Band Members Die in Tour Crash
December 19, 2007
A fatal road accident has killed two members of Australian heavy metal band The Red Shore, as they travelled on their touring minibus in between gigs in New South Wales.
The minibus was headed for Sydney, where the band was due to play a gig on Wednesday night, when it slammed into a tree at Moonee Beach, just off the Pacific Highway near Coffs Harbour in NSW. The crash occurred at around 7 a.m. EST, the police report said.
The band’s Geelong studio said that 27-year-old lead singer, Damo, died at the crash site, while Andy, the 22-year-old driver and merchandiser, died later in hospital. He was trapped in the wreckage for an hour.
The other six men (aged between 19 and 26) are said to have suffered “non-life threatening injuries” in the accident, and were taken to the nearby Coffs Harbour hospital for treatment and observation.
Only moments after news of the crash broke, tributes started pouring in on the band’s MySpace page. One grieving fan wrote, “2 day is a sad day 4 Aussie Metal - RIP Damo and Andy.”
Another message said: “The Red Shore were one of Australia’s best ever metal bands with such a promising future”.
The Red Shore were the supporting act in U.S. death metal band, All Shall Perish’s “Christmas Carnage” tour of Australia, and while the touring band and its promoter, Destroy All Lines, expressed their condolences and sympathies over the shocking accident, the tour and Wednesday night’s performance would continue as planned.
“After extensive consultation with all concerned parties, Destroy All Lines is now in a position to announce that this evening’s performance by All Shall Perish at Hermann’s Bar in Sydney shall continue as planned,” the statement from the tour’s promoter said.
[Source]
Wow! Reminds me alot of Metallica and their bus accident back in 1987 (?) was it, when their bassist, Cliff Burton was crushed under the bus after it rolled over. Deja vu anyone?