hear his voice & his passion there and remember it like it was only yesterday & will go on forever. I love you all, Toody

“The last train is leaving

Can’t you read the signals in my eyes

And I’m standing on the platform

Waiting for the ones I’ve left behind”

Fred Cole

Last Train‘

His garage/punk outfit Dead Moon was one of the most unique ever to emerge on Planet Earth. From 1987 till 2006, the band released numerous albums, many of those via their own Tombstone Records. Dead Moon reformed in 2014, but in 2014 Andrew Loomis (drums) passed away. The documentary “Unknown Passage: The Dead Moon Story” is a must-see for Dead Moon’s fans, the band that at least for me was among the darkest ones in the so called garage-punk scene. Fred’s characteristic, whiny voice always contained this (unspeakable) complaint unlike the rest of the scene that had a feelgood vibe.

Cole was also a member of many other bands since mid 60’s. His latest music adventure were Pierced Arrows, with his wife Toody, releasing two albums ‘Straight To The Heart‘ (2008) & ‘Descending Shadows‘ (2010). Their garage rock sound differed from the Dead Moon’s one, but managed to sound modern and at the same time always sticking to their roots and values.

These values, apart from his music, made Fred differ from the rest, a real rock man (always an anti-star), a man of purity, rough, true.. A legend to be missed for many years…

Christos Doukakis