Viola Beach fans pay tribute ten years after tragic passing: ‘Never forgotten’
The group and manager Craig Tarry died in a tragic road accident in Sweden in February 2016
By Nick Reilly
Fans of Viola Beach have paid tribute to the band, ten years after they died in a tragic road accident.
The Warrington group (Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe and Jack Dakin) and their manager, Craig Tarry, were tragically killed in a road accident in Sweden in February 2016 when their car plummeted from a bridge into a canal. An inquest later concluded that it will not it will “ever be known” what caused the incident.
Coldplay famously paid tribute to the group when they headlined Glastonbury that year, by performing the group’s break-out song ‘Boys That Sing’ to reflect an alternative future where the group may have headlined that very festival.
Now, ten years on, fans are sharing fresh memories and tributes to the group.
“It’s 10 years today since we lost Kris, River, Tom, Jack & Craig. They’re forever in our hearts. Never to be forgotten,” a post on the band’s Instagram account read.
“Still listen to these boys to this day! Absolute legends. They will never be forgotten,” one fan commented on the post.
Another said: “Such a great band. I’ve danced around my kitchen with my kids to ‘Swings & Waterslides’ many, many times.”
Other tributes came from Blossoms, who previously toured with Viola Beach. “Hard to believe it’s 10 years since we lost these wonderful people,” they wrote on their Instagram Stories.
Earlier this week, a permanent tribute to the group was also installed in Warrington’s Golden Square. The installation takes the form of a ‘V’ made from rainbow umbrellas, reflecting one of the group’s most memorable photos.
“Viola Beach will always be part of Warrington’s story,” said Ian Cox, centre director at Golden Square.
“Ten years on, their music and their spirit still mean so much to so many people. We wanted to create something visible in the Old Market Square where the band played that feels thoughtful and hopeful, a simple tribute that honours Kris, River, Tomas, Jack and Craig, and gives people a moment to pause, reflect and remember.
“The rainbow umbrellas felt like the right way to do that: bright, uplifting, impossible to miss and an obvious nod to their most iconic photo.”