ROCK band The Luka State will be headlining a special day of music at Friars Court fresh from their appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival.

The four-piece will top the bill at Friars Live’s fundraiser for the River Reeves Foundation on Saturday when they will be joined by Jeramiah Ferrari, Billy Bibby and the Wry Smiles, Saytr Play, Weekend Wars, Carl North and The Lonely Hearts, Rob Scotney, Filthy Tricks and Fez.

The River Reeves Foundation provides bursaries and grants for young people across Warrington who want to get into the arts, theatre and music industry.

It was launched in the wake of the car crash in Sweden in February 2016 that claimed the life of the 19-year-old alongside his fellow Viola Beach band members Kris Leonard, Tomas Lowe, Jack Dakin and manager Craig Tarry.

Conrad Ellis, frontman of The Luka State, said: “It’s such a shame what happened to those boys. It’s really sad but it’s good that music can bring people together and make something light out of dark situation.

“That shows how powerful music can be. We’re really proud to be supporting it and headlining it.”

Last month The Luka State performed on the This Feeling stage at the Isle of Wight Festival.

The stage gives a platform to new and emerging bands from all over the UK.

Conrad, 25, added: “It was a great experience and hopefully a taste of the future and what’s to come. We want to continue playing those mainstream festivals and being on that circuit.

“It’s similar to what they do at Friars Live. It’s giving unsigned bands a chance to show what they’re about. I love that because you’ve got to start from somewhere. That sort of thing is really important when you’re starting out. There are some sharks out there and you’ve got to beware but we’re very lucky to have found the good ones.”

The band, from Winsford, are also currently working on their debut record which is the follow-up to their mini album, The Price of Education. They have been working with Manic Street Preachers producer Dave Eringa and Chris Sheldon, who produced the early Foo Fighters records.

Conrad said: “It’s exciting because it’s like diving into the deep end. You only learn from things like that. Working with those people who have all that experience only pushes it further.

“We’ve got about 28 songs that we’ve got to whittle down to a 12-track album.

“We want to release it when the time is right because you get one shot at a debut album. It has to be right. Writing for me is self-therapy because I write about myself a lot but I also write about friends and family. They don’t often know they’ve been written about though!

“It’s usually things that people can relate to as music is meant to make you feel something. If you’re not doing that you’re not doing your job.”

Conrad met guitarist Sam Bell at New Images youth club in Winsford.

They bonded over their love of Beatles, Oasis, The Jam, Northern Soul, Motown, ska, punk and reggae and played their first gig together at The Golden Lion in the town when they were just 12.

These days The Luka State are tipped for big things and are managed by Jim de Whalley, a record label owner whose dad, Chas de Whalley, was the man who spotted U2.

Conrad added: “We’ve been working so hard to be where we are now and putting the graft in. We haven’t had a weekend off gigging since April bank holiday.

“We’ve been in the studio and playing up and down the country. You can’t just say: ‘It’s my year, it’s my time’. You’ve got to work hard for what you want and try and be the best at what you do.”

  • The Luka State headline Friars Live's River Reeves Foundation fundraiser on Saturday. Doors open at 3pm. Tickets are available at skiddle.com