Fightstar
Encyclopedia
Fightstar are an English
alternative rock
band from London
. They formed in 2003 and their lineup comprises lead vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Simpson
, guitarist and vocalist Alex Westaway, bass guitarist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi. Although generally considered a post-hardcore
band, Fightstar are also known to implement metal, progressive
and acoustic
elements into their sound.
The band currently release their music independently through imprint label, Search and Destroy Records, which is distributed via PIAS Recordings
.
During the band's initial emergence, they were faced with much scepticism due to Simpson's former pop
career. However, they began to receive positive reactions to early live shows and their debut EP
, They Liked You Better When You Were Dead
(2005) was a critical success. Since then, their three studio albums have obtained top 40 chartings and critical praise. Indeed, debut album Grand Unification
(2006) was regarded as "one of the best British rock albums of the past decade" by Kerrang!
editor Paul Brannigan. Scottish publication, The Fly
, also said that the album "remains one of the 21st Century’s ultimate rock debuts".
The band went onto receive nominations at the Kerrang! Awards for 'Best British Newcomer' and 'Best British Band', before releasing second album, One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours
(2007). The following year a compilation album
including b-sides
and rarities titled, Alternate Endings
(2008) was released. The four-piece then self funded and co-produced third album, Be Human (2009), which heavily featured orchestral and choral elements. It became their highest charting album after peaking at number twenty in the UK Albums Chart
.
The band announced an extended hiatus
in 2010, allowing its members to concentrate on other projects, including Simpson's solo album
. They are expecting to regroup in 2012 to begin work on new material.
was still an active member of pop punk
band Busted, he met fellow songwriter-guitarist Alex Westaway and drummer Omar Abidi at a party
. He was by this stage becoming increasingly frustrated by the music he was performing in Busted and stated he had "all of this creativity pent up inside and I just needed to vent it somewhere, and I was writing a lot of songs but I couldn't play them, because I didn't have anyone to play them with". Abidi had been completing a sound engineering diploma
at college
, whilst guitarist Alex Westaway had recently moved down to London after dropping out of university
. Future bassist Dan Haigh was also based in London working for a game development
company.
During the aforementioned party, an impromptu jam session
took place. Simpson, Westaway and Abidi played Rage Against the Machine
's song "Killing in the Name
" on loop, and agreed to attend a gig a few days later. After the show, they went back to Simpson's flat and began performing on guitars
and a v-drum kit
, which led to their first song being written, titled "Too Much Punch". Abidi later invited school friend, Haigh, to practise with the band and the foursome soon began booking regular rehearsal sessions together. Simpson's time spent with Fightstar reportedly began to cause tensions within Busted, amplified when Fightstar announced a 14-date UK tour. Simpson announced to the pop trio's manager on 24 December 2004 over a phone call that he was leaving the band to focus on Fightstar full-time, citing that he wanted to do something his "heart was in". On 13 January 2005, Busted's record label announced a press conference was to be held at the Soho Hotel in London the following day. The next day, the 14th, it was then announced that Busted were splitting up after Simpson's departure weeks before.
shows with Busted. The song "Mono", named in honor of the Japanese band of the same name
, was recorded during a thunderstorm. Shortly before the track's heavy finale, it's possible to hear the sound of Simpson screaming in the rain after he ran outside, unaware the studio's room mics were capturing his antics.
They Liked You Better When You Were Dead was released on 28 February 2005, following a rapid promotional tour of the UK
. The release proved popular enough to warrant a reprinting on 23 March 2005. Alex Westaway, the bands lead guitarist and co-lyricist
drew the artwork based on Edward Norton
for the inlay of the booklet, as the record was inspired by author Chuck Palahniuk
and the film adaptation
Fight Club
. "Palahniuk's Laughter
" (named in reference to Palahniuk) enjoyed heavy rotation on music video channels and spent many weeks in charts based on video and radio requests. The track was originally entitled "Out Swimming in the Flood", but was renamed after the 2004 tsunami.
The UK version contained five tracks (including a sixth hidden track
), meaning the record was ineligible for the UK Singles Chart
. The EP was released the following year in North America
as an extended mini-album through Deep Elm Records
. The release was met with praise from critics, despite many being initially sceptical due to Simpson's former pop career with Busted. British rock publication, Kerrang!
wrote" They Liked You Better When You Were Dead delivers.
Articulate rage, barbed guitars and epic choruses recall the likes of Thursday
or Brand New
. Simpson and Westaway play like they have been in the same band for years, weaving intricate soundscapes and dark passages of crushing noise. Stunning post-hardcore." Sputnikmusic
writer Adam Knott opined that the EP was "one of the most surprising first impressions I've ever heard". He also added that, "To say that Fightstar's debut showed promise or potential would be a disservice - They Liked You Better When You Were Dead is in and of itself a release well worthy of a place on any discerning music-lover's bedroom shelf."
, and although initially sceptical about their chances, Richardson agreed to collaborate after demos
had been sent to the producer. The band explained, "As a producer, how he makes everything sound, the sound craft of what he does in the genre is so perfect. The production alone blows your fucking mind, never mind the music. We sent him the demos and our EP, and he got back to us in like a week. It's a dream come true for us."
The band entered studios in west London
and Surrey
with Richardson during October 2005. Richardson, who had previously produced albums for the likes of Funeral for a Friend
, Machine Head
and Fear Factory
, was particularly meticulous during pre-production, taking five days just tuning the drums
. However once recording had started, he praised the band for being "very focused" and that there was a "real buzz because nobody knows what to expect." The band themselves referred to the sessions as "tone quests", detailing that they had been experimenting with the different amps
they had available, including those borrowed from friends. Bassist
Dan Haigh explained, "We're currently on a mission to get the heaviest possible guitar
sounds. We've got amps that were featured on records by Carcass
, Arch Enemy and SikTh
, so there's a wealth of metal history right there for us to tap into."
The band have stated that when entering recording, they didn't want to produce a "typical post-hardcore
record." Frontman and co-lyricist
, Charlie Simpson explained that, "There's a post-rock
instrumental intro and a piano
-led song. It flies through all these different sounds, but it's still in keeping with our style." Simpson also explained that the band enjoy a shift in dynamics, often going from a heavy and aggressive style to soft and quiet passages during the same song. Describing the evolution in sound from the their debut EP, the band stated that Grand Unification is a lot "grander", both in terms of songs and production. Second lyricist and lead guitarist, Alex Westaway spoke of the "dark" tone amongst many of the songs; "We really tried to veer away from the whole emo thing. It’s too easy to write in that vein and now there are too many bands doing it badly. Our songs became darker. We’re always trying to find the beauty of darkness. There’s something fascinating about shaping shadows." The band decided to re-record three tracks that featured on their debut EP, those being, "Hazy Eyes", "Lost Like Tears in Rain", and "Mono". Upon completion of recording in December, Simpson stated, "We're so happy with what were doing. No matter how people perceive it when it comes out, we'll still be very proud and that's the most important thing." Richardson was also "immensely proud" of the completed record, adding, "It's records like these that will go a long way to putting the British scene
back on the map. There's not a single weak song on it, and you can't say that about too many records these days. It's an album that will stand the test of time."
Grand Unification is a concept album
, which is influenced and based upon the Neon Genesis Evangelion
anime series. The lyrics are loosely based on the personal experiences of lyricists Charlie Simpson and Alex Westaway, but the underlying concept revolves around two people who experience the last few days of life before the end of the world. Westaway has explained that, "Relationships and things we've actually experienced are involved, but the basic concept is about two people who experience the last few days of life as they know it before the world's ended. Neon Genesis and stuff. It's from a manga series called Evangelion
, which is about angels that come down from heaven to wipe out human kind. It's related to that same kind of feeling, that only chosen people survive, and the world becomes a better place afterwards."
