Dance Exponents, Sisters Of Mercy Guitarist Dies

New Zealand guitarist Chris Sheehan passed away December 18 having suffered from metastatic nodular melanoma.

Sheehan first came to prominence as a member of '80s new wave act Dance Exponents who burst forth as one of New Zealand's most successful post-punk bands of that era.

After the band spent time in England in the early '80s, Sheehan stayed on when other members returned to New Zealand.

After being involved over the decades with plenty of high profile bands such as The Mutton Birds, shoegazers Curve and '90s pop rockers Babylon Zoo, Sheehan concentrated on his own band The Starlings who released two albums.

Sheehan is best remembered for two stints with iconic goth outfit Sisters Of Mercy — first touring with them in 1996 and then playing around the world with them from 2000 to 2005.

Last year Sheehan crowd-funded an attempt to record one last album after he went public with his illness.