THEY were suddenly thrust into the limelight when they were watched by millions on ITV’s The Voice.

But Mo Adeniran, winner of the sixth series of the talent show, and his housemate Max Vickers cut their teeth on the same open mic circuit as Viola Beach.

That is why the pair have both been keen to support RivFest where they will not just be sharing a stage but also their memories of Kris Leonard, Jack Dakin, Tom Lowe and River Reeves.

“I was pretty close to them,” said Mo, a former St Barnabas CE Primary School pupil.

“While it is RivFest I think it is a great opportunity to remember all the lads and celebrate their legacy.

“When I first started doing open mic nights at The Lounge Tom was behind the bar with Kris. Jack would be there as well. I’d grown up with Jack all the way through high school and we’d always go up and have a jam. We learnt from each other. We were part of each other’s journey so it made it interesting to watch each other develop as musicians.

“I didn’t know Riv as well as I knew Jack but when all the lads were together it wasn’t like they were a band. They were more of a family. I don’t think you could have found a more solid group of friends.”

Mo was even in one of Viola Beach drummer Jack’s first bands called Don’t Shoot The Messenger.

The 21-year-old, who went to St Gregory’s RC High School, added: “I remember we got shouted at because we tried to name our band something rude and they nearly printed it in a school programme. Jack and I got pulled out of our lesson by our music teacher and he was stood there screaming at us.

“The first recording of my song Globetrotter was made by me, my bandmate and Jack in Tuff Gong Studios in Warrington. We always had each other’s backs and were able to bounce ideas off each other.”

Mo used to play open mic nights whenever and wherever he could. He sang at the Quarter Bar every Sunday for three years – and it was through that circuit he met Max.

Max, who attended both Lymm High and Bridgewater High, said: “I was running an open mic night at Water Dream Lounge in Stockton Heath at the time and my brother Sam was walking down the street when he bumped into Mo and Dave Stanbury (Mo’s guitarist), with guitars on their backs, walking towards The Lounge.

“He didn’t even know Mo or Dave but he convinced them to go to my open mic night instead.”

They bonded over Ed Sheeran and The Strokes and both were interested in writing their own original songs so they soon became friends.

“We had to become enemies or friends,” Max joked.

But it was Max who gave Mo the push he needed to take his talent further when he heard there would be scouts for The Voice at The Mulberry Tree in Stockton Heath.

“I dragged Mo out of the Quarter Bar to go to it,” Max said.

Mo added: “I hadn’t finished my set and he literally walked in and started packing up all my stuff around me.”

It was worth it though. Mo performed A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke and Max sang Jamie T’s Sheila and within a week they had been invited to audition in Manchester.

Max, a former Ravenbank Primary School pupil, said: “Nadine was there as well that night so it was me, Mo and Nadine which is crazy to have three acts who were in The Voice in that one pub.

“We didn’t know whether to apply as a duo or solos so we applied as both.

“But they decided the duo thing wasn’t quite ready. When we got up it was basically me rapping for a minute straight.”

Mo, who has been housemates with Max for two years, added: “We had to go into this room with all these people from the likes of ITV and Universal and you basically do this interview/song.

“It wasn’t like simple questions. They got down to the nitty gritty and you are kind of just stood there thinking: ‘If I can survive this I can survive anything’.”

Mo, of course, went on to win the series after Tom Jones said he was ‘blown away’ by his voice. And Max fared very well too, getting through to the semi finals.

Max said: “I don’t think it ever got competitive. It was just really cool and funny that we were both so far in the show and we were flatmates and mates and it got to the point where it got weirder and weirder. When it got to the semi-finals we thought this is crazy. It was a rewarding experience.

"It was fun, it was enjoyable.

“I did The X Factor about five years ago. It was ok but it wasn’t the same.

“On The Voice they represent you for you. They don’t try to twist your image or make you out on TV to be somebody else for ratings.”

The pair also benefitted from each other’s support which put them in a unique situation.

Max, who found his love of music listening to Kings of Leon, White Stripes and The Strokes with his brother Sam, said: “It helped to have a familiar face around. It was like having a bit of home with you.

"For such a weird situation it made it feel as normal as it could be.”

Mo added: “If anything we had the advantage because there were a lot of people where you could clearly see it was getting to them.

“You could see the frustration setting in.

"We saw people rocking back and forth and sweating.

"We just thought: ‘We’ve got further than we thought we were going to. We’re just going to go out and have fun’.

Mo and Max will both be performing sets at RivFest and also do three songs together.

It will be a particularly special occasion for Max as he is launching his

new alternative rock and indie band there with Tom O’Reilly, Sam Glancy and Roy Muscutt called The 32 Tens.

He said: “We have been doing some acoustic songs that I wrote a long a time ago as well as some songs that we’ve started making ourselves.

“It’s all our own music. We’ve been working on it for a couple of months and it’s coming together.

"We’ve recorded some tracks and we’re planning to launch at RivFest.

"That will be our first gig then we will try to get some stuff online and release an EP.”

Meanwhile Mo is continuing to work with Polydor Records after releasing his ‘winner’s EP’ Globetrotter.

He added: “It’s been crazy. I’ve spent three months in studios with different writers and producers. Every day I get the opportunity to create a new idea and I’ve been working with some very experienced musicians and songwriters.

“I’ve been able to build my vision through them.

“It’s challenging because the show finishes and people expect an album

straightaway. I think people forget when you’re writing your own music it does take time.

“For me, I’m not going to release an album until I know that the first song is just as strong as the last.

“The album deal wasn’t guaranteed.

"The only thing that was guaranteed was the EP and a solo track. It was something I had to earn."

This week's Warrington Guardian, out now, includes a 12-page special guide to RivFest - the festival in memory of Viola Beach guitarist River Reeves - with interviews with all the main acts including Maximo Park, Billy Bragg, Mo and Max and organiser Ben Dunne. 

Warrington Guardian:

  • RivFest is at Priestley College on Saturday, September 2, and is headlined by Maximo Park. Tickets are £20 or £5 for under 16s. To book click here
  • Arriva will be running a shuttle bus every 20 minutes on the day from Bank Quay and Central stations