It was the day the Local Hero came home – as Geordie music legend Sam Fender delivered a series of huge, spectacular and sold-out gigs on home turf.
Nostalgia unquestionably doesn’t lie in this case, as the northern rocker returned to home soil to deliver three sold-out shows within arguably his holy grail of venues, St James’ Park, home to his beloved Newcastle United.
The stadium itself, seen by many as a fortress of Northern grit, opened its doors once more for an unforgettable end to a season of already memorable acclaim.
Thankfully, I was blessed enough to be in attendance for the opening day of Fender’s arrival back on Geordie soil, and with the city flooded throughout with a devoted sea of black and white coated in the threads of the iconic striped jerseys, it truly felt like a celebration of all things north east.
Geordie hero Sam Fender rocks out his beloved St James' Park.placeholder image
Geordie hero Sam Fender rocks out his beloved St James' Park.
Getting things started were his two intricately hand picked supports; these were the wild and equally entertaining locals The Pale White and the unabashedly brilliant CMAT.
Both complete in attire prep for a Western saloon, whether it was the leather jacket donned by the frontman of The Pale White or the sparkly red twirling boots worn by the fabulous CMAT, they equally ensured the packed crowd was ready and moving in preparation for the repatriation of Sam and his brilliant band.
Prior to Fender’s arrival onstage, Mark Webb and Johnny “Bluehat” Davis preceded him with their brass and woodwind instruments, respectively, to perform a faithful cover of Mark Knopfler’s Going Home: Theme from Local Hero, an anthem synonymous within the confines of The Cathedral on the Hill, which made comprehensive sense as the selected opening anthem for Fender’s long-awaited arrival.
The Geordie guitarist, followed by his backing faithful, drank in the historic moment briefly as the star seemed ever struck by the unprecedented turnout, turning his head away from the crowd for a quick second and placing himself ready.
Sam Fender deliver a homecoming set fit for heroes.placeholder image
Sam Fender deliver a homecoming set fit for heroes.
He struck the racing chords to his seasoned opener, Getting Started.
And if that opening segment didn’t warm the dancing shoes of the Magpies (which it certainly did anyway), his next exceedingly got the anticipated crowd moving as Will We Talk? an anthem that has sprawled its claws across many indie parties and dance floors since its release transformed the new home of the Carabao Cup into the cramped borders of a bouncing indie club night.
Speaking of borders, the track to follow was appropriately titled The Borders.
The piece itself is tightly woven together with intimate tales and experiences of youth, paired alongside some guitar solos that’d even make some of Fender’s rock legends of childhood jealous, so with all that in mind, what better way to perform this modern-day classic than with a rising star in the Newcastle music scene, Joe Bartley.
Sam Fender played three sold out gigs at the home of his beloved Newcastle United.placeholder image
Sam Fender played three sold out gigs at the home of his beloved Newcastle United.
If that name may seem unfamiliar, it's mostly due to the fact he’s still very much up-and-coming; the 15-year-old made his way to the long-stretched stage.
Fender explained the reasoning for his presence being due to the talented star last time around when the Geordie played his homecoming shows at the end of his Seventeen Going Under tour, that Bartley was outside busking as a showcase of solely his skill and even politely denied donations.
Through this humble reflection, one can only guess that the still very much down-to-earth Fender saw himself in this young artist, as it wasn’t too long ago that he and his backing singer, Brooke Bentham, were performing to a handful at the grassroots venue Surf Café - and while Bartley may still be a long way off from the venue’s Geordie icon is able to sell out nowadays, it has given the youthful musician a taster for the very peak of the highest point in the music scene, which will undoubtedly give this talent an aim to strive for and as his symbol declared to the 50,000 turnout that this lad is one to look out for, the home crowd cheered for one of their own once more.
After this charged and reflective performance came along arguably one of his most poignantly toned tracks that Fender has ever penned; this was the ever-conventional importance of Dead Boys. The harrowing entry notes and unforgivingly brutal depiction of an ongoing epidemic make complete sense to end up on a setlist crammed with societal commentary and political spitfire, for the reason that it’ll always be the song of his that I hold closest to my heart.