The single, "Waste a Moment
" was written about the 2005 London bombings
, which in the context of the album is told from a personal perspective, yet in a surreal setting. The band have admitted though, that the concept was not initially intended. Despite the fact that the track "Lost Like Tears in Rain" was lyrically based around the Evangelion story, the band only realised connections throughout the songs towards the end of recording. Simpson explained that, "It starts with 'To Sleep' and ends with 'Wake Up', so it went in this big cycle. We never intended that to happen until we looked at the album an thought, 'Oh Shit, it works like that'. That's the only way I would have done it. I wouldn't want to sit down and think, 'Let's write a concept record'. I was only happy because it naturally evolved." All of the albums artwork
was based upon the concept, with Haigh stating, "What we're doing is centered around hope and starting again, capturing things that are epic. All the videos, album and single artwork are going to be tied into this." Haigh revealed that he had come across Daniel Conway's artwork after "trawling the internet looking for an artist". Haigh was immediately drawn to Conway because of the cohesion between his work and the albums lyrical and conceptual themes; "We’ve always been a visual band and I think people are going to realise that when they see the artwork. Dan Conway is the guy doing the artwork and he’s monumentally talented. His pictures already described our songs perfectly; it was as though he’d already been drawing them for us.”
The album was released in the UK on 13 March 2006 through Island Records
and was preceded by the single releases of "Paint Your Target
", "Grand Unification Pt. I
", and the aforementioned "Waste a Moment". The album debuted at number twenty eight on the UK Albums Chart
, while first single "Paint Your Target" reached number nine in the Singles Chart
. In March 2006, they were listed by the US rock magazine Alternative Press
as one of the 100 bands to watch for that year. The band also played a slot at the Download Festival
at Donington Park
Race Track and also headlined the Sunday of Welsh
rock music festival The Full Ponty
under Biffy Clyro
and Funeral for a Friend
. Fightstar toured with Funeral for a Friend for three months in 2006 covering such places as Australia
, Japan
and the United Kingdom. The band released Grand Unification, in North America
on 17 April 2007 through Trustkill Records
. The release differed from the British and Japanese versions by including the b-side to fourth single "Hazy Eyes
", titled "Fight For Us" as a fourteenth track.
due to a disagreement over the bands artistic direction, Fightstar signed to an independent label called Institute Records which was a division of Gut Records
to release their second album. Charlie Simpson explained that the band and label had come to a "cross road" after that label began pushing the four-piece to create a more "mainstream" record. He supported the bands decision to sign to an indie label, stating, "The great thing about working with independent labels is that they all have a genuine thirst for music which is something that can be lacking in some major label corporations. We feel like they have the bands best interest at heart when it come to artistic decision making." The band recorded One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours in Los Angeles
with Matt Wallace
, who has also produced albums by Faith No More
, Satchel
, Deftones
and Sugarcult
. Simpson also spoke of the bands different recording approach than that of their debut. "It was a very different experience writing this record because we weren't really together in the same room when it was written. I would put down an idea on my home pro tools
set up and then send it over to the others via email
and they would work on it in their home studios. This gave us time on our own, to really focus on the parts we were writing for the songs."
Prior to the albums release, Kerrang!
described the sound in comparison to Grand Unification as "more refined", becoming at the same time "heavier, yet more melodic." The band echoed this sentiment by stating, "It kind of takes off from where the last one started, I guess, but we took the heavier stuff we were doing and made it a lot heavier, and then we took the kind of more chilled out stuff and, I guess, made it more sound-scapey." Lyrically, the album is more "personal" than its predecessor. While Grand Unification was conceptual, aiming to "make the lyrics depict scenes that were as wide and as epic as possible", One Day Son was based upon themes such as global warming
, war
and in particular the end of Simpson's seven-year relationship prior to recording.
To promote the album, the band initially released the free downloadable
single, "99" in May 2007. The track, written about being haunted by the loss of a loved one, was made available on the bands microsite
along with a music video
. First official single, "We Apologise for Nothing
" was released in September, a week prior to the album and reached number one on the UK Independent Chart and number sixty three on UK Singles Chart
. Third single, "Deathcar
" helped create history by acting as the first official release in the UK on the new VinylDisc
format. The song, inspired by a harrowing documentary on Chinese human meat wagons
, coupled with the end of Simpson's relationship, produced a low-fi music video whih cost just £500. The VinylDisc single reached number ninety two on the UK Singles Chart, whilst also debuting at number two on both the Indie and Rock Chart
. Fourth single, "Floods
" was released the following March. The band wrote the song about the growing concern around global warming upon viewing Al Gore
's documentary An Inconvenient Truth
.
They also performed BBC Radio 1
live sessions on this single campaign for Colin Murray and Dan P Carter. The band went on a 10 date UK tour during May with support from London four piece Brigade and unsigned Essex band We Are The Ocean
already confirmed. The tour included a date at Carling Academy Islington
on 29 May, and at the Leeds Slam Dunk Festival on 25 May.
The last single from the album was titled "I Am The Message
". It was released on 16 June 2008 as a double A side single with the other side being the bands cover of "Waitin' for a Superman
", which was recorded for the Colin Murray Show on Radio 1. This was the band's first single to be added to the Radio 1 playlist.
. It features a selection of the band's b-sides, live radio sessions, covers and a previously unreleased track.
Then, at Download festival
2008, the four-piece told press they would be returning to the studio in August to start recording their next album due for early 2009 and that they already have at least four songs demoed. The album’s name was confirmed as Be Human
. The band recorded a cover of "Fear of the Dark
" for an Iron Maiden
cover CD called Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden, featuring various artists, which was given away with the 16 July issue of Kerrang!
magazine.
They also headlined the Rocksound Cave stage on the Saturday at Guilfest, and headlined Greenbelt festival
's Mainstage in 2008.
Due to Gut Records going into administration at the end of 2008, Fightstar decided to put out their new album Be Human on their own, in a joint venture with their management company Raw Power on a label called Search and Destroy. The new record was distributed through PIAS Records
. In an interview Charlie Simpson said "This was something that we had always wanted to do and figured this would be the perfect time to do it. It is an exciting prospect to be able to own the rights to our own record with the music industry changing at such a rapid pace, I think it's something that more bands will be looking to do in the future."
", on 3 November 2008 and it reached number 1 in the UK rock chart. The video was played on Kerrang! and Scuzz T.V. stations and also reached number 1 on the MTV2
top 10. The album was co-produced by the band along with Carl Bown, in Bown's state of the art Chesterfield based studio; Treehouse Studios. In interviews leading up to the album release, the band commented that the new record would be "quite different" from their previous releases. Charlie Simpson stated they wanted to experiment with more of a "rock opera" sound including full strings and choir. However, he also pointed out that although it may be different, it will remain Fightstar and still include their trademark dark and heavy elements.
The band supported Feeder
for the first part of their UK tour, which started on 21 October 2008. Drummer Jason Bowld from the British alternative rock band Pitchshifter
, had filled in for drummer Omar Abidi on their UK tour, while he recovered from a broken wrist. Abidi returned to touring with the band early in 2009. Due to Abidi's hand injury, Simpson filled in to play drums on six tracks for the new album. Abidi wrote the drum parts and oversaw Simpson's parts; he would later liken the situation to a director instructing "a really good actor". Damocles, the album's most aggressive track, was recorded "in tandem", with Abidi handling the pedals and snare whilst Simpson played the rest.
Next single, "Mercury Summer
", was released on 6 April 2009, as announced on their MySpace page on 2 February 2009. Tracks include; Mercury Summer, Athea, We Left Tracks Of Fire, Mercury Summer (Acoustic) and Mercury Summer (Nero vs. Ohms remix) which was half produced by Abidi. Athea being a b-side to the physical CD and We Left Tracks Of Fire a b-side on the 7" Vinyl, all available to purchase online at various online stores and websites. Later that week on 4 February, they announced a 12-date UK tour with support from In Case of Fire
and Laruso. The video for "Mercury Summer" debuted on their MySpace page on 25 February.
