Since their 2000 debut, British rock band Starsailor has enjoyed remarkable success and acclaim. Their first two albums, “Love Is Here” and “Silence Is Easy,” both reached #2 on the charts, and they’ve produced a string of hit singles including “Silence Is Easy,” “Alcoholic,” “Four To The Floor,” and “Good Souls.” The band has also earned an NME Award and toured with The Rolling Stones. Starsailor’s most recent album “Where The Wild Things Grow” reached #2 on the Official Independent Albums Chart, demonstrating that the band, with its original lineup of James Walsh on vocals and guitar, James Stelfox on bass, Ben Byrne on drums, and Barry Westhead on keyboards, is still very much at the top of their game. As renowned author and esteemed music critic Jane Savidge so aptly put, this latest release is “an album that has no right to be as good as it is.”
Starsailor has now set their sights on celebrating both the past and the future, with ambitious plans for the band’s 25th anniversary. The band has announced two special shows at Liverpool’s Tung Auditorium on February 15th: a matinee and an evening performance. These concerts will be held in a cutting-edge, acoustically optimized venue, with the band accompanied by a string ensemble conducted by Joe Duddell, who has worked with acclaimed artists such as New Order, Elbow, and Richard Hawley, as well as co-curated the BBC Northern Soul Prom at the Royal Albert Hall.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Walsh says, “We wanted to do something special to mark 25 years together as a band and knowing Joe Duddell’s fantastic reputation as a string arranger ,working with bands like Elbow and James, over the years we knew he’d be a great collaborator. When the prestigious Tung Hall became available it seemed like the perfect storm. Strings play a huge part in our second album ‘Silence Is Easy’ so it’s a nod to our past too. We can’t wait!”
Tickets for both shows will go on sale HERE from 10am tomorrow, Friday, November 8th.
Since the release of ‘Where The Wild Things Grow’ in March, Starsailor has played a sold-out UK headline tour, a number of major festivals, including the Busan International Rock Festival in South Korea, and as guests to Blondie at The Piece Hall in Halifax. They are currently on a European headline tour in support of the album, which has included shows in Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, and Italy. The second leg of their UK tour begins next week, and will include the Shiiine On Weekender.
More details on Starsailor’s anniversary plans are expected to come soon.
The band’s upcoming UK shows are listed below. Limited tickets for shows in Falmouth, Cambridge, and Stourbridge are available here.
NOVEMBER
15th – Worthing, The Venue (SOLD OUT)
16th – Southampton, The Brook (SOLD OUT)
17th – Minehead, Shiiine On Weekender (SOLD OUT)
18th – Falmouth, Princess Pavilion
20th – Cambridge, Junction
21st – Chester, The Live Rooms (SOLD OUT)
28th – Grimsby, Docks Academy (SOLD OUT)
29th – Stourbridge, Town Hall
FEBRUARY 2025
15th – Liverpool, The Tung Auditorium (matinee show – JUST ADDED)
15th – Liverpool, The Tung Auditorium (evening show – JUST ADDED)
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