Dave Rowntree

Lore & Background

Rowntree grew up in Colchester with musical parents and studied percussion at weekend music school. He played in bands with Graham Coxon before being asked to join Damon Albarn's new band, which became Blur. Rowntree left his job as a computer programmer to move to London and pursue music full-time. In 1998, his lifelong fascination with space led him to support the Beagle 2 Mars mission alongside bandmate Alex James, helping with public relations and attracting high-profile backers. The mission launched in 2003 carrying a Blur signature tune and a Damien Hirst painting, though contact was lost; the lander was found on Mars ten years later.

Reader's Guide

Rowntree's significance extends beyond music into politics, law, and space advocacy. As a Labour councillor and parliamentary candidate, he focused on housing and town centre regeneration. He trained as a solicitor during a Blur hiatus and worked in criminal law. His involvement with the Beagle 2 Mars mission brought public attention to UK space projects and resulted in the first music played on Mars. Rowntree has also contributed to computer graphics research, hosted a radio show and podcast, and released solo music. His career reflects a pattern of applying his platform to scientific, political, and legal causes, from opposing the death penalty to campaigning against prosecution of music filesharers.

Did You Know?

• Rowntree contributed to three research papers on non-photorealistic rendering in computer graphics.
• He owned an animation company called Nanomation for eleven years.
• Rowntree was awarded an honorary doctorate in law by Greenwich University in 2017.
• He composed music for the 2018 Bros documentary 'Bros: After the Screaming Stops'.