Viola Beach drummer Jack Dakin: 'He wanted to be a rock star and that was what he was heading for'

He used to tap on tables and chairs at Bradshaw Primary School in Grappenhall and his dad Ian gave in when he was eight and bought him lessons at Presto Music School.

Jack's mum Joanne said: "He was very close to drum teacher Stuart Fagan who influenced him a lot.

"One of his teachers Jill Clarke at Bradshaw Primary was a drummer so she was always encouraging him too."

Jack's other big passion was rugby. He played for Rylands Sharks and then Crosfields.

Joanne added: "He was very dedicated to his rugby and very dedicated to his drums and not much in between really."

Jack met Kris Leonard when he was four and the pair went on to form Viola Beach many years later after bonding over bands like Peace, Catfish and the Bottlemen and The Kooks.

The 19-year-old was considered the backbone of the indie-pop band as when writing music they always started with the drumbeat so you could dance to it.

Joanne added: "He loved a good dance so it was important to him that you could dance to the music they made. "Friars Court had a lot of his company over the years."

Jack, centre, with Viola Beach's Tom Lowe and Kris Leonard

So did Jack drive his Old Hall neighbours crazy while practicing?

"Fortunately we live in a detached house so it wasn’t that bad but we did have to pad the garage," said Joanne.

His sister Loren, 24, added: "I always said I could probably withstand Chinese water torture after constantly hearing Jack’s drumming.

"But he was really good though. You couldn’t deny he was good."

Joanne said: "It’s really sad. His dad’s just bought him a new drum kit to personal specification as he’s 6ft 4in. It’s a shame that he won’t get to use it."

Former St Gregory's RC High School pupil Jack had two dates in his diary he was particularly looking forward to – South by South West festival in Texas, next month, and Warrington's Parr Hall on October 1.

Joanne said: "He would have been in Texas for his 20th birthday.

"He was really looking forward to it and talked about it all the time. They were really living the dream.

"They had to have the Parr Hall. That was really a big thrill. They loved that they were going to play the biggest venue in their hometown.

"They also used to come home excitedly and say things like: ‘We’ve just been playing with Blossoms. They’re a really great band’ and ‘Guess who we’re supporting next?’ "He wanted to be a mega rock star and that was what they were heading for. He already was a rock star in his own mind."

Loren added: "People at my work would ask about him and he was really chuffed that people knew about him."

Jack's family also paid tribute to Viola Beach's manager Craig Tarry who died along with all four members of the band in the devastating crash in Sweden on Saturday.

"As soon as he met them it started rocketing," said Loren.

"He got them into the right places and had the right connections."

Mum Joanne, sister Loren and her boyfriend Joe Wonderley look back at photos of Jack

Joanne added: "Their music was very important to them and they respected Craig. They thought he was working hard for them so they would work hard for him.

"They were really dedicated even though their rooms were a mess and their hair was a mess.

"They would lark about but the minute it came to work they were there. I’m not sure we could have said that about their school work.

"I remember seeing them live – because that’s what mums are supposed to do – and being quite shocked that they were actually quite good."

That experience made Joanne determined to support Jack as he took on the music industry with his friends.

"It’s really hard to chase your dream," said Joanne.

"They all lost their jobs. None of them could hold down a job because they were at gigs and they played small clubs just as well as they did large venues.

Loren added: "They just wanted to get their music across. It wasn’t really about getting big. It was just about sharing their music.

"What has given me comfort is that Jack was having the happiest time of his life "He didn’t particularly want to grow old and have all the worries of life. He was just a free spirit. He didn’t need tying down with things."

Viola Beach played at Where's The Music? festival in Norrkoping, Sweden, the day before the tragic crash.

Joanne said: "They’ve never been happier than when they played that gig. They were at the top of the world "They were really happy in each other’s company. They were happy together which was really important.

"Jack was an extremely talented and dedicated musician and was a really loving son and brother."

Loren added: "His fashion and his style and his dancing and his drumming – that was just him. He was a vibrant person."