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Tearing through the heaven-sent guitar solo of ‘The Borders’, Sam Fender has little idea that his beloved Newcastle United FC have just scored a last-minute equaliser against Liverpool. “Three-all? Fucking come on!” is his reaction when the crowd – comprising hundreds of black-and-white NUFC shirts that now characterise his concerts – vivaciously wave him down to break the news, which only adds to his buoyant mood.
We’re inside Leeds’ First Direct Arena for the first UK date of Fender’s ‘People Watching’ tour, warming up for his third album – and stadium shows – next year. Since last performing here in 2021, the success of his second album ‘Seventeen Going Under’ has propelled him to megastar status – now arguably the greatest guitar act of his generation – via an NME Album of the Year and headlining performances at Reading & Leeds.
Another thing that’s changed since 2021 is the ticket price: £39 to £79 (including fees) to stand at this arena, with just a handful of songs released in that time period. Despite the tour’s instant sell-out, Fender’s new material comes with significant expectations to justify this price hike – although it does include a welcome £1 donation to Music Venue Trust.
The delicate ‘Wild Long Lie’, which was released on Monday, gradually ascends into a theatrical masterpiece as Fender whips out a Gibson Les Paul for its unmistakable War On Drugs-esque solo (frontman Adam Granduciel co-produced the track). The euphoric reaction to ‘People Watching’, meanwhile, confirms his golden touch with title tracks.
The upbeat ‘Nostalgia’s Lie’ is warm and cosy, almost like an older sibling to ‘Get You Down’, as Fender appears to contest with his stardom (“What is this place? / Can you take me back to somewhere, darling? / Where I feel safe”). The mellow ‘Arm’s Length’, however, never quite reaches the full form it teases, despite some glorious HAIM-style gang vocals at points. As Fender himself admits, perhaps too literally and self-consciously: “It’s got a shit little riff.”
Though warnings of mosh pit etiquette and a reminder that “You might have heard this song [‘Seventeen Going Under’] on TikTok” display Fender’s awareness of the mainstream audience he now commands, his rawer early material cuts through with unbelievable precision. ‘All Is On My Side’ is a delicate highlight, while the hell-raising one-two of ‘Spice’ (which briefly nods to Queens of the Stone Age’s ‘Song For The Dead’) and ‘Howdon Aldi Death Queue’ still refuse to budge from the setlist. ‘The Dying Light’ feels equally immovable, perhaps a lesson learnt from its omission at Monday’s show in Dublin.
The climax of ‘Seventeen Going Under’ and ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ reminds fans, in turn, of the two timeless albums that “got us into this mess in the first place” to coin an old phrase of Fender’s. There’s no radical shake-up of the setlist, but rather a sense of self-confidence to double down on a reliable approach that’s served him well. While tonight affirms that ‘People Watching’ material will have to fight for its place, a successful balance of old and new could hoist Sam Fender’s career to unprecedented heights. Glastonbury, anyone?
‘The Kitchen’
‘Getting Started’
‘The Borders’
‘Wild Long Lie’
‘All Is On My Side’
‘Nostalgia’s Lie’
‘Arm’s Length’
‘Will We Talk?’
‘People Watching’
‘Spice’
‘Howdon Aldi Death Queue’
‘Get You Down’
‘Spit Of You’
‘The Dying Light’
‘Seventeen Going Under’
‘Hypersonic Missiles’
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Slayyyter played her take on Turnstile’s ‘Birds’ onstage for the first time in Atlanta. You can watch footage of the performance below.
Slayyyter is currently touring with her ‘Wor$t Girl In The World’ show. She added the cover to her set at The Eastern on Monday night (September 21).
She sang ‘Birds: Slayyyter Version’ near the end of the main set, following ‘Brittany Murphy’. She then came back for an encore featuring ‘Brand New Chanel$’ and ‘Beat Up Chanel$’.
It was her first live performance of the song. She originally recorded it for Turnstile’s ‘Never Enough: Versions’, a collection of reworked tracks released on August 28.
The 22 track release brings together new interpretations of songs from Turnstile’s fourth album. Contributors include Elton John, Hayley Williams, Blood Orange, A. G. Cook, Faye Webster, Four Tet, Oklou, Floating Points, Nourished By Time, Alex G, Julien Baker and Mustafa.
Panda Bear recorded a new take on ‘Magic Man’, while Dying Fetus gave ‘Birds’ another interpretation rooted in death metal.
See Slayyyter perform the track live and listen to her studio recording here:
Slayyyter trades the original song’s hardcore intensity for a bigger electronic sound that feels at home alongside her latest album, ‘Wor$t Girl In America’.
Turnstile first released ‘Birds’ on their 2025 album ‘Never Enough’. The song won Best Metal Performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards, where the album also won Best Rock Album.
In its five star review of ‘Never Enough’, NME pointed to ‘Birds’ and ‘Sole’ as reminders of Turnstile’s hardcore beginnings. It also praised the album for “furthering their unique, pop-facing take on hardcore”.
Slayyyter will join Turnstile on another stage next month. She and Die Spitz are set to support the band at the University of Kansas in Lawrence on October 6 for the ‘Never Enough Tour Pt. 2’.
It has been a big year for Slayyyter. Her third album, ‘Wor$t Girl In America’, came out in March, and NME’s review highlighted its mix of “brash, sleazy pop” and late 2000s indie sleaze sounds.
Last month, she performed Hole’s ‘Violet’ for triple J’s Like A Version. Courtney Love called the cover “a delight” and encouraged Slayyyter to “keep wiping the floors with us”.
A few weeks later, Slayyyter took ‘Wor$t Girl In America’ to Reading Festival. NME’s live review declared that there was “undoubtedly a star before us on stage” and praised her “rasped, rocked-up delivery” and growing confidence as a performer.
