Starsailor kick off their 25 year celebrations with a unique show with strings at Liverpool’s Tung Auditorium.

25 YEARS ON

2025 sees Starsailor celebrating their 25th anniversary as a band. Throughout the year they have plenty of live dates lined up. To kick off the celebrations, the band headed to Liverpool’s Tung Auditorium for a special show with Joe Duddell’s string ensemble.

“Go on James!” is the cry from the crowd as the ensembles strings slowly rise and the band go into Alcoholic. It’s a song that this writer has always struggled to enjoy, but the string arrangement takes the song in a different direction. James Walsh sounds fantastic in the brilliant surroundings of The Tung. A flourish of harp to close whets the appetite for more of the same.

Way To Fall follows and once again, Walsh’s voice is impressive. His voice alongside the extra arrangements work perfectly. It’s all very lush, and is reminiscent of some of those later live records from Leonard Cohen. The bass of James Stelfox is rich and the keys (using a beautiful Steinway piano) are impassioned as the song builds to a great crescendo.

As Telling Them concludes, James has a big smile on his face. “Thank you Liverpool; we’ve got the through the first few songs so the nerves are settling,” he says. The smile is wholly justified. Every player on the stage looks like they’re having a blast.

LOVE IS HERE

Whilst there are over two decades of writing and recording in the tank, it is the debut that really thrust Starsailor into people’s hearts. It’s from Love Is Here that the vast majority of the set is culled from. Poor Misguided Fool has more great work on the keys from Barry Westhead and She Just Wept rolls back the years. All of the audience give a great ovation for each passing track.

Lullaby is introduced as a very old one. Audible joy from the audience is acknowledged by Walsh; “This one’s for anyone that went ‘ayyyy’ in the crowd!” There is still a real innocence in Walsh’s patter with the crowd. It’s something that has never left the band which gives them an endearing charm.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS GROW

Older cuts are greeted like old friends, however, there are plenty of examples of stellar cuts from more recent releases.

Hard Love is a truly beautiful song and Hanging In The Balance showcases Walsh’s voice once more. The former is a live debut as it is announced that the band have never performed it live in public, let alone with an orchestra! They needn’t have worried; the sound is phenomenal. Again, the bass sound is superb and as a whole, the band sound on top of their game.

In a slight diversion, James Walsh takes to the piano for a near solo rendition of Restless Heart; album closer to 2003’s Silence Is Easy. Tell Me it’s Not Over is another one with audible joy from the crowd at the start. The piano line and pounding drums give this one a huge hint of Coldplay. It is another example of how Starsailor have the ability to write great songs.

Thanks are offered to the string ensemble; “It’s technically a string ensemble but orchestra sounds posher,” remarks Walsh with a wry smile.

STARSAILOR

To finish off a main set with the ensemble, Starsailor choose Silence Is Easy. Then, the band are left to their own devices for a trio of songs. Love Is Here still sounds as fresh as it did many years ago. Walsh quips that the song catches him by surprise as he forgets a couple of chords! Maybe there is still a little of that nervousness; live music eh?

Tie Up My Hands was always a favourite. It is a dark and brooding song with a great pulse from Ben Byrne behind the drums. The build still sends a shiver down the spine and Tony “Doggen” Foster (of Spiritualised fame) adds a great solo to the song.

HITS

“We couldn’t come here and not do this one!” says Walsh before the band, with returning strings, launch into a faithful version of Lennon’s Jealous Guy. The local crowd lap up a track from one of their greatest ever exports.

Thanks are offered to all and sundry before the home straight. Upon release, Four To The Floor showed itself as a disco infused earworm built for strings. Hearing it in all its resplendent glory performed by musicians of the highest quality is a pure treat. The mid song breakdown has the whole crowd fervently clapping along.

Such is the fervour, people ask if it is ok for them to stand up! A quick check of security protocols is met with a no. It’s all in vein as the band deliver a rousing rendition of Good Souls to a huge standing ovation at the end of a monumentally successful and fully sold out show.

Starsailor really demonstrate what well crafted songs, hard work and dedication can achieve. The fact that they sound this good, have such super songs and a clear humility is a testament to their longevity. If you have lost touch with this band, rekindle your interest and go check them out later this year.

Starsailor continue their celebration with live dates later in the year. You can find all their upcoming shows here.

Starsailor: Official Website / Facebook

Keep up with At The Barrier: Facebook / X (formerly Twitter) / Instagram / Spotify / YouTube