My friend Brian Bethell, who has died of heart failure aged 74, was a musician and journalist in the UK and Australia. He worked with the Blow Monkeys, Nine Below Zero, Paul Weller, the 69ers and the Richard Clapton Band, and toured with musicians ranging from Chuck Berry to the Who.
In 1981 Brian joined the R&B band Nine Below Zero as bassist. He performed on their early albums including Third Degree, with its front cover image by David Bailey, appeared on TV shows such as The Old Grey Whistle Test, Top of the Pops, OTT and the South Bank Show, and toured Britain and Europe. In 1982 he appeared with the band on the BBC TV comedy series The Young Ones.