The reception for the single was extremely positive, with the song reaching the A List on the Radio 1 Playlist and remaining there for 4 weeks. It was also received well after the band featured on BBC2 music show Sound
. "Mercury Summer" was also added to the daytime playlist at XFM Radio and was picked for Ian Camfield's Record of The Week. Emma Scott and Kerrang Radio station also made "Mercury Summer" her Record of The Week.
On 7 April 2009 the NME
website announced that Fightstar were to perform at the Download Festival
. Then on 26 May 2009, it was announced by the official website that Fightstar will also be playing the main stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals
.
On 9 April 2009 the final album version of "Colours Bleed To Red" was played on the Colin Murray
show. Murray said about the previous single "Mercury Summer
" "It's only when you hear it in the context of the album that it makes total sense.' 'It's actually a little bit more experimental while at the same time being a bit mainstream" he also said that Be Human is "Quintessential Fightstar with all these new parts to it. Very impressed with it indeed."
It was then rumoured that, Be Human, would be re-released in late 2009 and it is believed the new, deluxe version could contain four or five new songs. One of the new songs could be a cover version of Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield," which the band performed informally earlier in the year in the BBC Radio1 Live Lounge. The cover was met with great approval and Sparks herself said on radio that she was a fan of Fightstar and believed they should cover the song.
On 12 October the band posted pictures on their Myspace site from their latest music video shoot for new song "A City on Fire
". The song subsequently was played for the first time during Fearne Cotton
's show on Radio 1 on 19 October and the official video premiered on the bands MySpace
on 24 October, which was directed by Siham Shnurov at Sitcom Soldiers. The single was released as a digital download
on 20 December, peaking at number 116 on the UK Singles Chart, and number four and number ten on the UK Rock
and Indie
charts respectively. The band have since released the deluxe edition of Be Human on 1 March 2010.
which is currently titled 'False Flags'. They are also completing post production on a film project with Philip Koch of Lucas Film. Westaway and Haigh have also completed the score for Grzegorz Jonkajtys short film The 3rd Letter along with Audrey Riley
. The film has picked up several awards from various film festivals across the world. Simpson has been working on a solo album. He released his EP, When We Were Lions, through Pledge Music, an organization that helps artists raise money to record music from their fans. His full debut album, Young Pilgrim, was released in August 2011. Despite this planned break the band still intend to the play the Sonisphere Festival
on 30 July.
", incorporating a style that is "equal parts melody and menace". Their music has also been labelled by other publications as "alternative rock
", "Busted on steroids" and "emo" (despite the band distancing themselves from the label). Kerrang!
magazine have stated the band draw equal influences from genres such as post-rock
, heavy metal
and hardcore punk
. Charlie Simpson has echoed this sentiment by describing the bands musical aim as trying to "combine the light and dark shades, to make something utterly brutal and really heavy, and on the other side have something really delicate and beautiful. The fusion of those things is what Fightstar does."
Commenting on debut EP, They Liked You Better When You Were Dead
(2005), Allmusic wrote, "Vocalists Al Westaway and Charlie Simpson utilize a distinct sound that reaches total catharsis. Train-like guitar work also adds strength to the record, creating drama and tension in the key moments." Josh Barr, journalist for American music websize Aversion
, described the EP as containing, "passionate musicianship that's equal parts serenading melody and jarring punch, these blokes unleash a welcome roundhouse kick to the face of overly sensitive emo rock, triggering crying fits and bloodying scarves".
Lyrically, the band claim that they aim to avoid writing in an "emo" fashion. Grand Unification was centred around the theme of the apocalypse, while subsequent work has varied thematically from patriotism (The English Way) to knife crime (Damocles). Fightstar have also drawn on influences from books (most notably those of Chuck Palahniuk), films and comics- the Neon Evangelion series have provided inspiration for several of the group's songs.
In his review of the bands debut album, Grand Unification
(2006), Vik Bansal of MusicOMH
spoke of the bands varied dynamics; "Where others are happy to be one-dimensional, Fightstar are not content unless a song moves fluidly through seemingly incongruous but ultimately coherent moods and musical dynamics. The interspersion of thoroughly heavy metal sections within the otherwise widescreen rock of 'Grand Unification Pt I' and 'Sleep Well Tonight' encapsulates this perfectly". The bands second album, One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours
(2007) was viewed as a "harder effort" than their debut, containing a "thrilling mixture of alt. rock and post-hardcore". Q magazine wrote that, "the intricate instrumental passages, multi-tracked vocal harmonies and pounding riffs hint at Muse
-scale ambition and intellect". The Sun
also described the albums sound as, "heavier, slicker and as focused as ever, tracks such as '99' and 'We Apologise For Nothing' embrace an epic, panoramic sound that sweeps you off your feet. It’s aggressive but emotive, with heaps of melody among the huge riffs."
Third album, Be Human (2009), heavily implemented choral and orchestral elements. Emma Johnston of Kerrang! emphasised this in her review by stating, "Fightstar throw as many orchestral and choral flourishes as their muscular, solemnly heavy rock as it could take without drowning". AbsolutePunk writer Anton Djamoos also opined that the album contains a "certain symphonic
quality", that is "a departure from the general body of work we've seen in the past. They break from their own norm with several orchestral elements to make the album sound more full and let the music hit even harder".
The band have said they are influenced by a wide variety of music, particularly film scores, and have named artists such as Nirvana
, Deftones
, Radiohead
, Silverchair
, Pantera
, Mono
, Explosions in the Sky
, The Cure
, and Jeff Buckley
as major inspirations. Abidi has declared Deftones the band he would most like to perform with "If I got to play with (them), that'd be it, you could stick a fork in me.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. They formed in 2003 and their lineup comprises lead vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Simpson
Charlie Simpson
Charles Robert Simpson , is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was the youngest member of multi BRIT Award-winning band Busted, and is the lead vocalist, guitarist and co-lyricist in alternative rock band Fightstar...
, guitarist and vocalist Alex Westaway, bass guitarist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi. Although generally considered a post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
band, Fightstar are also known to implement metal, progressive
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
and acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
elements into their sound.
The band currently release their music independently through imprint label, Search and Destroy Records, which is distributed via PIAS Recordings
PIAS Recordings
[PIAS] Recordings is the recorded music division of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent artist and label services company.The record labels that operate under the [PIAS] Recordings umbrella are: Play It Again Sam, Wall of Sound and Different Recordings.Aside from the three London...
.
During the band's initial emergence, they were faced with much scepticism due to Simpson's former pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
career. However, they began to receive positive reactions to early live shows and their debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, They Liked You Better When You Were Dead
They Liked You Better When You Were Dead
They Liked You Better When You Were Dead is the debut EP from British rock band Fightstar, released on February 28, 2005 through Sandwich Leg Records. The release proved a critical success, in spite of the cynics' initial expectations of the band. It has been said that the EP helped "present...
(2005) was a critical success. Since then, their three studio albums have obtained top 40 chartings and critical praise. Indeed, debut album Grand Unification
Grand Unification (Album)
Grand Unification is the debut studio album by British alternative rock band Fightstar, released on March 13, 2006 through Island Records. Based upon the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, Grand Unification was produced by Colin Richardson and is considered a concept album...
(2006) was regarded as "one of the best British rock albums of the past decade" by Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
editor Paul Brannigan. Scottish publication, The Fly
The Fly (magazine)
The Fly is a free music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. The magazine is published by the HMV owned MAMA Group.The magazine started as a listings leaflet in Camden, north London, for the Barfly music venue on Chalk Farm Road...
, also said that the album "remains one of the 21st Century’s ultimate rock debuts".
The band went onto receive nominations at the Kerrang! Awards for 'Best British Newcomer' and 'Best British Band', before releasing second album, One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours
One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours
One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours is the second studio album by British alternative rock band Fightstar, released on September 24, 2007 through Institute Recordings, itself a subsidiary of independent label Gut Records...
