01/05/04
STARSAILOR
CARLING LIVE 24
BY SOPHIA ALEXIS

After a frantic start to the day fuelled by The Von Bondies, Kasabian, Franz Ferdinand and The Fiery Furnaces, the melancholic beauty of Starsailor was the perfect way to spend the afternoon before the onslaught of Feeder and Scissor Sisters took the day into the night.

Fresh from his wedding in Belfast, lead singer James Walsh came to reign the beautiful setting of Bush Hall giving fans a unique chance to see the band in such an intimate setting. With chandeliers gracing the skies of this small and intimate venue, the heart-wrenching ballads mix in with the rose coloured lights to create a truly loved-up feeling in the air. Fresh from his wedding in Belfast, and with a smile a mile wide, singer James Walsh effortlessly transfers his exceptionally jubilant mood to the gathered faces and minds comprised of lucky competition winners - some of whom had already experienced seven hours of gigs.

So take a deep breathe in and the tune your head into the intriguing, powerful voice that make Starsailor. It cruises through the venue, slicing through time and space as the lyrics delve into the beauty, pain and blissful anguish that make life worth living. Starsailor may not be leaning on the cutting-edge like many of the bands seen so far today, however what they do they do with great passion and feeling and this translates into a fevered audience who sing along to every song. With a million albums sold and having reached far corners and stretched ears to distant places where the truth be told, there's no denying the strength of the message the band have spent the last four years preaching to the world.

So this was grandeur in the afternoon as the foursome played hit after hit, diving the audience into darkness before each track. 'Born Again' was heard as the powerful and melodic strong track that it is and the classic, 'Four to The Floor', was indeed a mover and a shaker for the crowd who did indeed utilise the space as requested by Walsh. 'Bring My Love' was a track apt and glorious in its own right, whilst 'Silence Is Easy' provided the vocal led ballad that this band is so known for. This is a band who hold up their hands to being nice, and there ain't nothing wrong with being just plain nice in this big bad world.

So a post wedding gig then, not at all rough around the edges from too much lovin', for lovin' only makes music like Starsailor sound that bit better. "Today is the second day of my life", James says at the start of the set, and to spend that day with his adoring fans is an amazing show of dedication.