RISING rock stars Stillia are back from their tour Down Under where they took venues by storm – and enjoyed bumping into some familiar faces.

The band from Sutton returned from their eight-date tour across Dubai, Australia and New Zealand with Ocean Colour Scene last week and are now looking forward to their UK tour, starting on November 30.

Lead singer Jack Bennett said: “The whole tour went really well and I’m not kidding now but in six out of our eight shows someone from St Helens, whether it be Parr or from Clock Face, came up to us and said hello – it was crazy and so cool.

“It’s amazing the fanbase we have and the entire experience has been very exciting, even though it’s only just sinking in because we didn’t really have a minute to think while we were over there.

“We knew it would be hard work but it was so much more full on than we imagined - but it was all worth it.

“We are very jet-lagged but now we are looking forward to our UK dates and hope even more fans, from home and anywhere else, will come and see us.

“We will never forget where we started, that’s why we love people from home coming to see our shows - they’ve been with us from the start.”

The 21-year-old, who performed an acoustic set for visitors to the St Helens Beer Festival, added: “It was great meeting up with Saints players playing with England and we met television physicist Brian Cox on a flight from Australia – though I feel a bit bad now because I chewed his ear off about time travel - but it was top to meet him.”

The UK tour includes visits to Liverpool and Manchester