CLUTCH, GWAR Mourn Death Of Longtime Manager JACK FLANAGAN

CLUTCH and GWAR are mourning the loss of their longtime friend and manager, Jack Flanagan.

CLUTCH announced Flanagan's passing in a social media post earlier today. The band wrote: "We lost a hero today. Jack Flanagan was super human in every way. For 25 years, Jack guided the band through every conceivable situation with a precision and enthusiasm that will never be matched. It was only with Jack's guidance and vision that we four young men were able to build a career out of rock and roll. His insight, his passion for the music, his love for all those around him, and his sense of humor, made him someone we couldn't wait to see again. We were always excited when he would come visit us on the road or, even better, travel with us for a couple nights. Then it'd be like the old days again, when Jack was our road manager... and we'd all be on the bus together riding to the next gig, listening to the THE POGUES, and cracking jokes."

CLUTCH added: "Jack Flanagan was the best manager, mentor, and friend we could have ever hoped for.

"Jack, thank you for making us better than we ever thought we could be."

GWAR issued a separate statement, saying: "Today we lost GWAR's longtime manager and friend Jack Flanagan. Jack played a huge role in the career of GWAR and the lives of members of the Slave Pit for more than two decades.

"Jack was a staple in the punk and metal scene up and down the East Coast since the '80s, first playing with his band THE MOB, and then as a figure in the music industry.

"No one believed in GWAR and supported the band and its members more than Jack Flanagan. We are eternally grateful, and will miss him more than words can express."

In a 2018 interview with Pollstar, CLUTCH frontman Neil Fallon said that he counted Flanagan as a close personal friend. "Jack was a road dog, so he had much more of an in-house mentality rather than someone managing 500 different bands on a giant roster," the singer said. "Because we spent so many years in the van with him — if you want to get to know somebody, sleep in a 10-person van on a six-week tour."

CLUTCH is currently on a U.S. fall tour with DROPKICK MURPHYS, along with hardcore/metal veterans HATEBREED as direct support.

GWAR is on the road in North America as part of the "Use Your Collusion" tour with SACRED REICH, TOXIC HOLOCAUST and AGAINST THE GRAIN.