All four members of the Warrington-based indie band, Viola Beach and their manager were killed when their car went through the barrier of an open bridge and landed in a canal near Stockholm
The band, made up of four friends from their hometown of Warrington, Cheshire, were guitarist and vocalist Kristian Leonard, 20; guitarist River Reeves, 19; bass player Tomas Lowe, 27, and drummer Jack Dakin, 19. Manager Craig Tarry, 32, was the fifth person in the hire car.
Swedish police stated that the men were killed in the early hours of Saturday when the vehicle plunged more than 25m (82ft) through a gap in the highway bridge, which had opened to let a boat pass underneath.
Families, friends and fans of the indie band Viola Beach have paid tribute to the four musicians and their manager.
Tarry, Rivers and the other members of the Warrington-based band – guitarist and Leonard, Lowe and drummer Jack Dakin – are understood to have been on their way to Arlanda airport from their first gig abroad, in Norrköping, to return to the UK, where they were due to play in Guildford on Saturday.
A musician who saw them play on Friday said there had been a lot of snow that day and Tarry had not been drinking at the event because he was driving.
Swedish police arrived at the scene of the incident at about 2.30am and divers recovered the bodies of the victims. A barrier 50 metres before the opening has flashing lights and warning signs. 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.”
Bergholm would not comment on whether the police suspected that intoxicants were associated with the accident but said warning devices at the bridge had operated as usual and other cars had stopped to wait while it was opened.
Viola Beach were playing at Sweden’s Where’s the Music? festival on Friday and had dozens of upcoming live shows planned, including one at Warrington’s the Pyramid on 12 March. The up-and-coming band previously toured with the Courteeners and worked with Communion Records’ founder and Mumford and Sons’ producer, Ian Grimble.
