Sam Ryder's love for the stage will set him up for years to come.
After two tedious and frustrating decades of feeling like our Eurovision entry was a mandatory obligation with little illusion we’d place anywhere else but on the right side of the table, the 33-year-old singer-songwriter reinstated the instinct to thrive in the competition.
Something changed when Sam was announced as the United Kingdom's entry - a shift that very clearly showed the BBC was finally kicking things into gear by selecting a serious artist once again.
READ MORE: Massive Eurovision Song Contest party coming to St George's Hall
His vocals in Space Man, his 2022 Eurovision entry, sent shockwaves through fans who thought, "could we actually win this year?" We were so close, only knocked from glory by Kalush Orchestra, but who said winning was everything?
Everything he does, says and touches turns to gold. His eponymous European tour is a stark representation of this by delivering an unforgettable experience not just for Eurovision fans hoping to relive the contest but for all lovers of rock and roll.
My first experience with Sam was long before I even entered the venue. The singer-songwriter himself braced the cold to meet his fans individually as we stood in line. A kind of surreal experience given his grandeur in the industry but a welcome one to add some depth to our parasocial relationship.
Taking to the stage in a Bowie-esque, silver glittery jumpsuit, Sam looked every part the rockstar his vocals embody.
He kicked off the evening with a hattrick of bangers, setting an impeccable mood for the rest of the night. The energy never subsides but there are brief moments of conversation with the audience, be it banterous back and forth or a quick pause to fix the hair caught in his jumpsuit.
The joy is electric and never more so than at the end of a track when gives it his all vocally. Sam made Liverpool special by debuting a new track, Mountain, which he admitted has only been heard in private lounges and by fans in concert up until now.
Explaining the single, he said: “I wrote the song on his couch it was too late to make it onto the album. The song is about perseverance and often in life it can feel like there’s a mountain in our lives that’s impossible to conquer but this song is flipping that narrative.”
After the performance, he took a snap with the audience which he suggested would be part of the upcoming key visuals.
Addressing fans again, he said: “People say London is the heart of music for the UK, but it’s not. It’s right here. Liverpool is the heart of UK music."
It’s every bit anthemic as promised, ending with his powerhouse vocals that felt like they transported you right back to the heyday of feel good rock from the 80s.
There was never time to grab a drink as every song felt like an unmissable performance. There’s even a brief interlude of rock covers of Taylor Swift and Paramore singles that ramp up the energy to the extent you’re suddenly careful not to find yourself in a mosh pit.
Naturally, he closed the show with his Eurovision 2022 banger, Space Man, which blew the roof off the O2 Academy. After experiencing it in person, it’s clear to see how it won the vote from over 160m viewers.
Aside from being every bit as talented as you would expect, the hairogrpahy was also on point the entire night.
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