(2007). The following year a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
including b-sides
B-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
and rarities titled, Alternate Endings
Alternate Endings
Alternate Endings is a compilation album by English alternative rock band Fightstar, released August 11, 2008 on Gut Records.It features previously unreleased material, b-sides, covers and live radio recordings from the previous four years....
(2008) was released. The four-piece then self funded and co-produced third album, Be Human (2009), which heavily featured orchestral and choral elements. It became their highest charting album after peaking at number twenty in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
.
The band announced an extended hiatus
Hiatus
Hiatus may refer to:*Recess *Hiatus, a small difference in pitch between two musical tones *Hiatus , a phonological term referring to the lack of a consonant separating two vowels in separate syllables, as in co-operation*Hiatus , a break of several weeks or more in television scheduling*Hiatus...
in 2010, allowing its members to concentrate on other projects, including Simpson's solo album
Young Pilgrim
Young Pilgrim is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Charlie Simpson. The album was produced by Danton Supple and was released on 15 August 2011 through independent label PIAS Recordings....
. They are expecting to regroup in 2012 to begin work on new material.
Origins (2003—2004)
During 2003, when Charlie SimpsonCharlie Simpson
Charles Robert Simpson , is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was the youngest member of multi BRIT Award-winning band Busted, and is the lead vocalist, guitarist and co-lyricist in alternative rock band Fightstar...
was still an active member of pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band Busted, he met fellow songwriter-guitarist Alex Westaway and drummer Omar Abidi at a party
Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
. He was by this stage becoming increasingly frustrated by the music he was performing in Busted and stated he had "all of this creativity pent up inside and I just needed to vent it somewhere, and I was writing a lot of songs but I couldn't play them, because I didn't have anyone to play them with". Abidi had been completing a sound engineering diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
at college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, whilst guitarist Alex Westaway had recently moved down to London after dropping out of university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
. Future bassist Dan Haigh was also based in London working for a game development
Game development
Game development is the software development process by which a video game is developed. Development is undertaken by a game developer, which may range from a single person to a large business. Mainstream games are normally funded by a publisher and take several years to develop. Indie games can...
company.
During the aforementioned party, an impromptu jam session
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
took place. Simpson, Westaway and Abidi played Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
's song "Killing in the Name
Killing in the Name
"Killing in the Name" is a song by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, featured on their self-titled debut album, and was released as the lead single from the album in November 1992...
" on loop, and agreed to attend a gig a few days later. After the show, they went back to Simpson's flat and began performing on guitars
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and a v-drum kit
Roland V-Drums
V-Drum is a trademarked umbrella term for a variety of electronic drums, drum brain modules, and related electronic percussion product manufactured and trademarked by Roland Corporation....
, which led to their first song being written, titled "Too Much Punch". Abidi later invited school friend, Haigh, to practise with the band and the foursome soon began booking regular rehearsal sessions together. Simpson's time spent with Fightstar reportedly began to cause tensions within Busted, amplified when Fightstar announced a 14-date UK tour. Simpson announced to the pop trio's manager on 24 December 2004 over a phone call that he was leaving the band to focus on Fightstar full-time, citing that he wanted to do something his "heart was in". On 13 January 2005, Busted's record label announced a press conference was to be held at the Soho Hotel in London the following day. The next day, the 14th, it was then announced that Busted were splitting up after Simpson's departure weeks before.
They Liked You Better When You Were Dead EP (2004—2005)
Following Simpson's decision to focus on Fightstar full time, the band entered Criterion Studios in London with producer Mark Williams to begin tracking. The EP, comprising nine tracks on the extended mini-album version, was written in six months while Westaway and Simpson lived together. Recording sessions were often interrupted as during this period Simpson was in the middle of a sold-out stint of WembleyWembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
shows with Busted. The song "Mono", named in honor of the Japanese band of the same name
Mono (Japanese band)
Mono are a Japanese post rock band, formed in 1999 in Tokyo, Kantō, Honshū. The band consists of Takaakira Goto , Yoda , Tamaki Kunishi , and Yasunori Takada .Mono have released five studio albums...
, was recorded during a thunderstorm. Shortly before the track's heavy finale, it's possible to hear the sound of Simpson screaming in the rain after he ran outside, unaware the studio's room mics were capturing his antics.
| "It was the first time I'd recorded anything that I loved. I was 18 and we were just kids having fun. It was the most innocent record because we weren't thinking about how it might be received at all. We just wanted to record some songs. There were no limitations: we were just doing it for ourselves. It was such a fun time. We didn't have a care in the world." | |
| — Charlie Simpson Charlie Simpson Charles Robert Simpson , is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was the youngest member of multi BRIT Award-winning band Busted, and is the lead vocalist, guitarist and co-lyricist in alternative rock band Fightstar... describing the recording of They Liked You Better When You Were Dead. |
They Liked You Better When You Were Dead was released on 28 February 2005, following a rapid promotional tour of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The release proved popular enough to warrant a reprinting on 23 March 2005. Alex Westaway, the bands lead guitarist and co-lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
drew the artwork based on Edward Norton
Edward Norton
Edward Harrison Norton is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and producer. In 1996, his supporting role in the courtroom drama Primal Fear garnered him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor...
for the inlay of the booklet, as the record was inspired by author Chuck Palahniuk
Chuck Palahniuk
Charles Michael "Chuck" Palahniuk is an American transgressional fiction novelist and freelance journalist. He is best known for the award-winning novel Fight Club, which was later made into a film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter...
and the film adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
Fight Club
Fight Club (film)
Fight Club is a 1999 American film based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The film was directed by David Fincher and stars Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter. Norton plays the unnamed protagonist, an "everyman" who is discontented with his white-collar job...
. "Palahniuk's Laughter
Palahniuk's Laughter
"Palahniuk's Laughter" is the debut song from English rock band Fightstar, released as a promotional video in January 2005.It features on their debut extended play, They Liked You Better When You Were Dead and is the first song on the UK version of the EP...
" (named in reference to Palahniuk) enjoyed heavy rotation on music video channels and spent many weeks in charts based on video and radio requests. The track was originally entitled "Out Swimming in the Flood", but was renamed after the 2004 tsunami.
The UK version contained five tracks (including a sixth hidden track
Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
), meaning the record was ineligible for the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The EP was released the following year in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
as an extended mini-album through Deep Elm Records
Deep Elm Records
Deep Elm Records is an independent record label putting out albums by bands such as The Appleseed Cast, Brandtson, The White Octave, and Planes Mistaken for Stars...
. The release was met with praise from critics, despite many being initially sceptical due to Simpson's former pop career with Busted. British rock publication, Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
wrote" They Liked You Better When You Were Dead delivers.
Articulate rage, barbed guitars and epic choruses recall the likes of Thursday
Thursday (band)
Thursday were an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Formed in 1997, the group has released six full-length albums, their most recent being No Devolución, which was released in April 2011 on Epitaph Records...
or Brand New
Brand New
Brand New is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. Formed in 2000, the band currently consists of vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Jesse Lacey, guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Vincent Accardi, bassist Garrett Tierney, drummer Brian Lane, and guitarist/keyboardist Derrick Sherman.In the late...
. Simpson and Westaway play like they have been in the same band for years, weaving intricate soundscapes and dark passages of crushing noise. Stunning post-hardcore." Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
writer Adam Knott opined that the EP was "one of the most surprising first impressions I've ever heard". He also added that, "To say that Fightstar's debut showed promise or potential would be a disservice - They Liked You Better When You Were Dead is in and of itself a release well worthy of a place on any discerning music-lover's bedroom shelf."
Grand Unification (2005—2006)
After the release and promotion of They Liked You Better When You Were Dead, the band were approached by their management with regards to whom they wanted to produce their debut full length. They requested Colin RichardsonColin Richardson
Colin Richardson is a British record producer, mixer and recording engineer. He has worked on over 100 albums, and is most frequently associated with heavy metal and its subgenres such as:*Anathema*As I Lay Dying*Behemoth*Bullet for My Valentine...
