26 April 2009 (gig)
29 April 2009
After the success of last years programme, Gaymers Grassroots has returned for 2009 to bring some of the country’s finest bands back home to play a special one off gig in an intimate local venue.
This year sees The Holloways perform in North London, Brighton’s Maccabees make their way back to the seaside and The Zutons return to Liverpool as part of the Sound City festival. Tonight however belonged to northern rockers Starsailor who revisited their roots with this exclusive pub gig right in the heart of Wigan town centre.
There is no doubt that frontman James Walsh and the boys can write great songs and tonight, with many family and friends in the audience, this was a chance to play all the highlights of their musical career so far, along with a couple of tracks from the latest studio album 'All The Plans’
The atmosphere was highly charged and there was a real sense of excitement around the intimate venue as a crowd of around two hundred squeezed themselves into a small room normally reserved for local cover bands and indie discos. Complementary cider from tonight’s sponsors had loosened things up a bit by the time the band made their way to the stage and without hesitation they launched into a set that will live long in the memory for those lucky enough to be here.
Opening with the beautifully crafted 'Tie Up My Hands’ and the powerful 'In The Crossfire’ the band then settled things down as the crowd sweltered in the heat below. 'All The Plans’, the spine tingling 'Love Is Here’ and crowd favourite 'Alcoholic’ followed before the tempo picked up again.
Walsh urged us to dance like we were on the floor of the famous Wigan Casino for the upbeat 'Four To The Floor’ and 'Silence Is Easy’ before the gig reached it’s climax with the first single from the new album 'Tell Me It’s Not Over’.
The band left the stage to rapturous praise but one song was missing from a perfect Starsailor set. And so it was, that when the band responded to the cries of 'one more’ we heard the first chords of 'Good Souls' - the band’s greatest hands in the air moment - reverberate around the room. After stretching the crowd's vocal chords to the maximum one more time, the band finally left the stage for good and the feeling around the room was that we had all been part of a very special night.
Outstanding!
