Sam Fender raised the roof at Newcastle's O2 City Hall this evening as he arrived on stage to the iconic Geordie anthem, Local Hero.
The tune, which erupts from St James' Park on match days, is fast becoming synonymous with the diehard Newcastle United supporter who delights fellow Geordies by kicking off his hometown gigs with the instrumental track.
And tonight was no exception, with Sam Fender's sax player, Johnny 'Blue Hat' Davis, opening the show with a rendition of the Mark Knopfler classic, which was originally penned for the 1983 film Local Hero.
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Only 875 lucky ticketholders could attend the intimate hometown gig this evening. But that didn't dampen the incredible atmosphere throughout the show, which helped to raise funds for local homelessness charity, North East Homeless.
The North Shields born singer-songwriter recently became a patron of the charity and all proceeds from the show will go directly to supporting the work they do.
Sam has had one hell of a year already and 2022 isn't even six months old. As well as wins at the Brits, NME Awards and recent Ivor Novellos, Sam has played to crowds all over the UK and Europe, with one of those crowds of course being in Newcastle
Tickets to see the double Brit award-winning musician perform at tonight's "private event" were available through a ballot, which cost a minimum of £5 to enter. Entries were only open to O2 and Virgin Media customers who have access to the "Priority" ticket service.
Winners of the ballot were informed by email on April 16, which others being placed on a waiting list for a second chance to grab tickets on April 20.
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