, and although initially sceptical about their chances, Richardson agreed to collaborate after demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
had been sent to the producer. The band explained, "As a producer, how he makes everything sound, the sound craft of what he does in the genre is so perfect. The production alone blows your fucking mind, never mind the music. We sent him the demos and our EP, and he got back to us in like a week. It's a dream come true for us."
The band entered studios in west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
with Richardson during October 2005. Richardson, who had previously produced albums for the likes of Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band, from Bridgend. Formed 2001, they have released five studio albums, seven EPs, sixteen singles, one DVD, and one compilation album.-Formation and Early Years:...
, Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
and Fear Factory
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
, was particularly meticulous during pre-production, taking five days just tuning the drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. However once recording had started, he praised the band for being "very focused" and that there was a "real buzz because nobody knows what to expect." The band themselves referred to the sessions as "tone quests", detailing that they had been experimenting with the different amps
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
they had available, including those borrowed from friends. Bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Dan Haigh explained, "We're currently on a mission to get the heaviest possible guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
sounds. We've got amps that were featured on records by Carcass
Carcass (band)
Carcass are an extreme metal band from England, who formed in 1985 and disbanded in 1995. A reunion was enacted in 2008 without one of its original members, drummer Ken Owen, due to health reasons....
, Arch Enemy and SikTh
SikTh
Sikth were a progressive metal band from Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.-Early days:SikTh formed in late 1999, but consolidated their line-up in March 2001...
, so there's a wealth of metal history right there for us to tap into."
The band have stated that when entering recording, they didn't want to produce a "typical post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
record." Frontman and co-lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
, Charlie Simpson explained that, "There's a post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
instrumental intro and a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
-led song. It flies through all these different sounds, but it's still in keeping with our style." Simpson also explained that the band enjoy a shift in dynamics, often going from a heavy and aggressive style to soft and quiet passages during the same song. Describing the evolution in sound from the their debut EP, the band stated that Grand Unification is a lot "grander", both in terms of songs and production. Second lyricist and lead guitarist, Alex Westaway spoke of the "dark" tone amongst many of the songs; "We really tried to veer away from the whole emo thing. It’s too easy to write in that vein and now there are too many bands doing it badly. Our songs became darker. We’re always trying to find the beauty of darkness. There’s something fascinating about shaping shadows." The band decided to re-record three tracks that featured on their debut EP, those being, "Hazy Eyes", "Lost Like Tears in Rain", and "Mono". Upon completion of recording in December, Simpson stated, "We're so happy with what were doing. No matter how people perceive it when it comes out, we'll still be very proud and that's the most important thing." Richardson was also "immensely proud" of the completed record, adding, "It's records like these that will go a long way to putting the British scene
British music
British music could refer to:* Music of the United Kingdom* English music* Irish music* Scottish music* Welsh music* Celtic music...
back on the map. There's not a single weak song on it, and you can't say that about too many records these days. It's an album that will stand the test of time."
Grand Unification is a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, which is influenced and based upon the Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, commonly referred to as Evangelion, is a commercially and critically successful Japanese anime series that began airing in October 1995. The series was highly influential, and launched the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. It garnered several major animation awards...
anime series. The lyrics are loosely based on the personal experiences of lyricists Charlie Simpson and Alex Westaway, but the underlying concept revolves around two people who experience the last few days of life before the end of the world. Westaway has explained that, "Relationships and things we've actually experienced are involved, but the basic concept is about two people who experience the last few days of life as they know it before the world's ended. Neon Genesis and stuff. It's from a manga series called Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion (manga)
is a long-running manga series by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and published by Kadokawa Shoten. It began in the February issue of Shōnen Ace in December 1994. It consists of 13 volumes, each composed of several "stages" or chapters...
, which is about angels that come down from heaven to wipe out human kind. It's related to that same kind of feeling, that only chosen people survive, and the world becomes a better place afterwards."
The single, "Waste a Moment
Waste a Moment
"Waste A Moment" is the third single off the Fightstar album Grand Unification.-Track listing:CD Single:# "Waste A Moment"# "Call To Arms"7" Vinyl# "Waste A Moment"# "Minerva " DVD# "Waste A Moment"...
" was written about the 2005 London bombings
Timeline of the 2005 London bombings
The following is a timeline of the 7 July 2005 London bombings and 21 July 2005 London bombings.All times are in British Summer Time .-7 July 2005:...
, which in the context of the album is told from a personal perspective, yet in a surreal setting. The band have admitted though, that the concept was not initially intended. Despite the fact that the track "Lost Like Tears in Rain" was lyrically based around the Evangelion story, the band only realised connections throughout the songs towards the end of recording. Simpson explained that, "It starts with 'To Sleep' and ends with 'Wake Up', so it went in this big cycle. We never intended that to happen until we looked at the album an thought, 'Oh Shit, it works like that'. That's the only way I would have done it. I wouldn't want to sit down and think, 'Let's write a concept record'. I was only happy because it naturally evolved." All of the albums artwork
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
was based upon the concept, with Haigh stating, "What we're doing is centered around hope and starting again, capturing things that are epic. All the videos, album and single artwork are going to be tied into this." Haigh revealed that he had come across Daniel Conway's artwork after "trawling the internet looking for an artist". Haigh was immediately drawn to Conway because of the cohesion between his work and the albums lyrical and conceptual themes; "We’ve always been a visual band and I think people are going to realise that when they see the artwork. Dan Conway is the guy doing the artwork and he’s monumentally talented. His pictures already described our songs perfectly; it was as though he’d already been drawing them for us.”
The album was released in the UK on 13 March 2006 through Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
and was preceded by the single releases of "Paint Your Target
Paint Your Target
"Paint Your Target" is the first single off the Fightstar album Grand Unification. Released in June 2005, Fightstar's first single charted at #9 in the UK...
", "Grand Unification Pt. I
Grand Unification Part 1
"Grand Unification Part 1" is the second single off the Fightstar album Grand Unification. There are two videos to this song. One of the videos is a mixture of Fightstar playing in a, what would seem to be some sort of cave or room, as well as scenes from Dragonball Z. The second video is the band...
", and the aforementioned "Waste a Moment". The album debuted at number twenty eight on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, while first single "Paint Your Target" reached number nine in the Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. In March 2006, they were listed by the US rock magazine Alternative Press
Alternative Press (music magazine)
Alternative Press is an American music magazine based in Cleveland, Ohio. It generally provides readers with band interviews, photos, information on upcoming releases, and music charts. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Shea, who is the current president....
as one of the 100 bands to watch for that year. The band also played a slot at the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
at Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
Race Track and also headlined the Sunday of Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
rock music festival The Full Ponty
The Full Ponty
The Full Ponty was a music festival first held in Pontypridd on the 27–28 May 2006. The name Full Ponty is a pun on Full Monty, and Ponty, the local nickname of the town...
under Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band from Kilmarnock, comprising Simon Neil , James Johnston and Ben Johnston...
and Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band, from Bridgend. Formed 2001, they have released five studio albums, seven EPs, sixteen singles, one DVD, and one compilation album.-Formation and Early Years:...
. Fightstar toured with Funeral for a Friend for three months in 2006 covering such places as Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the United Kingdom. The band released Grand Unification, in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on 17 April 2007 through Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records was an American record label that started as a hardcore punk fanzine in April 1993. It started releasing hardcore, metal and rock records and merchandise in 1994...
. The release differed from the British and Japanese versions by including the b-side to fourth single "Hazy Eyes
Hazy Eyes
"Hazy Eyes" is the fourth single off the debut Fightstar album Grand Unification.Written by Charlie Simpson, "Hazy Eyes" was released a year on from the first single "Paint Your Target".-Track listing:CD:# "Hazy Eyes"...
", titled "Fight For Us" as a fourteenth track.
