It has been reported that the UK indie band Viola Beach and their manager have been killed in a tragic car accident in Sweden.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm that five British Nationals died in a car accident in Sweden on 13 February. We are in contact with local authorities and supporting the families at this difficult time.’
The five British Nationals are reported to be the members of Viola Beach and their manager. The four-piece band, made up of Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe and Jack Dakin, and their manager Craig Tarry had played at ‘Where’s the Music’ festival, Norrköping, their first gig outside of the UK, before the accident.
The accident happened just after 2am on Saturday morning, when their car smashed into a road barrier at the bridge over the Södertälje canal, causing them to plunge 80ft into the canal. Reports state that the bridge was closing after being opened to let a vessel sail through at the time of the fatal crash.
Inspector Martin Bergholm said: “For some reason, the car drove through the barriers and crashed down into the canal. The witnesses just saw a car beside them and kind of disappear.”
The band were due to perform alongside Blossoms at Guildford’s Boiler Room on Saturday night. The gig was cancelled by Blossoms following reports of the tragic news.
Viola Beach had released their debut single ‘Swings & Waterslides’ last year, and had performed at the Reading and Leeds festival. They received a lot of support from BBC Introducing and were on the verge of breaking into the mainstream music scene. They had also started to break into the American market, as they were due to perform over there next month.
It is evident that Viola Beach had a very bright future ahead of them, which makes this news all the more tragic. Our thoughts are with their families, friends and fans at this time.