★★★★★

Tonight’s Leicester gig has certainly been long-awaited with tickets going on sale, and selling out instantly way back in the September of 2019. This is a fact not lost on the charming Geordie as he follows a blistering opening rendition of ‘Will We Talk’ with a cheeky remark, “Look at all ya beautiful bastards… this took a while didn’t it?” and is greeted with a roar of approval from a more than ‘up for it’ audience. 

Originally, the corresponding tour was in support of Fender’s debut record ‘Hypersonic Missles’ which coincidentally is celebrating its second anniversary on the night of the show. Tonight however is a celebration of not just the record that burst him onto the scene, gaining him acclaimed support slots for the likes of Liam Gallagher and The Killers. It’s also to showcase some of his upcoming sophomore record ‘Seventeen Going Under’ which from tonight’s performance, I have no doubt in saying will make him a superstar within his own right. 

Despite it being relatively early days in terms of his growing discography, Fender is a seasoned performer and that is on full display today, he understands the thrill of a live show and exactly how to structure one. The early part of the performance focuses on the more melancholic emotive tracks in Fender’s repertoire such as a gut-wrenching performance of ‘Dead Boys’ and the romantic ‘All Is On My Side’. 

The sound tonight, is simply exquisite, I’ve been to many tinny or bass drowning rock gigs in my time, yet tonight is crystal clear and none more so is this apparent than when Fender and his band (who are also on fine form tonight) start to raise the tempo back up with a bouncing performance of ‘The Borders’ that even has the sound desk jumping for joy. Fender’s guitar riff pierces through the air, the drums give the floor a pleasant thump and Jonathan, Fender’s sax player commands the room with a mesmerizing solo performance Springsteen would be desperate to have. Fender’s vocals are also immaculate throughout, considering he’s struggled with his vocal cords in the past, it’s reassuring to see that the concentrated effort he’s put into working on their durability has paid off.

The middle portion of the night starts to raise the temperature, allowing for the crowd’s more feral side to rear its head. De Montfort Hall is without a doubt one of the most beautiful venues I’ve had the pleasure of visiting, from its regal exterior to its mix of modern yet retro interior aesthetics. All of this isn’t lost on Fender who expresses his doubts about bringing a mosh pit to such a prestigious location “It looks like we could do with a pleasant evening”, he doesn’t even get to finish the sentence before a rowdy circle opens up leaving Fender giggling as he declares “oh that’s me wrong, calm the fuck down” as he launches into a suitably chaotic rendition of Spice that has pint glasses and T-Shirts in equal measure launched into the air. 

Blistering B-Side, the pandemic referencing ‘Howdon Aldi Death Queue’ is brimming with raucousness when performed on stage, it’s full of life and features an extended jam outro that leaves Fender astounded by its reaction “You mad bunch of bastards, I wasn’t expecting that, that was fucking magic”. 

Whilst Fender begins to wind things down, the crowd are more than still willing to show their appreciation as both his recent singles are welcomed with open arms and loud shouts of approval, none more so than the excellent title track ‘Seventeen Going Under’ that provides one of those iconic live magic moments. It’s a bonafide rock anthem that has the crowd shouting the catchy wooooahhhh’s of the refrain long after the track has finished.

Fender’s finale is unsurprisingly rammed full of crowd-pleasers, every single pair of hands in the room is clapping to the beat of ‘Play God’, ‘Saturday’ gets an extended introduction with the chorus chanting out from every direction. Fender has never shied away from the Springsteen comparisons and dutifully provides the audience with a singalong of ‘Dancing in the Dark’, a track that Fender slightly adapts to a more stripped back number that oozes in emotion.

Leicester is lucky enough to also get a showcase of something completely different up Fenders sleeve with the debut of ‘The Wild Great Ocean’, a track that Fender notes won’t be receiving a release on his upcoming record, and may not even make another live appearance for years. It also hints at an interesting direction, a rollicking track that feels more akin to Johnny Cash with its rickety rhythm and folk lyrics, albeit with another exemplary saxophone cameo. 

Fender concludes with the “track that got us into all this mess”, the beloved ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ which sees a rapturous crowd in the palm of his hand, full-mouthed and singing along to every single word. It’s a euphoric finale on a night that has felt utterly joyous. Fender and his band have perfect synchronization, they’re a tightly tuned live outfit and thrive off the enamoured audience. 

It takes a real superstar to make any space feel intimate, whilst the Springsteen comparisons at this point have been mentioned beyond belief by many journalists, I struggle to think of someone else who provides such an all-around package in terms of a live set. In years to come, I will not be surprised in the slightest to see Fender filling stadiums and providing a must-see rock pantheon of hits in a similar vein to the Foo Fighters or The Boss. 

As for tonight, I’m sure all of the crowd are in agreement with me when I say it was more than worth the wait.

Setlist:
Will We Talk
Dead Boys
All Is On My Side
The Borders
Spice
Howdon Aldi Death Queue
Get You Down
Seventeen Going Under
Play God

Encore
Dancing in The Dark
The Wild Great Ocean (live debut)
Saturday 
Hypersonic Missiles