Stellastarr really should be a bit buggered by now. They came into the UK limelight in 2004, while being supported on tour by The Killers, and we all know how that turned out (let’s just say that the crowd size wasn’t flattering by the time Stellastarr came on).

Back to the present, and the band have recently released a not so great second album. Surely this would mean that they should be put in the ‘Err, What Was Their Name Again?’ band bin? Tonight’s performance sees Stellastarr* taking on the critics, underlining the fact that they are indeed a live tour de force.

In fact, most of their second album comes across very well live, possibly due to the fact that the band puts 100% into what they deliver. ‘Sweet Troubled Soul’ and ‘Born in a Fleemarket’ grab the crowd by the scruff of the neck and beat them about a bit (in a pleasant way of course). Older stuff such as the Pixies-esq ‘No Weather’ and the haunting ‘In the Walls’ are a bold reminder of why Stellastarr initiated so much hype in 2003. Tonight the band effortlessly interacts with the crowd, most notably during the sombre ‘On My Own,’ where lead singer, Shawn Christensen, actually joins the well-behaved crowd.

Fan favourites ‘Jenny’ and ‘My Coco’ round off an exceptional evening, and make the point that Stellastarr are a jolly good live band, who deserve a little more attention.
(4/5)

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