Sam Fender

[K2SO]

1 hour ago, Badlands said:

I dunno. We’ve been here before with Ezra and Sam Smith, and whilst he’s a bigger talent than either for me - there’s always the risk that he peaks too soon.

Hope I’m wrong mind

 

This is what I think. Does nobody remember Royal Blood in 2017? Had a huge crowd, everyone was saying they were nailed on to headline and they've not even been back since.

[nikkic]

2 minutes ago, K2SO said:

This is what I think. Does nobody remember Royal Blood in 2017? Had a huge crowd, everyone was saying they were nailed on to headline and they've not even been back since.

Their ceiling was (maybe is) subbing The Pyramid/headlining The Other.

Fender feels a lot different, feels like he’s very much in the ascendancy. 

Obvs things change very quickly in music, but I reckon of the current crop of UK guitar acts he’s next on the list to headline. 

[sisco]

6 minutes ago, K2SO said:

This is what I think. Does nobody remember Royal Blood in 2017? Had a huge crowd, everyone was saying they were nailed on to headline and they've not even been back since.

Not even been back since 2017 which is loads of festivals…. Checks notes….. oh 

(Btw, they’d need a massive album to headline, I get it)

[briddj]

[K2SO]

18 minutes ago, nikkic said:

Their ceiling was (maybe is) subbing The Pyramid/headlining The Other.

Fender feels a lot different, feels like he’s very much in the ascendancy. 

Obvs things change very quickly in music, but I reckon of the current crop of UK guitar acts he’s next on the list to headline. 

To me, it felt the same with Royal Blood at the time. 2 consecutive number 1 albums and they were one of the most in-demand guitar acts in the UK.

For my money, they and Sam were/are at the same point. They'd either hit their ceiling or they were on the verge of breaking through.

I like Sam both as a musician and a person so I sincerely hope that he's heading towards topping the bill... But he could also just as easily slip into the calibre of artist that will headline 40k cap festivals and maybe headline R+L doing the smaller of the two stages but be a sub at Glasto.

19 minutes ago, sisco said:

Not even been back since 2017 which is loads of festivals…. Checks notes….. oh 

(Btw, they’d need a massive album to headline, I get it)

I genuinely didn't even clock that. Mental, really. 5 years and only 2 festivals... Though I did expect RB to be back this year after Typhoons was their 3rd consecutive number 1 album, maybe as a sub or headlining Other.

Some acts look like they're going to break through but they just don't.

[K2SO]

17 minutes ago, briddj said:

Love the artwork

[sisco]

23 minutes ago, K2SO said:

To me, it felt the same with Royal Blood at the time. 2 consecutive number 1 albums and they were one of the most in-demand guitar acts in the UK.

For my money, they and Sam were/are at the same point. They'd either hit their ceiling or they were on the verge of breaking through.

I like Sam both as a musician and a person so I sincerely hope that he's heading towards topping the bill... But he could also just as easily slip into the calibre of artist that will headline 40k cap festivals and maybe headline R+L doing the smaller of the two stages but be a sub at Glasto.

I genuinely didn't even clock that. Mental, really. 5 years and only 2 festivals... Though I did expect RB to be back this year after Typhoons was their 3rd consecutive number 1 album, maybe as a sub or headlining Other.

Some acts look like they're going to break through but they just don't.

Tbf, I’d agree right now, other header or sub.  They’d need to get that couple of big hits on the next album to make the push up

[Superscally]

59 minutes ago, K2SO said:

This is what I think. Does nobody remember Royal Blood in 2017? Had a huge crowd, everyone was saying they were nailed on to headline and they've not even been back since.

Thing is though their second album was pretty shit and killed Thier momentum, so when they released a cracker third time out, it wasn't enough for the catapult. Sam has done the trick a la Coldplay and Radiohead in getting noticed with the first them releasing a belter with at least one mega single off it. He's on course. 

[Porcelina]

Difference with Royal Blood is they don't exactly have much diversity of song structures, Sam has a full arena/stadium show with a range of tempos from just two albums.

And far bigger hits than they ever had.

[Acid_Haze]

Think Sam Fender's popularity at the moment is better compared with maybe Ed Sheeran's circa 2014 after he had 2 albums out.

