Daryl Hardcastle - Omega Tribe - close-up

DARYL HARDCASTLE, founder member, songwriter, bassist and singer with the band Omega Tribe has died at the age of 59 following a short illness.

Sharing the sad news on Facebook, the band announced:

We’re so sad to have to let you know that our beautiful friend and Omega Tribe bass player Daryl Hardcastle passed away very peacefully today after a short illness. He had his family by his side. We’ll always love you Daryl. Freedom, Peace & Unity! Emma & Hugh

Omega Tribe

Writing on Facebook, former band mate Pete Fender said:

Influenced hugely by Crass as well as Poison Girls, most of the early Omega Tribe hits were Daryl’s: ‘Another Bloody Day’, ‘Duty Calls’, ‘Profiteer’, ‘Nature Wonder’, ‘Freedom Peace and Unity’ … many, many songs that chimed perfectly with the spirit of the time. He was also a bass player with an intense energy and a great fluidity to his playing. I was impressed with his ability to move around the fretboard and the fact he seemed able to produce any riff without thinking about it. Not many bass players in punk bands could do that.

Pete Fender

The Bunker Group 35 also shared the following on Facebook:

We’re very sad to hear of the passing of Daryl from Omega Tribe following a short illness, Omega Tribe played at Green Terrace in 1982 & the Stockton Road Bunker in recent years. Always a pleasure to spend time with Omega Tribe […] Our thoughts are with Daryl’s Mam and his two daughters as well as his band mates and close friends Hugh Vivian & Emma – RIP, we’ve lost one of the good ones.

The Bunker 35 Group

Back in 2016, Daryl – together with the line-up of Hugh, Sonny Flint and Keith Gilles – discussed Omega Tribe’s return from an indefinite hiatus, and the band’s plans for the future with this site.

The band’s most recent studio recording, the six-track EP Hope Is a Moral Imperative, was released in May of 2023.

Daryl Hardcastle - Omega Tribe