SAM FENDER + GOAT GIRL – BRIGHTON CENTRE 30.3.22
North Shields’ answer to Asbury Park’s Bruce Springsteen hits the Brighton Centre for a sell out show. The likeness to Springsteen is in Sam Fender‘s incredible energy, tight band and the gift of hometown boy song writing that really means something to the crowd.
But first to take the stage at 7.45pm is Goat Girl, Clottie Cream (Lottie Pendlebury) vocals and guitar, LED (Ellie Rose Davies) vocals and guitar, Holly Hole (Holly Mullineaux) bass, Rosy Bones (Rosy Jones) drums.
Opening with ‘Closing In’, a funky vibe and the band are bathed in red lights, then straight into ‘Badibaba’ with its layered vocals, a melodic sound that gathers pace to end with a heavy drumbeat. ‘Jazz (In The Supermarket)’ hits in with yellow strobes, it’s loud with a strong rhythm and sensual pace; the crowd are onboard.
A keyboard player joins the band tonight on a raised podium out front like a rhythmic synth priest in front of an appreciative congregation. Now they speak and tell us the next song is ‘The Crack’. It’s more pop than the previous numbers with a catchy feel. The fifth song of the night is ‘Bang’ with its mellow yet driving flow. ‘Viper Fish’, a standout track, with a tribal drum beat that hits into a heavy, full band sound. They sing “don’t shed a tear we all feel shame” and this builds into a hypnotic trance.
Where do we go from here is slow and brooding and crashes into wailing vocals, changing pace to a hammering end. The crowd are thanked and ‘Sad Cowboy’ is the last song. It has a slight Cranberries sound to it, not unlike ‘Zombie’, and that can only be a good thing. The sound throughout the set is great and the band has elements of a lighter Hole and PJ Harvey.
Goat Girl setlist:
‘Closing In’ (from 2021 ‘On All Fours’ album)
‘Badibaba’ (from 2021 ‘On All Fours’ album)
‘Jazz (In The Supermarket)’ (from 2021 ‘On All Fours’ album)
‘The Crack’ (from 2021 ‘On All Fours’ album)
‘Bang’ (from 2021 ‘On All Fours’ album)
‘Viper Fish’ (from 2018 ‘Goat Girl’ album)
‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ (from 2021 ‘On All Fours’ album)
‘Sad Cowboy’ (from 2021 ‘On All Fours’ album)
9pm and there is darkness, then small clusters of white lights strobe the back of the stage and the sound we are hearing can only be described as a swarming beehive. The band walk on. With Sam Fender are Dean Thompson (lead guitar), Tom Ungerer (bass), Joe Atkinson (keyboards and guitar), Drew Michael (drums) and Johnny “Blue Hat” Davis (saxophone).
We are catapulted into ‘Will We Talk?’ with its forceful driving beat, Sam is singing “will we talk in the morning”.. the audience are showing full appreciation for this opening number. In to ‘Getting Started’, the stage is covered by red lights and split screens beaming out 5 images of Sam Fender, the sax hits through the song beautifully and the band couldn’t be tighter. “Hello Brighton, how you doing?” Sam says. He tells the crowd that he remembers walking past this venue and thinking would he ever play it.. “now I’m here!” he says.
Then starts ‘Dead Boys’, images of young men and boys’ silhouette across the back of the screen “nobody ever could explain all the dead boys in our hometown,” the visuals and the song make for a powerful message. ‘Mantra’ with its beautiful sound accompanied by a haze of purple lights across the stage, it’s smooth with a guitar solo and the sax and trumpet also making an appearance. “Turn my phone off, I’m not receiving” sings Sam, he totally nails the slower, more ballad style songs.
‘Better Of Me’ begins and lights hit over the audience so the band can see them. Sam says this is one of his favourites and as he sings the lyrics “open up Pandora’s box” his vocals hit such beautiful heights. The confidence of this young man is astounding yet he has humility. The crowd appreciation is limitless as we enter ‘The Borders’ “come on Brighton” he shouts and the lyrics “I can’t stand me too” blare out and wrap around every member of the audience. The sound and lighting are the best I’ve seen in a long time.
