Charlie Simpson has announced his band is to make a long-awaited comeback and we are not talking Busted but Fightstar.
The heavy rock band will mark their 20th anniversary with a special one-off show next year at London’s OVO Arena Wembley, which will be their first performance in eight years.
Simpson, the band’s singer, will be joined by fellow guitarist and vocalist Alex Westaway, bassist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi for the biggest show of their career.
For Simpson, the show will follow on the heels of a UK arena tour in support of Busted’s Greatest Hits 2.0 album which was released earlier this year.
It’s been a minute but there aren’t many days that go by without me being asked when Fightstar will do another show. Now you know! 22nd March 2024. I am so looking forward to this, it will be a very special evening. X Pre-sale opens Wednesday at 9am. - https://t.co/CI8seaZlke 💥 pic.twitter.com/PX8EC53xst
— Charlie Simpson (@CharlieSimpson) November 6, 2023
Simpson left Busted to form Fightstar in 2004 after feeling his heart was not in the music of the more pop-oriented band. But he has played with both in the years since and has had other projects on the go including a solo career.
He said: “Next year marks 20 years since Fightstar played our first show in a tiny nightclub in Northampton, mainly in front of friends and family.
“To be sat here today about to play our biggest ever headline show at London’s legendary Wembley Arena is something that is hard for us to comprehend.
“We are so thankful to all our fans who have been so loyal to us and we can’t wait to celebrate this milestone with them. This will be a very special night for all of us.”
Yes! By the way I’ve watched this account for the last five years. Great persistence! 👊 https://t.co/OgclHkJFl2
— Charlie Simpson (@CharlieSimpson) November 6, 2023
Simpson has humoured fans on his Twitter page by retweeting a hopeful message by an account called Fightstar Come Back – an account purely dedicated to asking for a return.
When are Fightstar playing?
Fightstar have released four albums but have not said if their gig will be part of a wider tour or if there is to be any new material.
For now fans will have to be content with the concert on March 22, 2024. Twin Atlantic and Loathe will provide support.
How to get tickets
Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday, November 10. Fans can register now by entering their email for access to a presale, which will begin at 9am on Wednesday.
What might Fightstar’s setlist be?
It’s hard to pinpoint what Fightstar might play exactly after such a long absence but they are likely to perform songs from across their four albums – assuming there is not any new material released in the meantime.
Their last concert for which there is an available setlist was in 2015 and was at The Garage in Aberdeen.
- Sleep Well Tonight
- Sharp Tongue
- Build an Army
- Paint Your Target
- Behind the Devil's Back
- Sink with the Snakes
- War Machine
- 99
- Grand Unification, Part I
- Palahniuk's Laughter
- Deathcar
- Wake Up
- Animal
- Mono
