Sam Fender’s album People Watching is going to be right up there with the best records of 2025. The lad from North Shields is a remarkable and unique talent, whose work deserves to be respected more than merely being referred to as Britain’s Bruce Springsteen. True, Fender understands and writes about the working man’s struggle, as does The Boss, but some kind of copycat, tribute act he isn’t. I’m even more impressed with Fender the person.
His philanthropy is already the stuff of legend. He has helped a wide number of charities including War Child, the Teenage Cancer Trust, Homelessness charities and Comic Relief, as well as campaigning to remove phone charges – some at 40p a minute – for helplines for vulnerable groups of people in the North East of England in need of emergency assistance. He’s a working class lad who has never forgotten his roots.
For winning the Mercury Prize, Fender received a prize of £25,000. He has donated all of it to the Music Venue Trust, which works on behalf of small music venues. Previously, he donated £100,000 of the revenue from his 2024 arena tour to MVT. He said:“I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing today if it wasn’t for all the gigs I played around the north-east, and beyond, when I was starting out. These venues are legendary, but they are struggling.”
Inevitably, there are the moaners and the whingers. “It’s all right for Fender,” they whine. “He can afford to do that.” Well, yes he can, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to do it, would he? He doesn’t have to do it, but he wants to do well to the up and coming artists who are, hopefully, following the road he trod before. Can people not just accept that he’s a good man who wants to make a difference?
The MVT is proposing a £1 levy added to all tickets for concerts above 5,000 capacity, with the likes of Coldplay and Katy Perry already participating in the scheme. It’s a drop in the ocean for your average punter but it’s a big deal when the likes of Fender, Coldplay and Perry get behind it.
I love the small halls, as much as I can’t stand the arena and stadium gigs. Indeed, the small halls provide a living for artists, as well as an opportunity for younger bands. Without the small halls, most of the superstar acts would probably be in nine to five work along with the rest of us.
Sam Fender deserves all the success he has worked for and earned. I love him for it, every bit as much as I love his brilliant music.
