British Indie Band, Viola Beach, Died In Tragic Car Crash In Sweden


A British Indie band, Viola Beach, died tragically, as their car plunged off a bridge, falling more than 82 feet, or 25 meters, into the ravine under the bridge. Their car passed through a gap in the bridge that had just opened to allow a boat through. There were no survivors. All four members of the band and their manager were killed in the accident. BBC reports the heartbreaking news of a fatal car crash that plunged five young British men with bright futures to their deaths.

The British Indie band, Viola Beach, included Kris Leonard, 20, River Reeves, 19, Tomas Lowe, 27, Jack Dakin, 19, and their manager, Craig Tarry, 33. The band was starting to gain recognition. Voila Beach was scheduled to meet with local press on Tuesday to discuss their gig at the Pyramid. Just hours before their deaths, they had played their first international performance in Norrkoping, Sweden. The British Indie group was planning to stay in a hotel that night before flying home, but needed to cross the bridge to find the hotel.

The bridge was fitted with a vertical lift that could raise and lower to allow ships to pass beneath it. The Daily Mail reports that the bridge was just beginning to rise as the car approached. There were warning lights and a barricade to prevent accidents, just like the one that occurred at 2 a.m., when the car carrying Viola Beach crashed through the barricade and fell into the icy water below. The car was a rental, and police are still investigating the cause of the accident.

Södertälje kanal, Bridge
The bridges over Södertälje Canal in Södertälje, Sweden. [Image via Johan Fredriksson | Creative Commons| cropped and re-sized | CC BY-SA 3.0]
The British Indie Band, Viola Beach, were from Warrington, Cheshire, and had a great new Indie rock and pop sound. Kris Leonard played guitar and was the lead vocalist. River Reeves was also a guitarist, Thomas Lowe was on bass, while Jack Dakin was the group’s drummer. They were just starting out, really, with the youngest members still only 19-years-old.

David Monks, of Radio Merseyside, commented on the promise the band had, and what a great chance of success the band had.

“Straight away they jumped out as such a great band with great potential. It was really uplifting music, it was quite anthemic. Always got a great reaction whenever they played.

“They got selected to play the Reading and Leeds festivals and since then they’ve just gone on and on. They’ve just signed a small deal with Communion Records as well and just released their new single ‘Boys That Sing.’ We’re so proud of their story so to hear this is heartbreaking.”

Buttermarket Street, Warrington
Buttermarket Street, Warrington [Image via Eirian Evans| Wikipedia Creative Commons |Cropped and Re-sized | CC BY-SA 2.0]
Eirian Evans

Frontman for the British Indie band, Viola Beach, Kris Leonard worked as a cleaner at the Warren Guardian, while the other three band members worked in the Lounge Bar in Warrington Town Centre. Immediately following the tragic news, friends and fans of Viola Beach begin to fill the Lounge Bar to exchange stories and share in their sadness. The band was well-loved in their hometown, not just for their music, but for their sweet and gentle personalities. Fans have decided to create a social media campaign to get the band’s single, “Swings and Waterslides,” to the top of U.K. singles charts. Proceeds will go to the band members’ families.

The British Indie band, Voila Beach, will be greatly missed by their hometown, and the music world may never know how much they missed.

[Image via Instagram]

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