VIDEO: WARRINGTON band Viola Beach look set to enter the Official Albums Chart at Number 1 this week with their posthumous self-titled debut album.
The band’s first album is currently 6,000 combined sales ahead of last week’s Number 1 from ELO, All Over The World – The Very Best Of (2).
The album has been released as a tribute to vocalist Kris Leonard, guitarist River Reeves, bassist Tomas Lowe, drummer Jack Dakin and their manager Craig Tarry by the families and friends of the group who were tragically killed when their car crashed off a bridge into a canal in Stockholm during the early hours of February 13 this year.
It includes the track Swings and Waterslides, which entered the Official Singles Chart at Number 11 earlier this year.
A number of headline acts have since paid tribute to the boys including Coldplay, who performed their hit Boys That Sing during their headline slot at Glastonbury in June.
When the album was released the families of members Jack, Kris, River and Tom, and their manager Craig issued a joint statement saying: “We are tremendously proud of everything the boys achieved in such a short space of time. Craig, Jack, Kris, River and Tom shared a huge passion, talent and dedication to music. We believe the best way to celebrate our sons’ lives is to release an album of their songs.”
Martin Talbot of the Official Charts Company said: “Following the terribly tragic events of February, everyone will have been rooting for the Viola Beach album this week, so it’s fantastic news that it is doing so well – I’m sure we will all be keeping our fingers crossed that it can hold on at Number 1.”