English singer-songwriter Sam Fender touched down in Melbourne for two sold out nights at Sidney Myer Music bowl, in honour of his third studio album ‘People Watching’. The 2025 Mercy Prize winner's last trip to Australia was back in 2023 for an exclusive Perth show, but this time round travelling the country for the last leg of his ‘People Watching Tour’.

Warming up the bowl crowd were two home grown acts out of Brisbane, Sycco and Beddy Rays. Sycco played a range of hyperpop synth heavy and gritty guitar driven tracks, ending her set with their iconic track ‘Dribble’.

Melbourne's weather really turned on for the occasion, a stunning sunny Saturday afternoon. In light of the weather Beddy Rays dedicated one of their tracks to the people on the bowl lawns, enjoying their beers and soaking it in the rare Victorian sunshine. The perfect weather for the coastal punk rock sound of Beddy Rays.

Holly Humberstone took the stage next bringing you tracks sure to get you in your feels, backed up by the several fans I spotted in the crowd screaming their hearts out to every single lyric. She brought an soft electronic glitz and glamour to the stage, opting for changes between acoustic and electric guitars, to suit her mix of upbeat and slower tempo tracks. Speaking to the crowd she remarked how this was her first tour in 14 months, having spent time in London writing an album.

Humberstone played tracks new to her discography such as ‘Die Happy’, even treating the crowd to an unreleased track title ‘Cruel World’ that hit you with a strong bass funky and pop attitude. Humberstone finished her set off with her track ‘Scarlett’, with the crowd clapping and screaming along. Ending with an epic guitar solo ringing out, it started the build of anticipation for Fender's set.

Looking out into the crowd, I was able to pick out the hundreds of eager fans decked out in Newcastle United football jerseys, Sam's football team of choice having done a collaboration with the club earlier this year.

Opening his set with 'Angel in Lothian’ the crowd was roaring and ready to go for a night of passionate sing-alongs. Punters were certainly only ‘Getting Started’ with a packed setlist ahead of them, sure to get the bowl shaking. Fender and his band brought the passion, liveliness and enthusiasm in which I was with awe all night long.

Sam’s band made up of Joe Atkinson (keyboards, synth, guitar), Dean Thompson (lead guitar), Brooke Bentham (piano, backing vocals) Drew Michael (drums), Tom Ungerer (bass), Johnny Davis (saxophone) and Mark Webb (trumpet, percussion) all put on an electric display of musicianship.

Webb and Davis playing their respective brass instruments, added another level of spectacle amongst the guitar driven tracks, with Atkinson hyping the crowd up to sing every single note and word. Fender apologized for his vocals, having struggled with jet lag and exhaustion, joking that next tour round he’ll come a week earlier. Though if the singer hadn't mentioned it, you wouldn’t have been able to tell from his powerful vocals all night. Given this, the crowd would take over singing duties at any given moment, turning the bowl into one big choir.

A highlight of the night came from Fender pulling up fan Alissa Neil on stage to play the track ‘The Borders’. Filling the stage with energy as she played acoustic guitar alongside Thompson and Fender, a moment she surely won’t forget. The track ‘People Watching’ saw the bowl get to their feet, with the yellow reflection of the visuals illuminating the crowd. Fender also played the track ‘Talk to You’ off of his upcoming deluxe album, set for a December 5th release date.

Colourful flashing lights, fast tempos and a moment that almost felt like a hallucination came from the track ‘Howdon Aldi Death Queue’. Sam remarking how the track came together from two live takes he thought wouldn’t make the cut, due to the quote on quote stupidity of the song. Upon his label hearing the track they thought it would be a hit, which live is an explosion of colour and overload of senses.

The crowd were eager to sing along to Fender's classic choral melodies. When teasing his track ‘Seventeen Going Under’ the crowd ran off with the hook of the song, singing to their heart’s content before the band began the iconic riff intro to the track. It was clear the crowd had waited all night to sing this one live, and Melbourne's voices really came together.

Although Fender exclaimed the point of an encore being pointless, he left the stage only for fans to continue to sing the iconic vocal part of ‘Seventeen Going Under’ with the bowl clapping in time before he made way to the stage once again. Fender came back on stage to play his track ‘I’m Always on Stage’ solo on piano, before transitioning into ‘The Dying Light’ with the band.

Bringing the night to a close ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ was a track where crowd participation fuelled the main choral element of the song, Fender joking to the crowd to be louder so Sydney could hear. At the climax of the track confetti cannons erupted into the air, leaving punters with a magical scene to end their night seeing an artist that has reached the hearts and lives of many.

“Sing It Loud So Sydney Can Hear!”: Sam Fender Ignites Melbourne

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