Tributes are pouring in for Nicholas Sofer-Schreiber, a fixture on the Canberra and Sydney punk rock scenes and a beloved friend to many of the scene’s bands and fellow fans, who was found dead at his home in Lyneham, Canberra at about 3.30pm on Saturday from multiple stab wounds.
As The Canberra Times reports, friends gained entry into his home after seeing the 27-year-old’s body on the floor of his home on Hall St and calling ACT Ambulance and ACT Policing. A crime scene was then established, with police treating Mr Sofer-Schreiber’s death as a murder.
A punk rock diehard, Sofer-Schreiber was known to many as the ‘Ginger Ninja,’ with the affectionate moniker appearing frequently in the continued tributes being unveiled on social media by friends, fans, and bands, such as US outfit Strung Out, who said:
“One of our long time fans from Australia has been murdered and we are in disbelief of this happening to him. Nicholas Sofer-Schreiber aka the “Ginger Ninja” was such a nice humble kind person. He was a huge fan of not only our band, but so many other punk rock bands too.
“He traveled all over to come see us play and all 5 of us knew him. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends and we can only hope that they get to the bottom of what happened to bring some closure to this tragic crime. RIP Ginger Ninja…you’ll be missed mate”
Tributes consistently depict Sofer-Schreiber as a kind-spirited person and an ardent fan of music, with journalist and former frontman of Sydney punk outfit Unpaid Debt Joseph Catanzaro posting a heartfelt homage, writing:
“He didn’t take the stage, but in his own way, he was famous and loved.
“Musicians loved him, because he was the type of person that made performing worthwhile, the type of person without which a show or a sense of community could not really exist. He was, quite simply, the star vertebrae in the backbone of the music scene.
“He was one of the people that made the punk rock scene feel like a family, which is why I guess today, many of us feel like we’ve lost one of our own.”
Sofer-Schreiber would often phone in scene reports to Triple J punk rock show short.fast.loud and appeared in a film clip by Canberra-based punk band, Revellers. Fellow Canberra outfit Super Best Friends said the punk scene has lost its most “loving, enthusiastic and supportive member.”
(Via The Canberra Times)
