Newcastle City Centre was packed full of Sam Fender fans this weekend, and there were some familiar faces in the crowds.
Fender’s huge trio of shows, running across Thursday, June 12, Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15 has now come to an end, cementing the star as one of the biggest names to come out of the North East in years.
The nights saw some of the biggest singalongs Tyneside has ever seen and, with three shows at the home of Newcastle United, it was going to bring some famous faces to the forefront. However, Sam Fender also welcomed some more understated names to the stage to celebrate the star’s longest run of St James Park shows to date.
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Take a look at the full run-down of special guests below.
Thursday, June 12
The first person to join Fender on stage was Joe Bartley. The North East local has put himself in the public eye for a couple of years now, mainly busking around St James Park. Bartley joined Fender and his band for The Borders.
The main man then brought his brother, Liam out on stage to perform Something Heavy. Liam Fender is a talented musician in his own right and often headlines shows across Tyneside.
A cover of Thin Lizzy classic The Boys Are Back In Town came soon after when Fender was joined on stage by Phil Martin, his former guitar teacher.
The Easington Colliery Brass Band also performed at St James Park, offering the backing for Remember My Name during the encore for the first night.
Saturday, June 14
This set saw less special guests. Phil Martin returned for The Boys Are Back In Town while Olivia Dean joined Fender to perform Rein me In. Dean was one of the support acts for the series of shows and will release her second album, The Art of Loving, on Friday, September 26.
Sunday, June 15
The final night of the stretch of shows was going to be special, and the surprises matched the occasion.
The first unannounced name was Dan Burn, Newcastle United defender and Blyth local who cemented the theme of Geordie pride by bringing the Carabao Cup on stage, allowing Fender and himself to raise the trophy on stage.
Olivia Dean and Phil Martin returned for their roles while the Easington Colliery Brass Band also performed in front of yet another sellout crowd for Remember My Name. Ben Kindlan, a well known name behind the scenes in the North East music scene, also took to the stage to assist with drums during Crumbling Empire.
The penultimate song of the shows was Something Heavy, which saw Liam Fender and local musician Niles Krieger take up roles in the band. The song also saw CMAT, Irish singer-songwriter who was also supporting Fender’s dates, perform during the song.
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