One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours (2007—2008)
After leaving Island RecordsIsland Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
due to a disagreement over the bands artistic direction, Fightstar signed to an independent label called Institute Records which was a division of Gut Records
Gut Records
The Gut Group was an independent record label, based in Maida Vale in London, in the United Kingdom.Formally introduced in 1991, Gut Recordings was founded by Guy Holmes, who had been Head of Promotions at Island Records...
to release their second album. Charlie Simpson explained that the band and label had come to a "cross road" after that label began pushing the four-piece to create a more "mainstream" record. He supported the bands decision to sign to an indie label, stating, "The great thing about working with independent labels is that they all have a genuine thirst for music which is something that can be lacking in some major label corporations. We feel like they have the bands best interest at heart when it come to artistic decision making." The band recorded One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with Matt Wallace
Matt Wallace
Matt Wallace is an American record producer. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and has been producing professionally since the early 1980s. Among his credits are the highly acclaimed album Angel Dust by Faith No More and the multiplatinum Songs About Jane by Maroon...
, who has also produced albums by Faith No More
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
, Satchel
Satchel (band)
Satchel is an alternative rock band from Seattle, featuring Shawn Smith , Regan Hagar , John Hoag and Mike Berg , who replaced original bassist Cory Kane in 1995.-History:...
, Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
and Sugarcult
Sugarcult
Sugarcult is an American rock band from Santa Barbara, California formed in 1998. The band currently consists of Tim Pagnotta , Airin Older , Marko DeSantis , and Kenny Livingston .-Formation :Tim Pagnotta met ex-drummer Ben Davis during a cigarette break at school...
. Simpson also spoke of the bands different recording approach than that of their debut. "It was a very different experience writing this record because we weren't really together in the same room when it was written. I would put down an idea on my home pro tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
set up and then send it over to the others via email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
and they would work on it in their home studios. This gave us time on our own, to really focus on the parts we were writing for the songs."
Prior to the albums release, Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
described the sound in comparison to Grand Unification as "more refined", becoming at the same time "heavier, yet more melodic." The band echoed this sentiment by stating, "It kind of takes off from where the last one started, I guess, but we took the heavier stuff we were doing and made it a lot heavier, and then we took the kind of more chilled out stuff and, I guess, made it more sound-scapey." Lyrically, the album is more "personal" than its predecessor. While Grand Unification was conceptual, aiming to "make the lyrics depict scenes that were as wide and as epic as possible", One Day Son was based upon themes such as global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
and in particular the end of Simpson's seven-year relationship prior to recording.
| "I'd just come out of a seven-year relationship when the lyrics were being written so that gives that a big theme on what's being talked about, but then in general I guess global warming has had an influence on the record; the wars going on at the moment has had an influence - just the general state of play with our human society. The album title is kind of derived from everything we do now is going to have consequences on our kids' generations, so it's kind of taking responsibility." | |
| — Charlie Simpson Charlie Simpson Charles Robert Simpson , is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was the youngest member of multi BRIT Award-winning band Busted, and is the lead vocalist, guitarist and co-lyricist in alternative rock band Fightstar... describing the themes found on One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours. |
To promote the album, the band initially released the free downloadable
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
single, "99" in May 2007. The track, written about being haunted by the loss of a loved one, was made available on the bands microsite
Microsite
A microsite is an Internet web design term referring to an individual web page or a small cluster of pages which are meant to function as a discreet entity within an existing website or to complement an offline activity...
along with a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
. First official single, "We Apologise for Nothing
We Apologise for Nothing
"We Apologise for Nothing" is the second single to be taken from the second album One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours, by Fightstar. It was released on 17 September 2007 on CD and two 7"s, and was accompanied by a music video....
" was released in September, a week prior to the album and reached number one on the UK Independent Chart and number sixty three on UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Third single, "Deathcar
Deathcar
"Deathcar" is the third single from Fightstar's second album One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours, and was released on December 3, 2007.One of the most brutal songs on the album, it includes prolonged screaming vocals and heavy guitar work. It was inspired by a harrowing news item on Chinese human...
" helped create history by acting as the first official release in the UK on the new VinylDisc
VinylDisc
The VinylDisc is a combination of a digital layer, either in CD or DVD format, and an analogue layer, which is a vinyl record, developed by German company Optimal Media Production....
format. The song, inspired by a harrowing documentary on Chinese human meat wagons
Execution van
Execution vans, also referred to as "mobile execution units", were developed by the government of the People's Republic of China and were first used in 1997. Prisoners are strapped to a stretcher and executed via lethal injection inside the van. The vans allow for death sentences to be carried out...
, coupled with the end of Simpson's relationship, produced a low-fi music video whih cost just £500. The VinylDisc single reached number ninety two on the UK Singles Chart, whilst also debuting at number two on both the Indie and Rock Chart
UK Rock Chart
The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales....
. Fourth single, "Floods
Floods (Fightstar song)
"Floods" is the fourth single from Fightstar's second studio album, One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours. It was originally intended to be released as the second single, however this was changed to "We Apologise For Nothing" due to the recent floods in the UK at that time.Charlie Simpson has stated...
" was released the following March. The band wrote the song about the growing concern around global warming upon viewing Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
's documentary An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming via a comprehensive slide show that, by his own estimate, he has given more than a thousand times.Premiering at the...
.
They also performed BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
live sessions on this single campaign for Colin Murray and Dan P Carter. The band went on a 10 date UK tour during May with support from London four piece Brigade and unsigned Essex band We Are The Ocean
We Are the Ocean
We Are the Ocean is a 5 piece post-hardcore band from Loughton, Essex, England.The band has played hundreds of shows since their formation, including several festivals during 2008 such as Slam Dunk, Offset Festival, Middlesbrough Music Live, and Taste of Chaos...
already confirmed. The tour included a date at Carling Academy Islington
Carling Academy Islington
The O2 Academy Islington, formerly known as the Carling Academy Islington, is an indoor music venue situated in the N1 Shopping Centre accessible via Upper Street and Liverpool Road, in the London Borough of Islington. It is run by the Academy Music Group...
on 29 May, and at the Leeds Slam Dunk Festival on 25 May.
The last single from the album was titled "I Am The Message
I Am The Message
"I Am the Message" was the fifth and final single by British rock band Fightstar, from their second studio album One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours. The song was released as a 7" vinyl and digital download on June 16th.-Music video:...
". It was released on 16 June 2008 as a double A side single with the other side being the bands cover of "Waitin' for a Superman
Waitin' for a Superman
"Waitin' for a Superman" is a song by The Flaming Lips, released as the second single taken from their 1999 album The Soft Bulletin, and reaching #73 in the UK Singles Chart....
", which was recorded for the Colin Murray Show on Radio 1. This was the band's first single to be added to the Radio 1 playlist.
Alternate Endings (2008)
On 11 August 2008, the band released a b-sides album called Alternate EndingsAlternate Endings
Alternate Endings is a compilation album by English alternative rock band Fightstar, released August 11, 2008 on Gut Records.It features previously unreleased material, b-sides, covers and live radio recordings from the previous four years....
. It features a selection of the band's b-sides, live radio sessions, covers and a previously unreleased track.
Then, at Download festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
2008, the four-piece told press they would be returning to the studio in August to start recording their next album due for early 2009 and that they already have at least four songs demoed. The album’s name was confirmed as Be Human
Be Human (Fightstar Album)
Be Human is the third studio album by British alternative rock band Fightstar, released on April 20, 2009 through independent label Search and Destroy Records, itself distributed by PIAS Recordings. The album was recorded between August and December 2008 in Chesterfield and London, with the band...
. The band recorded a cover of "Fear of the Dark
Fear of the Dark (song)
"Fear of the Dark" is a song written by Steve Harris, bass player and main songwriter for Iron Maiden, as the title track to Iron Maiden's 1992 album Fear of the Dark...
" for an Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
cover CD called Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden, featuring various artists, which was given away with the 16 July issue of Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine.