50,000 people packed in for each night of the three huge stadium gigs.placeholder image
50,000 people packed in for each night of the three huge stadium gigs.
Well, after this sentimental showcasing, what better way to lighten the mood than with Fender’s single entry into the punk genre with Howdon Aldi Death Queue, self-described by the somewhat surprised Geordie as “the silliest song I’ve ever wrote”.
As the palpitating riffs and high-energy nonsense lyrics strongly segmented the first sighting of mosh pits forming on the pitch below, practising as the perfect follow-up and mood swing to the tender track prior.
Moving on up into the midway point of the 31-year-old’s spectacular showcase of all things Tyneside, he invited his brother Liam Fender onto stage to perform the sweetly strung Something Heavy.
Through the harmonious link between Brooke’s angelic vocals and Fender’s more coarse delivery, it contributed to a bittersweet fan-favourite performance of the night.
Now, arguably, without this next track, his emphatic return to the music scene could’ve taken a massive hit if this lead single didn’t catch the fire that it did, as People Watching, the anthem dedicated to Annie Orwin, a late friend and mentor, caught the airwaves by storm last year and also fused the brewing storm inside of Saint James; as the chorus reverberated around the ground, it contributed to a beautiful tribute to someone Fender considered a surrogate mother.
Following on into the latter stages, Sam and his band performed a phenomenal cover of one of his favourites in the form of The Boys Are Back In Town; the performance was supported on strings by the Tyneside resident’s former guitar teacher Phil Martin.
Spit of You started the wrapping up to the initial set of events in a remarkably intimate fashion, as the moving piece transcended the Cathedral on The Hill into a serene cosmos of sparkling stars, as thousands of phones lit up the arena, waved in a bittersweet swaying motion to another track doused in relatability and hardship.
The last track to round off the set prior to the encore was the modern rock classic that is practically the Toone’s own tune, Seventeen Going Under.
From the riveting build-up of seriously infectious guitar notes to the blatantly poetic chorus or the pure, unrivalled energy and feeling of being a part of a crowd yelling back the long “oh, oh” back to the partially bemused Geordie and his band, this motion that this triumphant track is able to stir will reside in the roots of Newcastle and the North persistently, as the punchy, formidable piece of destitution and accomplishment will forever be a symbol of Northern resilience.
Now travelling onwards into the final part of the concert, the encore.
The reprise itself was constructed of three charged songs, arguably all for differing yet imperative meanings surrounding them; the first of the trio was a touching, heartfelt piece dedicated to his grandparents, Remember My Name.
Prior to the track's initialisation, leading onto the stage prior to Fender himself was the entirety of the Easington Colliery Band; the guitarist decisively, without his trusty instrument on hand, held onto the microphone with a heart-rending vulnerability which didn’t just water the eyes of the crowd but the man behind the mic stand himself, paying tribute to an affecting love letter dedicated to his nan and grandad.
Still holding the ground in a chokehold of emotion, the next track ensured the participating attendees weren’t just allowed to dry their eyes just yet, as the mortal brilliance of The Dying Light saw his band return to the stage, helping Fender see out his flawless showcase.
As the timely buildup of distressing lyrics led to an ever-rising chorus drenched in anxiety, that concluded with a euphoric cloudburst of confetti that was unleashed upon the crowd in a whirlwind motion, segmenting core memories for life.
Leaving just one last song in his arsenal to perform, Hypersonic Missiles was unrushed to begin as Fender used this time in the dying moments of his powerhouse performance to dedicate the ever prominence of his fiery track to the real political issues occurring right now in the world.
As the clearly heartbroken artist discussed the happenings in Gaza and his support for Doctors Without Borders, he declared the goings-on in the Middle East a genocide and ended his empowering speech with the everlasting words of “Free Palestine”.
With all that in mind, the final outing of the fighting Fender and his richly talented band secured his legacy once more, as Hypersonic Missiles, undoubtedly the set closer of all closers, brought the dedicated singer’s visit back to home soil as a vigorous yet wholehearted return for the local hero.
Continue Reading