- Sam Fender’s Career-Defining Headlining Performance
- The Geordie Springsteen Rocks Leeds Festival
- A Memorable Night for Fans and the Modest Singer
Sam Fender was crowned monarch of the North after delivering a career-defining headlining performance at Leeds Festival on Saturday.
The musician from Newcastle performed a night after his set at the Reading leg of the festival.
But the overwhelming number of North East fans present, many of whom were visible in a sea of Newcastle United shirts, made it extra special for the modest singer.
“This is the greatest achievement for us,” said the 29-year-old musician, who performed songs from his two number-one albums.
The “Geordie Springsteen” enters the stage to an old Frank Sinatra song and belts out the opening track, The Kitchen, supported by his trusted band’s big guitars, keys, and booming brass.
“Leeds, come on!” he calls out.
Will We Talk? Fender’s tribute to pre-coital pledges prompts a first significant audience chorus and phone raises.
“It’s great to be back in the North,” he says while wearing a white Angel of the North T-shirt. “Tonight is a celebration night. It’s always a pleasure to see a few Tynesiders in attendance.”
Plugging in his black-and-white striped Fender electric guitar for the occasion, he continues. “When I was eighteen, my bandmate Dean and I came to Leeds to witness Kasabian and got blackout drunk.
“When I got lost and couldn’t find my friends, I sang the black and white army chant and found them! Do that if you become lost tonight.”
The following composition, Dead Boys, which addresses suicide, is dedicated to “the lads” from his hometown of North Shields “who are no longer with us.”
The band then plays Mantra, a slow “cruiser” as Fender calls it, to get fans close to their partners. That is, those whose relationships have survived the weekend, he adds jokingly.
Despite the star’s impressive fretwork, the audience’s focus is somewhat distracted. “Right, that’s all the chill for the rest of the set,” he assures them.
“I want to see you move for this one,” says Fender before launching into Borders, during which saxophonist Johnny “Blue Hat” Davis performs his first solo of the evening while donning a bucket hat.
The beginning of the song. Spice features Fender announcing, “It’s time for the famous Leeds mosh pit!”
“If anyone falls, pick them up, and if you’re squished in the front, let us know,” he says, setting regulations.
This action is reminiscent of how Billie Eilish watched out for her fans the night before she headlined on Friday.
The main chorus of “Spice up your life” references cheap street drugs rather than the 1990s female trio.
Fender, pausing momentarily to acknowledge the efforts of the energized crowd, declares, “This is why they [TV producers] should film up here instead of at Reading!”
After a long, hot day of music, one fan becomes overcome, and the vocalist must halt the concert to let them leave.
Fender is the most relatable modern rock star. Last year, he had to take a hiatus from touring to care for his mental health.
He requests a round of applause for the security staff – “legends” – for their assistance before resuming the performance with a thrashing song “about going to Aldi in Howdon during the pandemic.” Surely a first for a festival?
Now that “the punk ones are out of the way,” he pledges a few more singalongs and explains that “any idiot” could have written the simple chorus to the following song, Get You Down.
Fender again acts as de facto chief steward on the microphone as he assists another fan from the crowd.
He describes Spit of You as “a song about my dad” and “I can talk to anyone / I can’t talk to you,” he belts as images of his family are displayed on large screens.
In “one of the most monumental days of my life,” the celebrity recalls Leeds festivals from his festival days. “I recall watching bands perform on this stage and wishing I could do that for a living; how do I do that?”
Enter “Deano,” his previously mentioned bandmate, whom he attributes with explaining that the solution was to record a song – the following song, all right.
Fender states, “We’ve always felt like the underdog, and perhaps that’s a good thing.” However, thank you for allowing us to be the headliners for once.
His grin is as broad as the river Tyne as he performs another classic, That Sound before a third interruption threatens to derail the momentum of the performance.
However, all is not lost as the greatest is yet to come. “I hope you’re having as good a time as I am?” Fender queries. He didn’t need to bother.
A ticker tape explosion after The Dying Light brings his set to a close. However, he returns for more, first alone to test the audience’s vocal powers, and a thrilling finish follows.
First, a suitable singalong for his song Saturday, followed by the main event. Seventeen Going Under is the modern anthem for condemned youth by Fender.
“Does anyone remember being 17?” he asks, eliciting enthusiastic applause. “Is anyone 17 years old present right now? This is for you, God bless you.”
The performance concludes with the vocalist leading the audience in a large round of a Capella “wo-oh-oh-oaaahs,” which he could likely milk more in the future, but we’re already in injury time due to multiple stoppages.
It concludes an extraordinary summer for Fender and company, who previously performed at their beloved St. James’ Park. There is currently only one larger festival venue for their performances.
Before the final verse of Hypersonic Missiles, a song about finding love in a hopeless, dystopian setting, the vocalist expresses gratitude to his merry band of men, which includes his “brother” Joe.
“My name might be on the tin, but I’m just the guy in front.”
Local saviour
Festival-goer Alfie from Gateshead told us that Fender was a “true to himself” and “loyal to his hometown” artist, citing the fact that he carried a Brit Award trophy back to a pub in North Shields to use as a pump handle.
According to him, his compositions “range in emotion” and “people can relate to them”
Esme from Hexham said, “It’s inspiring to see someone from our area succeed.”
Sam, whose family wore their father’s Newcastle United shirts, said the city “finally has a great team and Sam Fender.”
Saturday morning, the remainder of the country was well-represented across the site.
Today, Oxford was represented by co-headliners Foals. Yannis Philippakis, the band’s frontman, told the audience that they were “loving every minute of it” onstage, combining danceable rhythms with endless hard riffs.
“We want to see end-of-times mosh pits out there,” he demanded at the conclusion.
One of their final songs, Black Bull, was renamed Black and white bull honouring Fender and all aspiring musicians. “One of you in that mob could be in this position in five years,” he declared.
The early evening electro rave was provided by Belfast’s Bicep before South London’s Mercury Prize-nominated rapper Loyle Carner urged the audience to “forget about toxic masculinity” and leave all their issues “yesterday,” just as he had done to powerful effect at Glastonbury.
Isle of Wight band Wet Leg rocked so hard that lead singer Rhian Teasdale’s bonnet fell off. As the sun beat down, they performed their innuendo-filled indie anthem “Chaise Longue” without her hat to a crowd.
Leeds-based post-punk band Yard Act began the day with angular dance moves from lead singer James Smith, accompanied by dancers who at first appeared to be solely mannequins. Demonstrating that you cannot evaluate a book by its cover.
On Sunday, artists such as the Killers, Central Cee, and 1975 will perform after Leeds Festival.