They also headlined the Rocksound Cave stage on the Saturday at Guilfest, and headlined Greenbelt festival
Greenbelt festival
Greenbelt Festival is a festival of arts, faith and justice held annually in England since 1974. Greenbelt has grown from a Christian music festival with an audience of 1,500 young Christians to its current more secular festival attended by around 20,000 - Christians and non-Christians.The festival...
's Mainstage in 2008.
Due to Gut Records going into administration at the end of 2008, Fightstar decided to put out their new album Be Human on their own, in a joint venture with their management company Raw Power on a label called Search and Destroy. The new record was distributed through PIAS Records
Play It Again Sam (record label)
[PIAS] Recordings is the recorded music division of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent artist and label services company.The record labels that operate under the [PIAS] Recordings umbrella are: Play It Again Sam, Wall of Sound and Different Recordings.Aside from the three London...
. In an interview Charlie Simpson said "This was something that we had always wanted to do and figured this would be the perfect time to do it. It is an exciting prospect to be able to own the rights to our own record with the music industry changing at such a rapid pace, I think it's something that more bands will be looking to do in the future."
Be Human (2008—2010)
Fightstar released their first single from the new album Be Human, "The English WayThe English Way
"The English Way" was the first single to be taken from Fightstar's third studio album, Be Human. It was released on November 3, 2008 .Frontman, Charlie Simpson, described the songs meaning as wanting England to be more patriotic, as he believes it has lost its pride and traditional values.The song...
", on 3 November 2008 and it reached number 1 in the UK rock chart. The video was played on Kerrang! and Scuzz T.V. stations and also reached number 1 on the MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
top 10. The album was co-produced by the band along with Carl Bown, in Bown's state of the art Chesterfield based studio; Treehouse Studios. In interviews leading up to the album release, the band commented that the new record would be "quite different" from their previous releases. Charlie Simpson stated they wanted to experiment with more of a "rock opera" sound including full strings and choir. However, he also pointed out that although it may be different, it will remain Fightstar and still include their trademark dark and heavy elements.
The band supported Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
for the first part of their UK tour, which started on 21 October 2008. Drummer Jason Bowld from the British alternative rock band Pitchshifter
Pitchshifter
Pitchshifter are a British five-piece electronic-metal band from Nottingham, United Kingdom formed in 1989. The band was started by bassist and vocalist Mark Clayden, lead guitarist and programmer Johnny A...
, had filled in for drummer Omar Abidi on their UK tour, while he recovered from a broken wrist. Abidi returned to touring with the band early in 2009. Due to Abidi's hand injury, Simpson filled in to play drums on six tracks for the new album. Abidi wrote the drum parts and oversaw Simpson's parts; he would later liken the situation to a director instructing "a really good actor". Damocles, the album's most aggressive track, was recorded "in tandem", with Abidi handling the pedals and snare whilst Simpson played the rest.
Next single, "Mercury Summer
Mercury Summer
Mercury Summer is the second single from Fightstar's third studio album, Be Human. It was released on April 6, 2009.Frontman Charlie Simpson said that the inspiration for this song came from one of his favourite movies, The Shawshank Redemption, and the dream of the lead character, Andy.Bassist Dan...
", was released on 6 April 2009, as announced on their MySpace page on 2 February 2009. Tracks include; Mercury Summer, Athea, We Left Tracks Of Fire, Mercury Summer (Acoustic) and Mercury Summer (Nero vs. Ohms remix) which was half produced by Abidi. Athea being a b-side to the physical CD and We Left Tracks Of Fire a b-side on the 7" Vinyl, all available to purchase online at various online stores and websites. Later that week on 4 February, they announced a 12-date UK tour with support from In Case of Fire
In Case of Fire
In Case of Fire are a Christian alternative rock band from Portadown, Northern Ireland, formed in 2005. The original line up consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Steven Robinson, bassist Mark Williamson and drummer Colin Robinson...
and Laruso. The video for "Mercury Summer" debuted on their MySpace page on 25 February.
The reception for the single was extremely positive, with the song reaching the A List on the Radio 1 Playlist and remaining there for 4 weeks. It was also received well after the band featured on BBC2 music show Sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
. "Mercury Summer" was also added to the daytime playlist at XFM Radio and was picked for Ian Camfield's Record of The Week. Emma Scott and Kerrang Radio station also made "Mercury Summer" her Record of The Week.
On 7 April 2009 the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
website announced that Fightstar were to perform at the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
. Then on 26 May 2009, it was announced by the official website that Fightstar will also be playing the main stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
.
On 9 April 2009 the final album version of "Colours Bleed To Red" was played on the Colin Murray
Colin Murray
Colin Murray is a Northern Irish sports and music radio and television presenter. He is the current host of the BBC Television show Match of the Day 2 on BBC Two, and the BBC Radio 5 Live shows 5 Live Sport and Fighting Talk, as well as a show on BBC Radio Ulster. He has previously hosted regular...
show. Murray said about the previous single "Mercury Summer
Mercury Summer
Mercury Summer is the second single from Fightstar's third studio album, Be Human. It was released on April 6, 2009.Frontman Charlie Simpson said that the inspiration for this song came from one of his favourite movies, The Shawshank Redemption, and the dream of the lead character, Andy.Bassist Dan...
" "It's only when you hear it in the context of the album that it makes total sense.' 'It's actually a little bit more experimental while at the same time being a bit mainstream" he also said that Be Human is "Quintessential Fightstar with all these new parts to it. Very impressed with it indeed."
It was then rumoured that, Be Human, would be re-released in late 2009 and it is believed the new, deluxe version could contain four or five new songs. One of the new songs could be a cover version of Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield," which the band performed informally earlier in the year in the BBC Radio1 Live Lounge. The cover was met with great approval and Sparks herself said on radio that she was a fan of Fightstar and believed they should cover the song.
On 12 October the band posted pictures on their Myspace site from their latest music video shoot for new song "A City on Fire
A City on Fire
"A City on Fire" is a song by English alternative rock band Fightstar, released December 20, 2009, on Search and Destroy Records as a digital download only....
". The song subsequently was played for the first time during Fearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton is an English television and radio presenter who is known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops and the Red Nose Day telethon. In 2007, she became the first regular female presenter of BBC Radio 1's Chart Show...
's show on Radio 1 on 19 October and the official video premiered on the bands MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
on 24 October, which was directed by Siham Shnurov at Sitcom Soldiers. The single was released as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on 20 December, peaking at number 116 on the UK Singles Chart, and number four and number ten on the UK Rock
UK Rock Chart
The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales....
and Indie
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
charts respectively. The band have since released the deluxe edition of Be Human on 1 March 2010.
Hiatus and solo projects (2010-present)
The band have since announced they are "taking some time off" for the remainder of 2010/11 to work on separate projects before regrouping in 2012 to begin writing a new record. Westaway and Haigh are working on a music project with Jason Bowld of Pitch Shifter/This Is MenaceThis Is Menace
This Is Menace was a British metalcore supergroup formed in 2004.-History:The band was formed by bassist Mark Clayden and drummer Jason Bowld during the hiatus of their previous band, Pitchshifter. The group released their limited EP, Collusion in 2005...
which is currently titled 'False Flags'. They are also completing post production on a film project with Philip Koch of Lucas Film. Westaway and Haigh have also completed the score for Grzegorz Jonkajtys short film The 3rd Letter along with Audrey Riley
Audrey Riley
Audrey Riley is a cellist and string arranger based in the UK. Riley trained at the Guildhall School of Music with Leonard Stehn and was a cellist for Virginia Astley from 1983 to 1986 and a one-time auxiliary member of The Family Cat. She has been a member of the post-minimalist band Icebreaker...
