A pre-recorded set by Warrington indie band Viola Beach has been played at gigs they were due to support as a special tribute.
The band were due to tour with the Blossoms before they were killed along with their band manager in a crash in Sweden last weekend.
They were billed to support the Blossoms at the Concorde 2 in Brighton last night and to honour their memory, the five-piece played the full set from a gig they performed at together the day before they were killed.
Aside from microphones, the stage stood empty while the music of Viola Beach was played out to the packed audience in a chilling half an hour set.
Kris Leonard, 20, River Reeves, 19, Jack Dakin, 19, Tomas Lowe, 27, and band manager Craig Tarry, 32, were all killed in the horrorific crash during the early hours of last Saturday morning.
Local authorities have dismissed reports that the bridge warning lights were not working at the time of the accident.
It has also since emerged that Swedish police lost crucial CCTV footage showing the moment their hired Nissan Qashqai plunged off the bridge.
The incident may have been captured by a roadside camera but reports from Sweden say the tape which was automatically erased 24 hours after the crash.
Family and friends have been campaigning for the band’s single Swings & Waterslides to make number one in the official UK charts with it debuting at number 11 on Friday.
Various musicians including Liam Gallagher, Paloma Faith, Gabrielle Aplin, The Stone Roses and Kasabian called on their fans to help with the campaign.
The single did make Number One on the iTunes songs chart by Thursday.
The band’s record label Communion has confirmed proceeds from the sale of singles will go to the families of the band and their manager.
Although only formed last May the band developed a strong folowing in their home town, building up a fan base with appearances at The Lounge on Springfield Street.
They also guested at the Warrington Festival in an open air gig supporting Pixie Lott.
Local photographer Paul Jackson was covering the festival for warrington-worldwide and has created a poster as a tribute to the band.
“In my opinion they were by far the best act to appear at the festival and had a bright future. It is a real tragedy,” said Paul.
The band was due to perform a sell out gig at the Pyramid next month – and there have been calls from fans to mark the event with a special tribute.
Viola Beach performing at Warrington Festival – Pictures Paul Jackson – Click on the image to view full size
