The four members of the UK indie band Viola Beach, along with their manager, were killed on Saturday when their car crashed through a barrier and plunged into a canal near Stockholm, Sweden.
The victims were identified as band members Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe and Jack Dakin and manager Craig Tarry, according to BBC News.
The up-and-coming band had played at a Swedish music festival on Friday and was scheduled to open for headline artists Blossoms at a concert in the British city of Guilford on Saturday, according to the Associated Press. But the music venue said in a statement that Blossoms decided to cancel the gig after learning about the accident.
"We are saddened and devastated as details have come to light of this tragic accident. Our thoughts are with family and friends," the venue Boileroom said in a statement to the AP.
Blossoms tweeted that they were "absolutely devastated" by the loss of the musicians.
Absolutely devastated for the loss of Viola Beach and Craig Tarry. Our thoughts are with their friends and families. pic.twitter.com/Fg52on42as— B L O S S O M S (@BlossomsBand) February 14, 2016
The band, whose Twitter account described their music as "bucketloads of loveliness and 'dreamy shoegaze pop'," had been scheduled to perform at the South-by-Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, next month.
John Hugo, of the band Psykofant, which performed on the same stage as Viola Beach on Friday, called their show "amazing."
"I'd never heard of them before, but I was really taken by them and their music," Hugo said in an interview with the Mirror. "I was watching them and thinking 'this will be the future'."
"We're really into English music and were like 'oh my god, this is like seeing the Beatles' or something," he said.
Final pictures of Viola Beach before crash killed four and manager https://t.co/J30WVzfzTE pic.twitter.com/Rf7DvZl4MQ— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) February 14, 2016
Colin Tarry, the father of band manager Craig Tarry, told the Mirror that the Warrington-based group were “about to crack the big time.”
"We’re absolutely devastated. They were cracking lads," he said. "They were all in the prime of their lives and believed they were about to crack the big time."
Stockholm Police spokesman Martin Bergholm told the Associated Press that the accident on Saturday afternoon occurred when the men's rental car crashed through a barrier that was closed to stop vehicles as a drawbridge was opening up ahead. He said the cause of the crash was unknown. An eyewitness estimated the car's speed at between 70-80 kph (43-50 mph).
Fans of the band and other musicians paid tribute to them on Twitter and Facebook.
Just heard horrendous news about @Viola_Beach. Fellow Warrington lads, they rehearsed next door to us. Our thoughts are with their families— Man & The Echo (@ManandTheEcho) February 14, 2016
RIP Viola Beach and their manager. Such incredibly tragic and sad news. Thought with the friends and families of all involved x— The Enemy (@theenemyband) February 14, 2016
Tragic news about Viola Beach. Young band, first tour outside the UK. My thoughts are with their families and friends.— Billy Bragg (@billybragg) February 14, 2016
Please go and Download Swings & Waterslides by Viola Beach so we can get them to No. 1 in tribute to such a loss❤️ pic.twitter.com/Uvtu625P6P— Natasha (@lastl0st) February 14, 2016
Truly awful news about #ViolaBeach. Extremely talented band with a huge future. Our deepest thoughts are with loved ones. Jay & Ellie x— The Guide Liverpool (@TheGuideLpool) February 14, 2016
Flowers outside The Lounge in Warrington where friends of Viola Beach have come to pay tribute pic.twitter.com/ZB24VLXvON— Rock FM News (@RockFMNews) February 14, 2016