9 things Viola Beach achieved in their short lives

At the time the 'boys that sing' were poised to make a breakthrough in the music scene and the ripples of their success are still felt with other Warrington bands inspired to follow in their footsteps.

Here we look at what the four-piece – alongside their devoted manager Craig Tarry – achieved in their short lives.

A lot has been accomplished in Viola Beach's memory in those five years – such as the posthumous number one album, Coldplay's tribute at Glastonbury, the tribute celebration at Parr Hall, launch of Rivfest and much more – but below are things they got to enjoy while they were still alive.

They kickstarted their own music career by self funding their debut single and creating their own record label

It all started for Viola Beach when they self-funded their debut single, Swings and Waterslides.

They recorded it with Ady Hall and Lee McCarthy from Sugar House, based at St Helens' Catalyst Studios, who worked with the band on five tracks between 2014 and 2015.

Lee said: "We heard a lot of the potential new songs and there was one in particular called Call You Up which blew us away. It was the sort of song that sends shivers down your spine."

"You could tell there was something about their frontman, Kris Leonard. Not just in a musical sense – you wanted to be his mate. He was a charismatic guy.

"Jack Dakin's drumming was also very different which led us down certain paths. He had his own style."

Kris and bassist Tom Lowe then set up their own record label called Fuller Beans to launch Swings and Waterslides.

Lee added: "It is essentially an unsigned track. They funded it themselves and it is probably a long time since an independent track last entered the top 40.

"It’s staggering what happened but I’m hoping there is going to be a great legacy there.

"What Viola Beach proved is if you do things properly and write great songs and get your act together anything is possible."

They got the backing of the BBC

Frontman Kris Leonard used to work as a cleaner and actually sent his first track to BBC Introducing...while he was in the Warrington Guardian's toilets.

A friend sent him a message about the service for undiscovered and unsigned bands and artists and so he uploaded a song called Love My Love right then and there in September 2013.

Viola Beach were soon picked up by their BBC Introducing presenter Dave Monks from the Merseyside show who quickly became a huge supporter of the band.

Jason Carter, founder of BBC Introducing, said: "We remember as a team sitting in a room listening through to all the tracks for consideration and being blown away when we heard Swings and Waterslides. A true stand out track from an incredibly exciting new band."

That exposure led to growing national airplay at Radio 1 via Huw Stephens and 6 Music thanks to Steve Lamacq.

They got the support of Warrington's Simon Moran, the creator of SJM Concerts, after a show for industry insiders at The Cavern

After a warm-up show at The Lounge – now Post House – which became something of a second home to the band where they worked and socialised and performed, Viola Beach made their debut at Liverpool's legendary Cavern Club in July 2015.

At the time, Kris told us: "To play in this historic venue in front of all these industry people was a wake-up call.

"We had someone there from SJM Concerts who are now promoting our shows for us."

The Beatles played their first gig on the Cavern's stage and between 1961 and 1963 made 292 appearances there.

They performed at Reading and Leeds Festival

Presenter Dave Monks helped get the band a prestigious slot at Reading and Leeds Festival and that is when they really started to get noticed.

The four-piece played on the BBC Introducing stage following in the footsteps of the likes of Jake Bugg and Catfish and the Bottlemen.

It was a big weekend for the band as they released Swings and Waterslides at the same time.

Jason Carter, founder of BBC Introducing, said: "We stood with an excited Craig Tarry backstage who was glowingly showing us how the band had reached number two on Hype Machine that day following their performance at the festival."

They recorded a session at the legendary Maida Vale Studios

Maida Vale has played host to generations of music stars from Led Zeppelin to Adele.

The complex, built in 1909, is perhaps best known for playing host to John Peel's famous Radio 1 sessions and it is considered a badge of honour for anyone invited.

Viola Beach performed there in November 2015, the result of which saw a number of record labels seeking to sign them.

They joined Communion Records

Just weeks before their deaths, Viola Beach signed a deal with Communion Records and they released their second single, Boys That Sing, through the label on January 22, 2016.

It was a huge opportunity as the four-piece were working with Mumford and Sons producer Ian Grimble.

After the tragedy, Communion Records released a statement that said: "Viola Beach had only recently come into the Communion family, and had everything going for them – great songs, passion, talent, drive – everything that a band should have.

"Equally, Craig, their manager was possessed by a passion to help the band achieve everything they wanted to, and to speak with Craig about Viola Beach, and music in general was an absolute pleasure – you knew he was doing it all for the right reasons."

They supported some of their idols

Viola Beach supported their musical heroes, Courteeners, on three of their UK tour dates, which included a show at the Manchester Apollo.

Kris said at the time: “I’ve always wanted to support the Courteeners. My inner 14-year-old was screaming out. But I had to keep my cool when I met them.

“They were nice guys and we got a good reaction from the crowd. Their frontman Liam Fray said we reminded him of them back when they started because we were carrying our own gear on stage and everything.”

The band also struck up a friendship with chart-toppers Blossoms and shared a stage with them at Leamington Spa two days before their deaths.

Their popularity was booming in Warrington

Watching with growing confidence as momentum continued to build, the band's manager Craig Tarry, who had previously worked with Exile Parade, booked the lads in for a homecoming gig at the Pyramid on March 12, 2016.

It sold out so fast that plans were made for Viola Beach to play their biggest home town show at the Parr Hall on October 1, 2016.

Sadly, they never got to play either of these gigs – with the crash in Sweden taking place just weeks before the Pyramid show.

A poster advertising the concert was kept up at The Lounge for many months as the town mourned the unfathomable loss.

In fact, their popularity was growing all over the UK and even overseas

Another notable gig before their deaths was at the iconic Koko in Camden Town on January 29, 2016. They were invited to perform for Club NME.

The likes of Coldplay, Prince, Madonna and The Clash have played at the venue, associated with bands on the rise.

Other scheduled appearances in 2016 that never came to be included The Great Escape Festival and T in the Park.

Viola Beach's first and only overseas gig was at Where's The Music? festival in Norrköping, Sweden on February 12, 2016 – their last show the day before their deaths.

But the band also had another major date in their diary – SXSW (South by South West) festival in Austin, Texas.

It was part of a new opportunity for BBC Introducing and PRS for Music Foundation in North America and the groups had handpicked Viola Beach to join them.

They were due to perform at the British Music Embassy base called Latitude 30 on March 16, 2016.

Presenter Steve Lamacq told the festival: "Their music was effervescent and uplifting. It was buoyant and catchy.

"All the tipsters around the country and the major magazines, the DJs who played them like me and Radio 1's Huw Stephens – everyone genuinely believed that this was a band for whom success was a certainty."