NO WORDS AND NO VOICE LEFT: SAM FENDERS PEOPLE WATCHING IN LEEDS

LIVE REVIEW | SAM FENDER | LEEDS FIRST DIRECT ARENA 04/12/2024 by Isobel O’Mahony

If you’ve been lucky enough like myself to have been attending the church of Sam Fender since the Dead Boys EP days then you’ll understand how mega this new era is. Following his headline slot at Boardmasters, sold out shows at Newcastle’s St James Park, and a bit of apprehensive silence, Fender and the boys are back on the People Watching UK Tour.

This time however , Sam and the boys are joined by Brooke Bentham, who’s been a friend of the band for years, and has one of the most stunning voices you’ll hear. I fully recommend listening to her solo stuff, “Caring” is a gorgeous tune, and am over the moon that there’s another addition to Sam Fender’s already stellar crew. The sweetness and warmth of Brooke’s vocals mixed with Sam’s deeper and harsher tones is just immense. You know when you listen to those Oasis tracks that have a big strings compartment? It feels like that, a match made in heaven.

I was lucky enough to scrape some seats for the Leeds show (standing tickets seemed out of the question) and the atmosphere in that arena was buzzing from the start. It’s the smallest arena he’s playing on this tour and it’s an honour to have front row seats to a legacy being built.

Wunderhorse came out bang on 7:45 and smashed first hit “Midas” out the park. Performing classics like “Purple” and “Teal” (they really know how to smash a colour tune), and delighted the OG Wunderhorse fans with “July”. At one point lead singer Jacob Slater, fell about the stage and for most people you’d think it was an accident- but the next time you looked up he was shredding stood on the drum set so I wouldn’t put a roly-poly on the stage past him.

After some random but great pre-show tracks, Springsteen, War on Drugs (obviously) and a spot of Chappell Roan, Sam and the band came out. I was happy to see a change to the set list, I know some where disappointed, because I’ve seen “Will We Talk” performed first a lot, and “The Kitchen” was a banging change.

There were obviously the classics that stay on the set list, “Get You Down”, “The Borders”, “Spice” – the real crowd pleasers. However, this is the People Watching tour, so I was hungry for some new stuff (and just in general, it was like £10 for some lukewarm wedges).

“Wild Long Lie” came out a few days ago and was stunning live and really reflected what Brooke’s voice adds to the band. Then we had some others that aren’t out yet: the beautiful “Nostalgias Lie” has a very personal touch to it. Sam Fender is a personal lyricist, but I feel like we’re uncovering more about what made the man in this new record.

The fastest song the band have ever wrote “Arms Length” was self referred to a “shit riff”, but I think this is dumbing the tune down a bit, cause it was my favourite new one of the night. Something about it just spoke volumes across the crowds and you could see how it already started to resonate with people.

“People Watching” is one of the best Sam Fender songs out there, it’s in my top 5 (a hard list to rank) and I think hearing it live for the first time changed lives. The crowd already know the words, and sung a little acoustic version before the arena got jumping, and hearing the masterpiece that is the bridge of that song was emotionally intense. If you’ve ever loved and lost someone, it’ll hit you hard and if you’re listening even more close, it’ll hit you even harder – it’s just a cracking track.

Aside from the new stuff, we were treated to some unexpected gems. “All is on my side” was the first song of Sam’s that I really fell in love with, and hearing it for the first time had me screaming (rather embarrassingly).

We also got, drumroll please…“The Dying Light”. The song missing from previous set lists that had Dublin fans the other day in a spiral. We either got a lucky day, or Sam saw us all kicking off and put it back on. Either way, it had fans singing it as we flooded out the arena 30 minutes after it had played, so I think the crowd appreciated it.

Leeds had an insane set list that had me dancing, screaming and crying all and I think it might be the best show of his I’ve seen yet. This tour deserves to be sold out, and I can feel that the new record has good things coming.

“People Watching” is one of the best single releases of the year, which is saying a lot when you remember the likes of Wunderhorse, Blossoms and Fontaines have also had stellar new tunes out in 2024. It’s a moving, catchy and beautiful track that just screams Sam Fender, which I imagine the accompanying album will do too (out February 21st).

I screamed from the rooftops that Seventeen Going Under wasn’t this guys Grammy album. I was 17 when it came out, so you can imagine the emotion and connection I have with the record. Whilst the boys definitely don’t need to win anything to prove that they’re some of the best guys in rock today, it would be immense to see them get the recognition they deserve. People Watching is Sam Fenders Grammy winning album – and it’s not even out yet.

Sam Fenders sold out ‘People Watching’ Tour continues this month.