Starsailor with strings

Starsailor start their 25th Anniversary celebrations with two special shows at The Tung Auditorium.

Accompanied by a string ensemble conducted by Joe Duddell.

Matinee: 4.15pm show start
Evening: 8pm show start

Since debuting in 2000, Starsailor’s storied history has taken in countless memorable moments, from two #2 hit albums with ‘Love Is Here’ and ‘Silence Is Easy’ through to a run of hit singles including Silence Is Easy, Alcoholic, Four To The Floor and Good Souls, plus an NME Award and a major tour with The Rolling Stones. And they’re just as good as ever now, with their recent album Where The Wild Things Grow hitting #2 on the Official Independent Albums Chart and being hailed by author Jane Savidge (Lunch With The Wild Frontiers: A History Of Britpop And Excess in 13 and a 1/2 Chapters) as “an album that has no right to be as good as it is.”

Now Starsailor celebrate their past and look to the future as they make plans for their 25th anniversary year. Their first plans to commemorate that landmark now start with the confirmation of two special shows here at The Tung Auditorium. They will play a matinee and evening show at the state-of-the-art, acoustically optimised concert hall and will be accompanied by a string ensemble. The ensemble will be conducted by Joe Duddell, who has worked with the likes of New Order, Elbow and Richard Hawley, and co-curated the BBC Northern Soul Prom at the Royal Albert Hall.

The band still consists of its original line-up: James Walsh (vocals/guitar), James Stelfox (bass), Ben Byrne (drums) and Barry Westhead (keyboards).

James Walsh says, ‘We wanted to do something special to mark 25 years together as a band & knowing Joe Duddell’s fantastic reputation as a string arranger ,working with bands like Elbow & James over the years we knew he’d be a great collaborator. When the prestigious Tung Auditorium 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!’

Since the release of Where The Wild Things Grow in March, Starsailor played a sold-out UK headline tour, a selection of major festivals including the Busan International Rock Festival in South Korea, and performed as guests to Blondie at The Piece Hall in Halifax. They are currently completing a European headline tour in support of the album which has taken in shows spanning Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Turkey and Italy. The second leg of their UK tour then gets underway next week, and also includes the Shiiine On Weekender.