Student Union Domain, Northumbria University

Fightstar was an English rock band formed in London in 2003. The band consisted of lead vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist Charlie Simpson, guitarist and co-vocalist Alex Westaway, bassist Dan Haigh, and drummer Omar Abidi. They are generally classified as a post-hardcore band, with their sound incorporating elements of metal, alternative rock, and other genres. Their debut EP, They Liked You Better When You Were Dead, was released in 2005 and received critical acclaim. The band’s first studio album, Grand Unification, followed in 2006, with Kerrang! editor Paul Brannigan describing it as "one of the best British rock albums of the last decade." Fightstar was nominated for Best British Band at the 2006 Kerrang! Awards. Their second album, One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours, was released in 2007, and a compilation album, Alternate Endings, featuring B-sides and rarities, was issued in 2008. Their third album, Be Human (2009), was self-funded and co-produced, featuring orchestral and choral elements, and reached number 20 on the UK Albums Chart. The band went on hiatus in 2010 to focus on other projects.