Sam tells the crowd that every night he asks, “how capable is this city of a mosh pit?” ‘Spice’ hits out and the crowd responds with their bodies soaring against each other in darkness apart from deep red strobes. ‘Howdon Aldi Death Queue’, the B Side of ‘Seventeen Going Under’, lights start to lower from the ceiling with strobing white lines chasing accompanying this ultra-fast number perfectly. Then the drums beat into ‘Get You Down’, with lines like “all of my anger you take on the chin” and “I catch myself in the mirror and see a pathetic little boy”. The crowd are crazy for this song and sing back every lyric as the tune builds and builds.
‘Spit Of You’ is dedicated to his dad “I can talk to anyone, but I can’t talk to you,”. Now funk undertones into ‘Play God’, drums and keyboards feature heavily with sax and trumpet entering the layering, a really smart layout with a great sudden ending. ‘The Leveller’ with a wall of guitar opening (Sam is a gifted guitarist) then midway through the song takes a lower beat and then hits back at you like a speedball that propels to the final dead stop ending.
A piano is now on stage and Sam thanks everyone for coming, he takes his seat at the piano (yes, he’s a great pianist too), one spot light on him and he hits the keys to ‘The Dying Light’, singing about waifs and strays and that “dead boys are always there, more every year.” Vocally this song is outstanding, he now leaves the piano and takes centre stage with guitar. The build comes in an explosion of sound and stage effects, the sax cutting through with full force. “Thank you, Brighton,” he says, and the band leave the stage.
Encore: ‘Saturday’, Sam returns alone on stage, takes his guitar and says, “Geordies are everywhere, let’s have a singsong” and everyone sings “if Saturday don’t come soon, I’m going to lose my mind”… The band now join him and we get the full version, as the song ends he says “Brighton you got some lungs on you, let’s hear it” and he hits straight into ‘Seventeen Going Under’. The back of the stage is flooded with neon red slogans “enraged” and “ones who love you” as the song ends the crowd continue singing it back to the band. Sam lets them sing and you can see how touched he is. He says good night as ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ hit Brighton Centre in the form of Sam Fender for this final song of the evening.
To connect with an arena audience isn’t an easy task, especially as a newcomer, but Sam worked the crowd like a veteran, seen only with others like Springsteen, Brandon Flowers and Liam Gallagher to name a few.
The crown is certainly being passed along, the new blood of Sam Fender is a welcome sight, great musicianship, song writing, stage presence and looks combined with a powerful vocal range. Sam Fender is going to be with us for a long time … named BBC’s Sound of 2018 award, Brit award 2022 for the best alternative/rock act and two NME awards are just the start …
Sam Fender setlist:
‘Will We Talk?’ (from 2019 ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ album)
‘Getting Started’ (from 2021 ‘Seventeen Going Under’ album)
‘Dead Boys’ (with Prelude intro) (from 2019 ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ album)
‘Mantra’ (with Prelude intro) (from 2021 ‘Seventeen Going Under’ album)
‘Better Of Me’ (from 2021 ‘Seventeen Going Under’ album)
‘The Borders’ (from 2019 ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ album)
‘Spice’ (from 2018 ‘Dead Boys’ EP)
‘Howdon Aldi Death Queue’ (with extended outro) (from ‘Seventeen Going Under’ single)
‘Get You Down’ (from 2021 ‘Seventeen Going Under’ album)
‘Spit Of You’ (from 2021 ‘Seventeen Going Under’ album)
‘Play God’ (restarted after audience carried from front row) (from 2019 ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ album)
‘The Leveller’ (from 2021 ‘Seventeen Going Under’ album)
‘The Dying Light’ (from 2021 ‘Seventeen Going Under’ album)
(encore)
‘Saturday’ (with solo sing along start before band returned) (from 2019 ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ album)
‘Seventeen Going Under’ (from 2021 ‘Seventeen Going Under’ album)
‘Hypersonic Missiles’ (from 2019 ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ album)
