As a sold out mass of over 8,000 excitable fans descended into Castlefield Bowl - Sam Fender’s welcome back to Manchester was nothing short of legendary. After an impressive year achieving a second number one album in the UK AND a Brit Award for best alternative/rock act, tonight’s gig as part of the Sounds of the City series cemented this singer-songwriter as a must-see.
Fender hails from North Shields and since his 2019 debut album Hypersonic Missiles shot him into the charts and hearts of a legion of fans, he has grown from strength to strength, culminating in his outstanding performance at Glastonbury over the summer.
Many of his tracks tackle relatable subjects from grief to growing up, and there’s even a reference to the pandemic under the rock-n-rona single 'Howdon Aldi Death Queue'.
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Opening the show and first on was supporting act Heidi Curtis. The 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Newcastle set the pace for the night, debuting her beautiful vocals and indie-rock charm. A highlight of her set was her toned down version of Chris Isaak’s iconic Wicked Game.
Supporting Fender was Wunderhorse, who took to the stage to the tune of Judy Garland’s Somewhere Over the Rainbow. They immediately burst into intense shredding and thunderous heavy-rock, which, paired with frontman Jacob Slater’s gravelly voice, created an almost punk ferocity.
As the day’s steady drizzle slowed to a halt, Sam Fender stomped onto the stage, kicking off the party with ‘Will We Talk’. “Hello Manchester, how are we doing - y’alright?” he asked, with his effortlessly charming Geordie twang.
Throughout the set, Sam checks in with the crowd making sure everyone is OK, and asks people to move back to ensure we all have enough room and nobody is being crushed.
Taking it down a notch, Fender’s subdued and poetic ‘Dead Boys’, a song about the male suicide epidemic, clearly hit home. As a million bright lights danced into the sky and Fender sang “ Nobody ever could explain / All the dead boys in our hometown “, a feeling of reflection spread across the thousands.
His vocal power was unprecedented but endearing, punchy yet calm. And it’s only right to give a shout out to his fantastic band, complete with his resident saxophonist - a crowd favourite.
During his ever-catchy ‘Saturday’, the crowd echoed back the chorus with glee. Fender even commented on the falsetto - confirming once again that there is no better audience to sing along with than a Mancunian one.
Finishing with the epic ‘Hypersonic Missiles’, a politically engaged anthem about the state of the world, Fender radiated energy, passion and hope. This 28-year-old likely lad from the Toon has the world at his feet and Manchester are right behind him.
As the crowd echoed the melodic ‘woah-oh’s’, Fender thanked the crowd: “Manchester, you’ve been f****** wonderful”. As were you, Sam, as were you.
Set list:
Will We Talk?
Getting Started
Dead Boys
Mantra
Better of Me
The Borders
Spice
Howdon Aldi Death Queue
Get You Down
Spit of You
Play God
The Dying Light
Saturday
Seventeen Going Under
Hypersonic Missiles
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