Back in August, Georgia metal greats Baroness were forced to cancel all of their touring commitments after a terrible bus crash near Bath, England. Now, the band have offered an in-depth update explaining the crash and subsequent treatment.
In a statement, trontman John Baizley explained that the accident took place due to failed brakes on their tour bus. The brakes failed "on a notoriously dangerous, incredibly steep (12% grade) hill in Monkton Combe, UK, on our way from a show Bristol to another show in Southampton. Our bus went entirely out of control, and we had no choice other than hitting a perpendicular guardrail going about 50 mph at the bottom of the hill."
From there, he explains that the vehicle tore through a forest area, writing, "The guard rail and the 20 or 30 trees we ploughed through snapped like matchsticks as we went fully airborne and fell down more than 30 feet off of a viaduct to the ground below. Half of the band/crew were asleep while we lost our brakes, and a few of us were awake and sitting in the rear lounge. I was up front with our driver, and I bore witness to the entire thing. Once our brakes failed, the bus could do little more than gain momentum and plummet down the hill."
Baizley required a two-week stay in the hospital, including "an eight-hour surgery in which my arm was rebuilt with the aid of 2 massive titanium plates, 20 screws and a foot-and-a-half of wire." He explains that, while he can still miraculously play the guitar, it does cause him pain.
Still, he insists that Baroness will forge on with the following inspirational statement:
We can do nothing but attempt to make something constructive and beautiful out of all this disaster, and we are well on the way to becoming active again. I have used this time, stuck inside my own head, to consider the importance of music and Baroness in my life. I can say, after nearly 6 weeks of reflection, that I feel more resolute and passionate about our music than ever. I have come to realize the importance of time in this particular equation, that is, I have none to waste and none to spare. There is no better moment than now, broken and in physical stasis, to devote ourselves more fully towards our art than ever. We cannot allow the traumatic fallout of our crash to cripple us internally. It seems simple: the shows we have cancelled we will reschedule and play in the future. It isn't going to happen next week nor will it be next month. But it will happen. We will be back on tour as soon as we possibly can.
For the full, much more detailed account of what happened, along with some gnarly photos, check out Baizley's account here.
In a statement, trontman John Baizley explained that the accident took place due to failed brakes on their tour bus. The brakes failed "on a notoriously dangerous, incredibly steep (12% grade) hill in Monkton Combe, UK, on our way from a show Bristol to another show in Southampton. Our bus went entirely out of control, and we had no choice other than hitting a perpendicular guardrail going about 50 mph at the bottom of the hill."
From there, he explains that the vehicle tore through a forest area, writing, "The guard rail and the 20 or 30 trees we ploughed through snapped like matchsticks as we went fully airborne and fell down more than 30 feet off of a viaduct to the ground below. Half of the band/crew were asleep while we lost our brakes, and a few of us were awake and sitting in the rear lounge. I was up front with our driver, and I bore witness to the entire thing. Once our brakes failed, the bus could do little more than gain momentum and plummet down the hill."
Baizley required a two-week stay in the hospital, including "an eight-hour surgery in which my arm was rebuilt with the aid of 2 massive titanium plates, 20 screws and a foot-and-a-half of wire." He explains that, while he can still miraculously play the guitar, it does cause him pain.
Still, he insists that Baroness will forge on with the following inspirational statement:
We can do nothing but attempt to make something constructive and beautiful out of all this disaster, and we are well on the way to becoming active again. I have used this time, stuck inside my own head, to consider the importance of music and Baroness in my life. I can say, after nearly 6 weeks of reflection, that I feel more resolute and passionate about our music than ever. I have come to realize the importance of time in this particular equation, that is, I have none to waste and none to spare. There is no better moment than now, broken and in physical stasis, to devote ourselves more fully towards our art than ever. We cannot allow the traumatic fallout of our crash to cripple us internally. It seems simple: the shows we have cancelled we will reschedule and play in the future. It isn't going to happen next week nor will it be next month. But it will happen. We will be back on tour as soon as we possibly can.
For the full, much more detailed account of what happened, along with some gnarly photos, check out Baizley's account here.
