Double bill of live music from James Walsh, former frontman of Starsailor, and Ben Ottewell of Gomez, at The Live Rooms.
James Walsh and Ben Ottewell are playing The Live Rooms on Thursday 12 November, a double bill that brings together two voices from different corners of the indie-rock world. Walsh is the frontman of Starsailor, and Ottewell is a founding member of Gomez. The bill is billed as two of the best voices of the past 30 years, and that's the hook of the night: two singers on one stage, each with a distinct way of doing things.
Walsh made his mark with Starsailor, whose hits like 'Good Souls' and 'Alcoholic' helped the band reach multi-platinum status. Since then he's built a solo career with a string of acclaimed albums — Turning Point in 2014, Tiger on the Bridge in 2019, and Small Illusions in 2021, alongside the Renewal EP. He's a singer who's spent as much time fronting a band as he has working on his own, and the solo records draw on that.
Ottewell's Gomez debut, Bring It On (1998), won the Mercury Prize and put the band on the map internationally. He's known for a distinctive baritone voice and blues-inspired guitar work, so his set will likely lean into that slower, grittier side of things. Between the two of them, you've got the melodic, indie-rock songwriting Walsh is known for and the bluesy, baritone weight Ottewell brings to the table.
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The show is in Room L1 at The Live Rooms, Chester's largest independent live music venue and nightclub, which sits centrally near the railway station. It has a main room that's hosted some of the biggest names in live entertainment and a side room for smaller, more intimate shows. Doors open at 19:00, with a curfew of 23:00, and tickets are £28.
