Sam Fender was crowned king of the North with a career-defining headline set at Leeds Festival on Saturday.
The Geordie rocker’s set came a night after his performance at the Reading leg of the event.
But the sheer volume of fans from the North East on site – many visible via a sea of Newcastle United tops – made it extra special for the humbled singer.
“This is the biggest milestone for us”, beamed the 29-year-old, whose set pulled from his two number one albums.
Coming on stage to an old Frank Sinatra number, the “Geordie Springsteen” howls out the opener, The Kitchen, backed by his trusted band’s big guitars, keys and booming brass section.
“Leeds, come on!” he cries.
Next up, his ode to pre-coital pillow talk, Will We Talk?, brings a first big chorus from the crowd, encouraged by Fender, and phones are held aloft.
“It’s good to be back up North,” he declares, while dressed in a white Angel of the North T-shirt. “This is party night tonight. I see there’s a few Geordies in tonight, always nice to see.”
Plugging in his black-and-white striped Fender electric guitar for the occasion, he continues: “I came to Leeds when I was 18, me and [bandmate] Dean and I got black-out drunk watching Kasabian.
“And I got lost and I couldn’t find my mates and started doing the [sings] black and white army chant, and that’s how I found my mates! So if you get lost tonight do that.”
The next song, Dead Boys, which tackles the topic of suicide, is dedicated to “the lads” in his hometown in North Shields “who aren’t with us anymore”.
