Live Report: Sam Fender plays to an ecstatic sold out crowd at the 3Arena

Sam Fender opened his People Watching Tour last night in Dublin's 3Arena, supported by Newquay-formed band Wunderhorse. The sold out crowd were rapturous, singing along to every word of the Geordie's hour and a half long set.

The overlap in fanbase was evident between the two acts. With the majority of fans singing along to every Wunderhorse song, I would not be surprised if a percentage of fans came just for them. It has to be the most engaged I've seen a crowd with a support act, ever!

There was a buzz of anticipation in the arena, with fans coming from all across the country to catch Fender's sold-out show. After Wunderhorse left the stage, a countdown began with a monotone drone and pixelated visuals on the massive stage-wide screen. The artwork slowly became clear and revealed Fender’s blinking eye.

Sam Fender at 3Arena. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Fender took to the stage at exactly 9pm and ripped into his track, ‘The Kitchen’, from his sophomore album Seventeen Going Under. His vocals were stellar and the band on point – their excitement about being back on tour was tangible. The crowd wore various versions of Newcastle football jerseys, which matched Fender’s black and white striped guitar.

The stage set-up was elaborate and high-budget with flames shooting up from behind the stage paired with a superb light show. Fender candidly admitted at one point, "this is going alright actually, I was convinced I was going to get hit by a light or something."

Fender’s down to earth personality travelled beyond the stage. His nerves could be felt at the beginning, albeit so did his confidence as he acclimated to the stage. His performance was laid back and free of any typical "rockstar moves" and flair. Although some of his tracks would allow for this, Fender's relaxed approach puts the focus on his top notch vocals and complex guitar riffs.

Sam Fender at 3Arena. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

From new material, to songs from Fender's debut EP Dead Boys, the crowd sang along to every era. We were treated to a track from the upcoming album titled ‘Nostalgia’s Lie’ which made its live debut in Dublin.

Fender's music is candid, relatable and honest. He sings of grief, heartbreak, struggles during Covid and losing friends – and his lyrics resonate. His voice never grows harsh or gravelly for emphasis, his pitch always flawless and his tone always rounded and charming.

His performance of 'Get You Down' was particularly impactful, the track centring around growing up and the self-esteem issues one can carry into adulthood.

Fender played 'All is On my Side', which he admitted he hadn't performed for a long time. This was evident when Fender restarted the track after playing the intro. Although the 2019 single was stopped for a second time after a fan needed assistance, they launched back into the chorus and delivered it flawlessly.

The band's energy onstage was infectious, in particular Joe Atkinson on keys who acted as Fender's personal hype-man, getting the crowd going.

Bursting into 'The Borders' from his debut album Hypersonic Missiles, the crowd went mental as soon as they recognised the first riff. The candid track introduced a theme of family and growing up as he ran into ‘Spit of You’. The screen displayed pictures of a young Fender and his dad, the song discussing boys and their complicated relationships with their fathers: “I can talk to anyone, but I can't talk to you”.

Sam Fender at 3Arena. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Fender apologised for the long wait for his third album People Watching, but shared that it is ready to go for its release on February 21.

The evening began wrapping up as Fender played the title track of his second album Seventeen Going Under – sparking the biggest reaction of the evening. The track boasts 245 million plays on Spotify, and with the volume of the crowd it felt like each and every listener was in the 3Arena last night.

The band fell silent and walked offstage as the capacity of the venue sang the catchy ‘oh oh oh oh oh oh’s’ integral to the track.

They returned for the encore, 'Hypersonic Missiles', but not before singing 'Happy Birthday' to their sax player Johnny 'Bluehat' Davis. As the classic track came to an end, fireworks went off inside the arena and a blanket of white confetti covered every surface. A thrilling end to an unforgettable evening.