Today, December 17, 2025, marks exactly 10 years since the passing of the Irish musician Mick Lynch, who died on December 17, 2015.
LIKEEEEEEEEEEEEE STUMP
Mick Lynch (1959–2015)
He passed away at the age of 56 following a battle with cancer. His death in 2015 prompted a huge wave of tributes from the music world, particularly in Cork and London, celebrating his unique contribution to the "absurdist" indie genre
The Voice of Stump: As the lead singer of Stump, Mick became a standout star of the London indie scene. Their appearance on The Tube and their 1986 EP Quirk Out made them underground icons.
While many today associate the name with the RMT union leader, the Mick Lynch you are likely remembering today was the legendary frontman of the indie band Stump. He was a beloved figure in the 1980s "left-field" music scene, known for his absurdist lyrics, surreal performance style, and the cult hit "Charlton Heston."
A fan of Myles na gCopaleen, he brought the zany world of The Third Policeman with him when he went to London in 1983.
It was by a stroke of good fortune that he became a founder member of the Irish-English punk rock band Stump.
The story goes that the drummer, Rob McKahey, a fellow Corkman, remembered that Lynch was in London when he and the bassist Kev Hopper, along with guitarist Chris Salmon, were trying to form a band. Their first session was a meeting of minds. Not only did Lynch coin the band’s name, he also became its frontman, gaining a reputation as a writer of distinctive lyrics.
