Rory Beveridge and Anna Bulcock
In a punchy and energetic show, Sam Fender kicked off his first ever arena tour in the Nottingham Motorpoint with a bang. Coming across as down to earth and witty, it was clear from the start that his endearing personality would be a major part of the performance. This, coupled with his fantastic live band, and ever popular and unique tracks, certainly made it a very memorable show. Rory Beveridge and Anna Bulcock have no doubt that after this performance, his career can only go from strength to strength.
The setlist was varied, with a combination of soft indie guitar, and louder, more energetic rock anthems. Opening with Will We Talk, the show began with power and excitement as the whole audience began to chant. Sam was backed by a strong band, with the saxophonist quickly becoming a crowd pleaser – donned in a Newcastle town shirt he attracted particular admiration from the Geordies in the room. The addition of talented live instruments elevated Sam’s performance and really brought his music to life.
Sam’s unique ability to story tell through music really shone through
Spit Of You, dedicated to Sam’s father, was a particularly sentimental track that had the whole audience singing along to the perfectly crafted lyrics. Images of people and their loved ones lit the cyclorama behind him and Sam’s unique ability to story tell through music really shone through.
To no surprise, particular crowd favourites Seventeen Going Under and Hypersonic Missiles brought the show to a spectacular finale, and the room was electric. There is no doubt that these best-selling hits were even more impressive when performed live and commanded the voices of the whole arena.
Commanding the stage with his guitar, Sam had a simple yet effective set which proficiently used coloured and moveable lighting as well as confetti to create a festival-style atmosphere with the crowd permanently on their feet. Between songs, Sam’s personality shone through as he gave anecdotal insights into the inspiration behind his song writing and music career so far.
This show was a great start to his hotly anticipated tour
It was clear to see that Sam was as humbled by the experience as the audience were, taking time to appreciate this monumental moment in his career after he quoted that someone else in the industry had told him to do so. Even when a minor guitar issue arose, Sam successfully kept the audience engaged with his humour and some stripped back acoustics.
This show was a great start to his hotly anticipated tour. Sam proved himself to be lovable and talented with his music coming to life in a packed arena.
Rory Beveridge and Anna Bulcock
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article image courtesy of Thomas Gregory. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
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