Both singer songwriter types and Sam Fender strays a little more into indie/alternative/War on Drugs territory and Ed Sheeran more pop/saccharine X factor ballad territory.

Sam Fender has a similar reaction at the moment to how people were reacting to Ed Sheeran back in 2014, when he suddenly went from playing mid-sized venues to playing arenas and stadiums in the space of about a year.

It all depends on the next album of course but I think he's different to an act like Royal Blood and has more of an appeal because he's got a certain kind of heart behind him that people connect with, like some people would have said for Ed Sheeran back in the day.

[Zacko]

57 minutes ago, Acid_Haze said:

Think Sam Fender's popularity at the moment is better compared with maybe Ed Sheeran's circa 2014 after he had 2 albums out.

Both singer songwriter types and Sam Fender strays a little more into indie/alternative/War on Drugs territory and Ed Sheeran more pop/saccharine X factor ballad territory.

Sam Fender has a similar reaction at the moment to how people were reacting to Ed Sheeran back in 2014, when he suddenly went from playing mid-sized venues to playing arenas and stadiums in the space of about a year.

It all depends on the next album of course but I think he's different to an act like Royal Blood and has more of an appeal because he's got a certain kind of heart behind him that people connect with, like some people would have said for Ed Sheeran back in the day.

This is exactly it. His personal narrative/story/whatever is what makes him different from RB. There's that willingness from the public for him to triumph, I think. 

 

[Guest]

 

[NoBuses]

6 minutes ago, SomeoneListeningIn said:

 

Thank god he’s finally released it, been listening to it since record store day.. little birdy tells me he might be playing it tomorrow..

[K2SO]

9 hours ago, Superscally said:

Thing is though their second album was pretty shit and killed Thier momentum, so when they released a cracker third time out, it wasn't enough for the catapult. Sam has done the trick a la Coldplay and Radiohead in getting noticed with the first them releasing a belter with at least one mega single off it. He's on course. 

That shit second album (personally would say it wasn't shit but more average) was the one they were playing when they had that huge crowd in 2017

[AlexOvd]

6 hours ago, SomeoneListeningIn said:

 

This guy is good. 

[st dan]

Have been thinking, which artist is the best comparison to Sam Fender? In terms of being a solo, guitar fronted British artist, with a similar heartland rock sound. I can’t think of any off the top of my head. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Mark Knopfler

[MEGABOWL]

3 minutes ago, st dan said:

Have been thinking, which artist is the best comparison to Sam Fender? In terms of being a solo, guitar fronted British artist, with a similar heartland rock sound. I can’t think of any off the top of my head. 

In terms of sound Springsteen, Springsteen and more Springsteen.

He does feel unusual in British terms though. Seeing him live for the first time this summer reminded me of seeing Oasis in the 90s. The lads putting their arms round each other and singing lyrics that are things they maybe struggle to say in real life, the sense of a working class kid making good, of being one of them. It’s funny to see the same effect from songs with a lot more words and chords than Live Forever or Wonderwall though.

[MEGABOWL]

13 hours ago, big hog said:

Headlining R&L is presumably his next big milestone. I think he'll do that for sure and Glastonbury might happen a little while after if he's still massive.

Yeah this. Reading Leeds next year and Glastonbury after if the third album stands up

[Superscally]

2 hours ago, K2SO said:

That shit second album (personally would say it wasn't shit but more average) was the one they were playing when they had that huge crowd in 2017

Riding the wave of that first one and the set was as dull as ditchwater as the second album was like a set of B-sides to the first. 

[Troop Dogg]

Just got to Finsbury pk and they are being shit hot on your bag being no bigger than A4 size. You have been warned! 

[Matt42]

On 7/14/2022 at 9:20 PM, sisco said:

Tbf, I’d agree right now, other header or sub.  They’d need to get that couple of big hits on the next album to make the push up

Is that going to happen though? 

[NoBuses]

Was excellent last night, as were fontaines 

[Porcelina]

Finsbury was basically an extended version of the Glastonbury set. Didn't seem phased at all.

Felt like a road test for future festival headline slots and passed with flying colours.

My girlfriend went through chemo for breast cancer at 23, needless to say Alright hit pretty hard for us.

[sisco]

1 hour ago, Matt42 said:

Is that going to happen though? 

Doubtful I’d say.  But hey..: never say never.  Still think Fender is the likely one to step up