From Harry Potter fever to the hottest day of the year (ever!), 2003 was chock-full of some pretty unforgettable moments. But, it was also a year of fantastic music with some incredible albums which included ‘Silence Is Easy’ the second studio album by Starsailor.
It’s almost unfathomable to believe that this album is now twenty (yes twenty!) years old and like its predecessor, the band’s debut album, ‘Love is Here’, it achieved a consecutive number two in the UK album charts receiving both commercial success along with critical acclaim.
A perennial favourite of mine from the Starsailor back catalogue, when it was announced that the band were celebrating this landmark achievement with a dedicated tour to commemorate the album, I was frankly all in.
The band’s sophomore effort was a further case in point demonstrating how the songs have stood the test of time and that with the lavish arrangements (on record) along with frontman James Walsh’s emotive and crystal-clear vocals made it one of the most endearing records of the early noughties.
Fast forward to a rainy night in Southampton, where a sold-out crowd were ready to be transported back twenty years to hear the album’s songs, track by track. The band were supported by The Gleeman who served up his own rendition of Americana folk and the brilliant indie-rock singer Ed Cosens whose voice was on top form.
James, Ben Byrne (drums), Barry Westhead (keys) and James Stelfox on bass, kicked off proceedings with track 1 of this seminal album ‘Music was Saved’ which really hit the mark and was infinitely timely with the lyric ‘Oh my friends, we landed in December’.
There is no weakest link in Starsailor, with all four band members showcasing their musical pedigree which included some fantastic bass lines from James Stelfox. Music was indeed saved and we can all say thank you for that.
Navigating through the album chronologically was a reminder of the gift of listening to an album in its entirety. As a huge lover of vinyl records, when I am at home this is how I traditionally listen to music, but when out and about, I am first to admit that I might have a cheeky shuffle or indeed indulge in a playlist or two.
The band then performed ‘Fidelity’ and ‘Some Of Us’, both of which delighted the crowd and then segued into the titular track ‘Silence Is Easy’ which is a perennial fan favourite and had the crowd singing along in unison.
Standouts included the Bowie-esque ‘White Dove’, the brilliant ‘Shark Food’ which is one of their best tracks (in my opinion) as it really showcases the band’s quality. It’s also one of the lesser-played Starsailor songs played live with the band only performing it in full no less than 16 times since its debut in 2003. ‘We’re stepping through the door, we’re shooting from the heart’ sings James Walsh, ‘If we get it wrong, they’ll feed us to the sharks’.
Naturally, as you would fully expect Starsailor did not put one foot wrong throughout their set which included a beautiful version of ‘Born Again’ and a rousing rendition of the emphatic ‘Four to the Floor’.
Part one of their jam-packed set was ‘Silence Is Easy’s album closer ‘Restless Heart’ which was performed entirely acoustically by James Walsh.
What could we expect from part two? Well, a carefully-curated selection of Starsailor’s most-loved hits from their impressive back catalogue of course!
From the impassioned ‘Tell Me It’s Not Over’ to the exquisite ‘Lullaby’, no stones were overturned with a sonic navigation around some of their biggest hits which also included ‘Alcoholic’ and ‘Poor Misguided Fool’
There was also an opportunity to hear their new track, the fantastic ‘Heavyweight’ which had a real Beatles vibe which was elevated by James Walsh’s powerful vocals.
The tender ‘Tie Up My Hands’ was a welcome addition to the set list which was ended superbly by the wonderful ‘Good Souls’ with its anthemic brilliance and top-notch lyrics, still feels like it would be a massive hit today.
Whilst this was a tour firmly nestled in nostalgia, Starsailor are indeed paying homage to the past whilst keeping their eyes set on a (continuously) golden future and evidently have so much more to offer as we glide into 2024.
Photo Credit: Joe Flanagan
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