The band are currently taking an extended hiatus and are expected to regroup in the near future to write new material.
Fightstar’s debut EP, “They Liked You Better When You Were Dead”, was released on February 28, 2005, following a rapid promotional tour of the United Kingdom. Being an EP and containing in excess of 3 tracks (it in fact contained 6 tracks, one more than shown on the track listing, the 6th being a hidden track) it was ineligible for the singles chart in the UK - whether or not this was a conscious choice on the part of the band, since it effectively negated the possibility of their first release being judged by its placing in the singles chart (and so, almost inevitably, poorly by comparison with Simpson’s former band), is a matter for debate; regardless, the release proved popular enough to warrant a reprinting on March 23, 2005. First track, Palahniuk’s Laughter, enjoyed heavy rotation on music video channels and spent many weeks in charts based on video and radio requests.
The release of Fightstar's first full length album "Grand Unification" showed a band that could not be further from Simpsons previous band Busted. With raw power, melodic guitars and hard rock hooks they showed the world that Simpson knew what he was doing when he left Busted and that they know exactly where they are going.
In September 2006, the band ended their contract with Island Records. Charlie Simpson said that "they wanted a pop album and we didn't. I've put so much into this band I don't want to start compromising now. We're thinking about going to America. The market for our stuff is much bigger over there."
In September 2007, the band released their second LP entitled 'One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours' under Institute Records. '99' was released as a free-to-download single, along with it's video on the 11th May 2007. Their next single to be released was 'We Apologise For Nothing' which had minor chart success peaking at #63 on the UK singles chart and at #1 on the UK Independant Chart.
'Deathcar' was the third song to be released as a single from the album. It was released on the new VinylDisc format and was also available for download. 'Floods' has also been released from this album.
In Autumn 2008, Alternate Endings was released, providing it's audience with b-sides, acoustic performances and covers.
The band's third studio album, Be Human, was released on April 19th 2009 and reached number 20 in the UK Album Chart. Four singles were released from the album; The English Way (3 Nov 2008), Mercury Summer (6 April 2009), Never Change (20 July 2009) and A City on Fire (21 Dec 2009). They experimented with orchestral elements and received critical acclaim for their work.
The band announced they were "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. A new record, however, did not eventuate. In the time away from the band, Westaway and Haigh worked on a music project titled 'Gunship,' an entity focused on making music for film. The duo completed production on a film project with Philip Koch of Lucas Film. Westaway and Haigh also completed the score for Grzegorz Jonkajtys short film The 3rd Letter along with Audrey Riley. The film picked up several awards from various film festivals across the world.
Simpson began work on a solo album in 2010. He released his EP, When We Were Lions, through Pledge Music, an organisation that helps artists raise money to record music from their fans. His debut album, Young Pilgrim, was released in August 2011. Simpson stated Fightstar would record an album again, but he planned to record a second solo album first, while Westaway and Haigh worked on their Gunship project.
In an interview with Digital spy in December 2012, Charlie Simpson confirmed his current plans to finish writing and record a second solo album in February 2013. Following an intended US release and tour in the summer of 2013 in support of this new solo record, he had then planned for Fightstar to reunite and begin writing for the band's fourth album.
September 2014 saw the band's Facebook profile updated with a new default picture and cover photo; both of which featured Fightstar artwork within an 'X' shape. On September 25, the band's official website was updated to include a countdown timer accompanied by text that simply read "News..." The timer ended on October 13, 2014; with the announcement of a ten-year anniversary show at London's Forum. A statement from the band followed: "It has been 10 years since the inception of this band and we wanted to celebrate it with a bang. We want to thank you all for your love and support over the past ten years and we can't wait to commemorate this milestone with you guys."
Dark Star
Fightstar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There are chains to hold it down,
Heavy eyes will keep us warm
These bright lights won't save our lives they're showing us just misdirection,
(You're a dark star)
X2
I won't say how we got here, it is secret and secure.
These bright lights won't save our lives they're showing us just misdirection,
(You're a dark star)
X2
Firefly,
When everything's dead and gone,
We'll find place to hide from the bright lights.
Firefly,
When everything's dead and gone,
We'll find a place to hide in the dark.
These bright lights won't save our lives they're showing us just loose misdirection,
(You're a dark star)
X2
Dark Star by Fightstar is a song that speaks of a secret and secure place, where the heavy chains hold it down and heavy eyes keep them warm. The song seems to offer refuge from the bright lights of the world with their misdirection. The song expresses a feeling of hurt and pain that is shared between the characters in the song.
The song seems to offer an escape from the pain and confusion that the world offers. The song speaks of a place that is safe and secure, where the bright lights of the world cannot reach. The lyrics express the belief that, in this secret place where the darkness reigns supreme, there is a chance for healing from the pain of the world. The firefly is a symbol of hope, and the song seems to suggest that even in the darkest of times, when everything else is dead, the firefly can help in finding a place to hide in the dark.
In summary, the lyrics of Dark Star offer hope and comfort in times of pain and confusion. The song suggests that there is a place of refuge in the darkness, where the pain of the world cannot reach. The song encourages its listeners to find solace in such a place, to find healing from the hurt that the world can inflict.
Line by Line Meaning
This is our place, it is secret and secure,
We have our own hidden and safe space.
There are chains to hold it down,
We are trapped in our own space.
Heavy eyes will keep us warm
We will find comfort in each other's company.
These bright lights won't save our lives they're showing us just misdirection,
We are not fooled by the distractions around us.
(You're a dark star)
You are a source of darkness.
The same pain, that I feel, there is nothing there at all,
I feel nothing despite the pain I experience.
I won't say how we got here, it is secret and secure.
The reason for our situation is hidden from others.
Firefly,
Small but vibrant light.
When everything's dead and gone,
When all hope is lost.
We'll find place to hide from the bright lights.
We will find refuge from the distractions around us.
We'll find a place to hide in the dark.
We will find solace in the darkness.
These bright lights won't save our lives they're showing us just loose misdirection,
The distractions around us are leading us away from the truth.
(You're a dark star)
You are still a source of darkness.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ALEXANDER WESTAWAY, CHARLES ROBERT SIMPSON, DANIEL HAIGH, OMAR ABIDI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind