Tearing through the heaven-sent guitar solo of ‘The Borders’, Sam Fender has little idea that his beloved Newcastle United FC have just scored a last-minute equaliser against Liverpool. “Three-all? Fucking come on!” is his reaction when the crowd – comprising hundreds of black-and-white NUFC shirts that now characterise his concerts – vivaciously wave him down to break the news, which only adds to his buoyant mood.
We’re inside Leeds’ First Direct Arena for the first UK date of Fender’s ‘People Watching’ tour, warming up for his third album – and stadium shows – next year. Since last performing here in 2021, the success of his second album ‘Seventeen Going Under’ has propelled him to megastar status – now arguably the greatest guitar act of his generation – via an NME Album of the Year and headlining performances at Reading & Leeds.
Another thing that’s changed since 2021 is the ticket price: £39 to £79 (including fees) to stand at this arena, with just a handful of songs released in that time period. Despite the tour’s instant sell-out, Fender’s new material comes with significant expectations to justify this price hike – although it does include a welcome £1 donation to Music Venue Trust.
The delicate ‘Wild Long Lie’, which was released on Monday, gradually ascends into a theatrical masterpiece as Fender whips out a Gibson Les Paul for its unmistakable War On Drugs-esque solo (frontman Adam Granduciel co-produced the track). The euphoric reaction to ‘People Watching’, meanwhile, confirms his golden touch with title tracks.
The upbeat ‘Nostalgia’s Lie’ is warm and cosy, almost like an older sibling to ‘Get You Down’, as Fender appears to contest with his stardom (“What is this place? / Can you take me back to somewhere, darling? / Where I feel safe”). The mellow ‘Arm’s Length’, however, never quite reaches the full form it teases, despite some glorious HAIM-style gang vocals at points. As Fender himself admits, perhaps too literally and self-consciously: “It’s got a shit little riff.”
Though warnings of mosh pit etiquette and a reminder that “You might have heard this song [‘Seventeen Going Under’] on TikTok” display Fender’s awareness of the mainstream audience he now commands, his rawer early material cuts through with unbelievable precision. ‘All Is On My Side’ is a delicate highlight, while the hell-raising one-two of ‘Spice’ (which briefly nods to Queens of the Stone Age’s ‘Song For The Dead’) and ‘Howdon Aldi Death Queue’ still refuse to budge from the setlist. ‘The Dying Light’ feels equally immovable, perhaps a lesson learnt from its omission at Monday’s show in Dublin.
The climax of ‘Seventeen Going Under’ and ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ reminds fans, in turn, of the two timeless albums that “got us into this mess in the first place” to coin an old phrase of Fender’s. There’s no radical shake-up of the setlist, but rather a sense of self-confidence to double down on a reliable approach that’s served him well. While tonight affirms that ‘People Watching’ material will have to fight for its place, a successful balance of old and new could hoist Sam Fender’s career to unprecedented heights. Glastonbury, anyone?
Sam Fender played:
‘The Kitchen’
‘Getting Started’
‘The Borders’
‘Wild Long Lie’
‘All Is On My Side’
‘Nostalgia’s Lie’
‘Arm’s Length’
‘Will We Talk?’
‘People Watching’
‘Spice’
‘Howdon Aldi Death Queue’
‘Get You Down’
‘Spit Of You’
‘The Dying Light’
‘Seventeen Going Under’
‘Hypersonic Missiles’