Tribute to Charles Haddon
From the creative and artistic roots of Camden, in London, a band by the name of Ou Est Le Swimming Pool developed into a well known international group. Even though their fame was short lived, they made a noticeable impact on the music industry, making appearances at various music festivals and on the charts. Unfortunately tragedy struck the band on 20 August 2010, when lead singer Charles Haddon committed suicide at the Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium. It is a loss that is heartfelt by family, friends and fans.
Ou Est Le Swimming Pool consisted of three band members, namely Charles Haddon, Caan Capan and Joe Hutchinson. They released three singles, of which Dance the Way I Feel is one, and performed at both the Bestival and Glastonbury Festival in 2009. Other singles, such as Jackson’s Last Stand and These New Knights also became favorites with fans all over the world. This year, they attended the Global Gathering and the Evolution Festival, and were scheduled to play at the Pukkelpop. In August, the band was to perform in Austria at the Frequentcy Festival, and would have started touring in October; a tour that fans in the United Kingdom were looking forward to.
After a magnificent performance at the festival, Charles Haddon made the decision to take his own life by jumping off a telecommunications mast that is located in the parking area backstage. Tributes began to pour out all over the world for Haddon, with artists dedicating songs to him and sharing their memories with audiences. Elly Jackson, the lead singer for La Roux, also paid tribute to Charles Haddon in Staffordshire, saying: “Yesterday, a friend of ours died. His name was Charlie and he was from Ou Est Le Swimming Pool. They supported us on tour, and he died yesterday at Pukkelpop. So the whole of the set is for him really. Can we have a big hand for Charlie please?” It is a sad loss for the music industry, and Charles Haddon will forever be remembered through his music and the memories that he made while entertaining thousands of fans.
