Thirsty Merc have announced their The Good Life national tour will recommence this week at the ANU Bar in Canberra. The tour was put on hold following a fatal car crash in country Victoria, which took the life of the band’s stage manager and injured drummer Mick Skelton.
As Tone Deaf reported at the time, Skelton was seriously injured in the accident, which occurred at a highway intersection in Streatham at about 2.30pm on 22nd September. Skelton was flown to Alfred Hospital, where he was placed in intensive care following surgery.
Fans rallied around the band and issued condolences to stage manager Shane Cooper. The band have thanked fans and industry members for their support. “The band are eternally grateful for all the well wishes and support they have received,” they write in a statement.
“It’s been a really hard time for us,” they continue. “There were moments where we seriously questioned whether we’d be walking out on stage at all for the rest of the year. We’ll always be thinking of Shane.”
“We find some comfort in knowing that he had so many happy moments in his last days with us. Our thoughts are also with Mick every day as he continues to make a recovery – we’re sending him all the strength we can muster up.”
“We want to say our deepest thanks to everyone who has reached out recently. It’s been overwhelming; it’s changed our perspective on life on the road. We’ve been shown a lot of love through that support, and it really has helped us as a band in getting through a truly devastating time.”
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“The Merc would like to share the love with everyone at the upcoming shows, so we can send as much as we can back to Shane, Mick, and their families, who need it most right now.”
The band will be donating a percentage of the proceeds from every ticket sold for the rest of The Good Life Tour to assist the families affected by the crash. Thirsty Merc are currently planning a benefit concert expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for all remaining shows on The Good Life Tour — see all tour dates here — are on sale now. For more information on all the shows or to find out where to get your tickets, head to the official Thirsty Merc website.
