Two Baroness Members Leave Band in Wake of Bus Accident
Two members of Baroness have left the band in the wake of a bus crash last August that injured nine people and left three band members hospitalized for nearly two weeks. In a letter posted on the Georgia metal band’s website, Baroness frontman John Baizley explained that bassist Matt Maggioni and drummer Allen Blickle have left the group, and will no longer tour with the band.
“Nothing can truly prepare you for a brush with death. The event is [a] unique one, singular to the observer,” Baizley wrote. “Our bus accident left indelible marks, external and internal, physical and mental, you name it. Each of the nine of us went through and continues to go through an entirely different, yet common experience.”
Baroness Members Released After Nearly Two Weeks in Hospital
Baizley wrote that the entire band is healthy, though each band member continues to recover at his own rate. “For some of us, the accident necessitated a change that would prevent them from performing music or touring,” he wrote. “The details of their departure are not sensational; they do not come with hard feelings. Nor are the details going to be public; suffice it to say we’d like to keep to ourselves the finer points of this situation, to respect the privacy of all involved.”
He continued, “Simply put, some of the effects and injuries were severe enough to prohibit further activity in Baroness. While we would never have asked them to leave; we have the utmost sympathy for this situation, and in earnest, we wish Matt and Allen the best in the future.”
Last August, nine people were injured when Baroness’ tour bus plunged 30 feet off a viaduct in wet condition near Bath, England. Guitarist Pete Adams was released from the hospital the day after the crash, but Baizley, Blickle and Maggioni were hospitalized for about two weeks. Blickle and Maggioni both suffered fractured vertebrae in the crash. The band was forced to cancel the last six dates of their 2012 tour, though Baizley says Baroness has already found a new drummer and bassist and hopes to finish out the shortened tour.