The Starjets were born in The Troubles.  Born in '76, in the Irish Republican stronghold of the Falls Road, West Belfast. Our earliest gigs in the fortified IRA run community centres were frequently disrupted by Loyalist paramilitary attacks, British Army raids and the occasional bomb. We drove to gigs through the crossfire of Belfast's warring factions, got arrested during our only Belfast photo shoot and charged with taking photos of British Army installations for the purpose of terrorism. When the Clash did the same photo shoot in Belfast a week later, they were hailed as heroes. Undaunted, we survived, we pestered, we persisted. Young, rebellious and frequently in trouble with the IRA, we left for London, got a record deal.

We recorded one album, had one hit single; War Stories. Released in '79, it reappeared during Lockdown 2020, when Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day recorded a version for his album of favourite songs, 'No Fun Mondays'. This led to renewed interest in the band worldwide and an opportunity to tour with Green Day, but sadly, three band members refused to take advantage of that opportunity and the tsunami of good will towards the band. They refused to record new material or even perform anywhere but their home town of Belfast.
 
And so it's been left to singer, guitarist Paul Bowen to keep The Starjets alive by performing Starjets classics alongside new Starjets releases. Since 2020, Paul has had 17 Top Ten Starjets singles on UK and worldwide Independent Radio Charts. SEVENTEEN TOP TEN SINGLES! Seven of these songs reached No 1 on former Radio One presenter Mike Read's Heritage Chart: www.heritagechart.co.uk. SEVEN NO 1's!

Created by Mike to give artists ignored by commercial stations a platform for their music, Heritage Chart positions are uniquely decided by listeners voting for their favourite song. Given that the Chart regularly features world famous names like The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Jon Bon Jovi, Sting and Robert Plant, it's a remarkable achievement that with Paul’s hard work, The Starjets have become one of the Chart's most successful artists. Check out our songs on the streaming platforms, our videos on YouTube.
 
In the mid 80's, Paul became rehearsal understudy to Irish Blues legend, Rory Gallagher. He later joined Irish Folk Rock band The Bucks, led by The Pogues' Terry Woods and featuring musicians from Thin Lizzy, The Pogues, The Waterboys and Sinead O’Connor's band. As a result of this Punk Irish fusion, he became guest guitarist with Shane MacGowan and The Popes. Punk music, Irish music, Folk Music, the Blues; it's in his veins. The Starjets were brilliant in '76. Live performance was our greatest asset. It still is. Wanna book The Starjets? Get in touch.