. The film has picked up several awards from various film festivals across the world. Simpson has been working on a solo album. He released his EP, When We Were Lions, through Pledge Music, an organization that helps artists raise money to record music from their fans. His full debut album, Young Pilgrim, was released in August 2011. Despite this planned break the band still intend to the play the Sonisphere Festival
Sonisphere Festival
The Sonisphere Festival is a touring music festival which takes place across Europe between June and August. The festival is owned by John Jackson and Kilimanjaro Live. It is jointly-promoted by K2 and Kilimanjaro Live...
on 30 July.
Musical style and influences
Fightstar's sound is widely referred to as "post-hardcorePost-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
", incorporating a style that is "equal parts melody and menace". Their music has also been labelled by other publications as "alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
", "Busted on steroids" and "emo" (despite the band distancing themselves from the label). Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine have stated the band draw equal influences from genres such as post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
, heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
. Charlie Simpson has echoed this sentiment by describing the bands musical aim as trying to "combine the light and dark shades, to make something utterly brutal and really heavy, and on the other side have something really delicate and beautiful. The fusion of those things is what Fightstar does."
Commenting on debut EP, They Liked You Better When You Were Dead
They Liked You Better When You Were Dead
They Liked You Better When You Were Dead is the debut EP from British rock band Fightstar, released on February 28, 2005 through Sandwich Leg Records. The release proved a critical success, in spite of the cynics' initial expectations of the band. It has been said that the EP helped "present...
(2005), Allmusic wrote, "Vocalists Al Westaway and Charlie Simpson utilize a distinct sound that reaches total catharsis. Train-like guitar work also adds strength to the record, creating drama and tension in the key moments." Josh Barr, journalist for American music websize Aversion
Aversion
Aversion is a horror film about a private investigator who discovers too late that the woman he is hired to follow is often possessed by a demon. Alex Stokes is a self-destructive, down-on-his-luck investigator who takes cases wherever he can. When a mysterious man offers him a healthy sum to...
, described the EP as containing, "passionate musicianship that's equal parts serenading melody and jarring punch, these blokes unleash a welcome roundhouse kick to the face of overly sensitive emo rock, triggering crying fits and bloodying scarves".
Lyrically, the band claim that they aim to avoid writing in an "emo" fashion. Grand Unification was centred around the theme of the apocalypse, while subsequent work has varied thematically from patriotism (The English Way) to knife crime (Damocles). Fightstar have also drawn on influences from books (most notably those of Chuck Palahniuk), films and comics- the Neon Evangelion series have provided inspiration for several of the group's songs.
In his review of the bands debut album, Grand Unification
Grand Unification (Album)
Grand Unification is the debut studio album by British alternative rock band Fightstar, released on March 13, 2006 through Island Records. Based upon the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, Grand Unification was produced by Colin Richardson and is considered a concept album...
(2006), Vik Bansal of MusicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
spoke of the bands varied dynamics; "Where others are happy to be one-dimensional, Fightstar are not content unless a song moves fluidly through seemingly incongruous but ultimately coherent moods and musical dynamics. The interspersion of thoroughly heavy metal sections within the otherwise widescreen rock of 'Grand Unification Pt I' and 'Sleep Well Tonight' encapsulates this perfectly". The bands second album, One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours
One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours
One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours is the second studio album by British alternative rock band Fightstar, released on September 24, 2007 through Institute Recordings, itself a subsidiary of independent label Gut Records...
(2007) was viewed as a "harder effort" than their debut, containing a "thrilling mixture of alt. rock and post-hardcore". Q magazine wrote that, "the intricate instrumental passages, multi-tracked vocal harmonies and pounding riffs hint at Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
-scale ambition and intellect". The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
also described the albums sound as, "heavier, slicker and as focused as ever, tracks such as '99' and 'We Apologise For Nothing' embrace an epic, panoramic sound that sweeps you off your feet. It’s aggressive but emotive, with heaps of melody among the huge riffs."
Third album, Be Human (2009), heavily implemented choral and orchestral elements. Emma Johnston of Kerrang! emphasised this in her review by stating, "Fightstar throw as many orchestral and choral flourishes as their muscular, solemnly heavy rock as it could take without drowning". AbsolutePunk writer Anton Djamoos also opined that the album contains a "certain symphonic
Symphonic rock
Symphonic rock is a sub-genre of progressive rock. Since early in progressive rock's history, the term has been used sometimes to distinguish more classically influenced progressive rock from the more psychedelic and experimental forms of progressive rock....
quality", that is "a departure from the general body of work we've seen in the past. They break from their own norm with several orchestral elements to make the album sound more full and let the music hit even harder".
The band have said they are influenced by a wide variety of music, particularly film scores, and have named artists such as Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Silverchair
Silverchair
Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...
, Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, Mono
Mono (Japanese band)
Mono are a Japanese post rock band, formed in 1999 in Tokyo, Kantō, Honshū. The band consists of Takaakira Goto , Yoda , Tamaki Kunishi , and Yasunori Takada .Mono have released five studio albums...
, Explosions in the Sky
Explosions in the Sky
Explosions in the Sky is an American post-rock band from Texas. The band has garnered popularity beyond the post-rock scene for their elaborately developed guitar work, narratively styled instrumentals, what they refer to as "cathartic mini-symphonies," and their enthusiastic and emotional live shows...
, The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, and Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
as major inspirations. Abidi has declared Deftones the band he would most like to perform with "If I got to play with (them), that'd be it, you could stick a fork in me.
Members
Official members- Charlie SimpsonCharlie SimpsonCharles Robert Simpson , is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was the youngest member of multi BRIT Award-winning band Busted, and is the lead vocalist, guitarist and co-lyricist in alternative rock band Fightstar...
— lead vocals, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, keysKeyboardistA keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more... - Alex WestawayAl WestawayAlexander Derek Westaway is an English musician, singer and songwriter from Northampton. Westaway is the co-founder of British alternative rock band Fightstar, for whom he plays lead guitar and provides vocals. Along with Charlie Simpson, he writes the lyrics for the bands material.Westaway grew...
— lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, vocals - Dan Haigh — bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Omar Abidi — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Awards
| Year | Title | Award | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Kerrang! Awards | Best British Newcomer | Fightstar | Nominated |
| 2007 | Kerrang! Awards | Best British Band | Fightstar | Nominated |
Discography
| Year | Album | Peak Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
||
| 2005 | They Liked You Better When You Were Dead They Liked You Better When You Were Dead They Liked You Better When You Were Dead is the debut EP from British rock band Fightstar, released on February 28, 2005 through Sandwich Leg Records. The release proved a critical success, in spite of the cynics' initial expectations of the band. It has been said that the EP helped "present...
|
N/A |
| 2006 | Grand Unification Grand Unification (Album) Grand Unification is the debut studio album by British alternative rock band Fightstar, released on March 13, 2006 through Island Records. Based upon the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, Grand Unification was produced by Colin Richardson and is considered a concept album... Island Records Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group... Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
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| 2007 | One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours is the second studio album by British alternative rock band Fightstar, released on September 24, 2007 through Institute Recordings, itself a subsidiary of independent label Gut Records... Gut Records The Gut Group was an independent record label, based in Maida Vale in London, in the United Kingdom.Formally introduced in 1991, Gut Recordings was founded by Guy Holmes, who had been Head of Promotions at Island Records... Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... + DVD, digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
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| 2008 | Alternate Endings Alternate Endings Alternate Endings is a compilation album by English alternative rock band Fightstar, released August 11, 2008 on Gut Records.It features previously unreleased material, b-sides, covers and live radio recordings from the previous four years.... Gut Records The Gut Group was an independent record label, based in Maida Vale in London, in the United Kingdom.Formally introduced in 1991, Gut Recordings was founded by Guy Holmes, who had been Head of Promotions at Island Records... Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
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| 2009 | Be Human
PIAS Recordings [PIAS] Recordings is the recorded music division of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent artist and label services company.The record labels that operate under the [PIAS] Recordings umbrella are: Play It Again Sam, Wall of Sound and Different Recordings.Aside from the three London... Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
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