VIOLA Beach and their Woolston manager Craig Tarry are to be officially honoured at RivFest.
The second stage of the Priestley College festival on Saturday, September 2, will be named the ‘Viola Beach Introducing’ stage in memory of the band. Before their tragic deaths in Sweden in February 2016, the band flew the flag for music Warrington.
They took the music scene by storm, winning over BBC Introducing and Communion Records after self-funding their debut single, Swings and Waterslides. So the five Viola Beach families have agreed the band should to continue to inspire artists in the area through their legacy.
Ben Dunne, RivFest organiser and guitarist River Reeves’ dad said: “This stage is to become a platform for showcasing new talented bands from the town and surrounding areas over the coming years. Buy a ticket, come along and help the region’s newest acts get the exposure that their talents deserve.”
Jo Dakin, mum of drummer Jack Dakin, said: “This will be a great opportunity for Warrington talent to showcase what they can do and for the town to realise what a talented community it has.”
Ruth Lowe, mum of bassist Tom Lowe, said: “It is a fitting tribute that through the River Reeves Foundation and RivFest, the legacy of Viola Beach continues to inspire and encourage other young artists and bands to pursue their dreams.”
Lisa Leonard, mum of frontman Kris Leonard, said: “This is a great opportunity to support young and upcoming artists. The boys would of really appreciated this kind of support.”
In a joint statement, Craig Tarry’s sister Sarah and parents Diane and Colin added: “It’s amazing what has been achieved since the first RivFest. Craig was all about finding new talent especially from his home town of Warrington so having a Viola Beach stage is a very fitting tribute.
“I’m sure emotions will be high on the day but we will be there to support each other as families.”
Warrington psychedelic rock band Psyblings, who were due to support Viola Beach at their Pyramid gig, will be headlining the Viola Beach Introducing stage this year while Maximo Park are headlining the main stage.
Tickets for RivFest are available here
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