By now I’m sure you will have all heard the tragic news about promising British indie band Viola Beach. Last Saturday, the band were killed after the car they were in plunged off a bridge into an icy canal in Sweden.
Band members River Reeves, 19, Jack Dakin, 19, Kris Leonard, 20, and Tomas Lowe, 27, were all killed, alongside their manager Craig Tarry, 32. They had been travelling back to Stockholm airport in the early hours of Saturday morning, after playing their first international gig just hours before.
The bridge they were crossing had been raised to allow a boat to pass underneath. Reports say the band’s car ploughed through safety barriers before crashing into the freezing water below.
Swedish police and officials are investigating, but it is still unclear what caused the crash.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QsJSKlMUko]Since the news broke, tributes have been pouring in.
Manchester City fans rallied on social media to arrange a round of applause to pay tribute to Craig Tarry, who was a big fan of the team, in the club’s recent match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Our hearts go out to the families and friends of @Viola_Beach. So sad x
— KasabianHQ (@KasabianHQ) February 14, 2016
Lots of people from the world of music are backing a campaign to get the band to number one in the UK charts. The band’s friends, family and fans are campaigning to get their independent, self-released single ‘Swings and Waterslides’ to the top spot.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btSa91diKio]The single is being pushed up the charts with the intention of sharing the band’s music with a wider audience of potential future fans. The hope is that despite the tragedy, the music they worked so hard to create will still be listened to and enjoyed by as many people as possible.
Viola Beach – Swings & Waterslides – https://t.co/3HTE23kG9S RIP LG X
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) February 15, 2016
The campaign has so far been backed by artists including Liam Gallagher, Kasabian and The Script. At the time of writing, ‘Swings and Waterslides’ has just reached number 1 on the UK iTunes chart for the first time.
Our deepest sympathy to the family’s and friends of #ViolaBeach today. So so sad. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. M
— the script (@thescript) February 14, 2016
To pay tribute and do your bit, you can back the campaign by purchasing the single.
