Sam Fender:

Proud Geordie Sam fender has gained himself a reputation as the ‘nice boy’ of rock and roll, with his humble demeanour and down-to-earth humour, which persists even when in front of a crowd of thousands. Amiably challenging the audience to outdo the previous day’s performance at Reading (which, they more than did – his words, not mine!), beaming smiles could be seen plastered across every face in the tightly packed crowd.

Perhaps even more impressive, however, was the sheer waves of talent rolling off the stage. Sam’s vocals seemed to glide effortlessly over the top of the full, bright melodies, as clear and crisp as on a studio recording. Only the second live performance of his upcoming new single brought an air of U2-esque melody to the proceedings, in a set packed with all the grit of Idles and all the pop sensibility of George Ezra. And, as if more was needed, the addition of a live saxophone which elevated the performance to another tier- this isn’t just radio-ready indie rock (though, it is that as well!), but wonderfully crafted musicianship. The title of ‘Set Highlight’, however, has to go to closer, ‘Hypersonic Missiles’. With the setting sun streaming overhead, turning the whole sky to gold, the glorious gang vocals and soaring melody were nothing short of tear-jerking. What. A. Performer.