By Andrew Murfett
STEVE Prestwich, songwriter and drummer for Australian band Cold Chisel, has died, aged 56.
Prestwich died on Sunday after developing complications from surgery on a brain tumour.
Yesterday, the band's management issued a brief statement on their website, saying: ''Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss, Phil Small and Don Walker are shattered by the loss. All our thoughts are with Steve's loved ones at this difficult time.'' The band declined to comment further.
Prestwich, born and raised in Liverpool before moving to Adelaide in 1971, became a key songwriting component of Cold Chisel, contributing classic tracks such as When the War is Over, Forever Now, Best Kept Lies, Nothin' but You and Monica. He also co-wrote arguably their best song, Flame Trees, with Walker.
Steve PrestwichCredit: George Fetting
When Cold Chisel split in 1984, Prestwich had already departed, during the recording of Twentieth Century in 1983. He returned to play the Last Stand shows. He also joined, for a time, the Little River Band.
Prestwich then played in the solo bands for Chisel frontman Barnes and guitarist Moss before Chisel re-formed briefly in the late 1990s. He released his solo album in 2000.
Cold Chisel began a spurt of new activity in 2009, including a ''secret'' reunion gig at the Clovelly RSL and a massive show at a V8 supercar event.
The band signed with a new management team of industry powerbrokers, John Watson and John O'Donnell, signalling a new era of productivity.
They played just one show last year, in Deniliquin, but were regularly writing and recording new material through 2010. They performed one of the ''new'' tracks, All for You at the gig. A large-scale tour was strongly rumoured for late in 2011. No decision on the group's future has been made.
Prestwich was diagnosed with a brain tumour a fortnight ago. He was operated on last Friday but did not regain consciousness.
Mushroom Records chairman Michael Gudinski said Prestwich's death, coming after the loss of Sherbet guitarist Harvey James to lung cancer on Saturday, made it a sombre weekend for music. ''I'm saddened by the loss of Harvey and Steve. It was a terrible weekend in Australian music history and our music landscape is the poorer for their passing.''