Jeremy Ward RIP

What was Jack White saying a couple of months back about 27 being the age of rock 'n' roll death? Jeremy Ward, the 27-year-old sound manipulator for The Mars Volta, has been found dead in LA. Quite where this leaves the band's proposed summer festival appearances is unclear at this stage, but the concluding sentence of their statement - "We are devastated by the loss, but know that Jeremy will continue to be with us in spirit at every show and during the making of every record" - suggests that the performances might still go ahead. Either way, the 'Tremulant' EP is a suitably sparkling if all-too-brief testimony to their work with Ward. RIP.