Tributes Paid To Warrington Band Viola Beach And Manager
Tributes have been paid to the four members of Viola Beach and their manager Craig Tarry who were killed when their car plunged 80 feet into a canal in Sweden.
Tributes have been paid to the four members of Viola Beach and their manager Craig Tarry who were killed when their car plunged 80 feet into a canal in Sweden.
The four members of Viola Beach (Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe and Jack Dakin ) and manager Craig Tarry were killed after their vehicle went through the barrier of a bridge which had opened to let a boat pass underneath.
Tributes were paid to the group following the accident in Sodertalje, 18 miles from the capital Stockholm, in the early hours of Saturday.
In a statement, Mr Tarry's family said: We can confirm that our son Craig, along with four members of the band Viola Beach, were involved in a fatal accident in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The family are devastated by these events and are grieving the loss of their son and also for the other families involved in this tragic accident.
Craig was a warm, loving person who had worked tirelessly to achieve success and follow his dreams within the music industry. He will be sadly missed by his family and his colleagues.''
The band's record label spoke of their total shock and sorrow''.
Ian Grimble, the band's producer, who has worked with the likes of Mumford & Sons said: I first became aware of Viola Beach through their single Swings & Waterslides and was very taken by the energy and vibrancy that jumped out of the speakers.
Upon meeting them for the first time, along with Craig their manager, I could soon see why, their exuberance and determination to scream out to the world was overwhelming.
It is with great sadness that we will not be able to see them grow from the spark that they are now, into the raging fire that they so desperately desired to become.''
The band had recently released their second single - Boys That Sing - on January 22.
Their record label Communion Records will donate all proceeds from the single to the band and Mr Tarry's families.
The record label added: Viola Beach had only recently come into the Communion family, and had everything going for them - great songs, passion, talent, drive ... everything that a band should have.
To sit down with the band was to sit down with a group of guys whose band you wanted to be in, and to be in the presence of a band who knew just what it would take to make it.
Kris, River, Jack and Tom were determined to go out into the world and play every show they could until the world was singing along with them, and now that dream has been sadly taken away from all of us.''
Viola Beach were due to perform at Liverpool’s Sound City Festival in May. Organiser Dave Pichillingi told us they were a pleasure to work with when they performed last year and he was looking forward to having them back again this year. He told us they’ll work on some sort of tribute to the five of them;
‘‘Once we’ve collected our thoughts we’ll look at something appropriate to do for them at the festival this year. But at this time, I guess our love and our wishes go out to their family and all their loved ones.’’
Yesterday friends gathered outside The Lounge bar in Warrington where the band used to work and hang out. They left flowers and messages in tribute.