Sam Fender Live in Amsterdam – A Night of Geordie Glory
18th March 2025 – AFAS Live, Amsterdam
By Maisy Stewart
It was supposed to be just another tour date. Instead, Sam Fender’s Amsterdam show turned into a roaring, beer-soaked celebration of Newcastle pride — a post-Carabao Cup victory party disguised as a gig.
Two days after the Magpies lifted their first major trophy in decades, AFAS Live was packed wall-to-wall with Geordies. Flags were waving, black-and-white shirts were everywhere, and the chants started long before the lights even dimmed.
When Sam strode on stage and launched into Local Hero, the place erupted. That song, already loaded with meaning back home, hit even harder after the cup win. It felt less like an opener and more like a national anthem. The atmosphere was electric — thousands of proud fans bouncing in sync, living the dream far from the Tyne.
From there, he dove straight into Getting Started, Arms Length, and People Watching, each one met with thunderous cheers and a crowd that sang every word right back at him. The energy never dipped — if anything, it kept building.
Mid-set, things took a delightfully unexpected turn. Sam paused to lead the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to former Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper, who was in the audience — joined, no less, by club legend Alan Shearer.
Every time there was a break in the music, chants of “Shearer! Shearer!” broke out. All eyes were on the balcony, where the man himself stood smiling, raising his drink in acknowledgment. It felt surreal. For a moment, it wasn’t just a concert — it was a room full of Geordies united in honour of two hometown heroes.
As the night continued, Sam spotted a sign in the crowd: “Can I play The Borders with you?” It was held by a fan named Scott. Without hesitation, Sam pulled him up on stage, handed him a guitar, and the two absolutely tore through the track together.
The reaction was pure magic — thousands of people screaming for the nottingham lad, lifted to the spotlight for a few unforgettable minutes. Scott played like a natural, soaking in the moment before heading back into the crowd with a face full of disbelief and joy.
After that high, Sam eased into Little Bit Closer. Sadly, he didn’t repeat the lyrical switch he pulled the night before, where he cheekily sang “His name’s Dan Burn”. Still, the song landed beautifully.
The final stretch of the set included emotional and raw renditions of Crumbling Empire, Will We Talk, Tyrants, Howdon Aldi Death Queue, TV Dinner, and Spit of You — each met with a mix of headbanging and teary-eyed swaying. Seventeen Going Under was, as expected, the kind of cathartic singalong that makes your chest ache in the best way.
For the encore, Sam brought the fire. Something Heavy lit the room up one last time before he closed out the night with his biggest hit, Hypersonic Missiles. The crowd went ballistic. No confetti cannons, no pyrotechnics — just a room full of people shouting every word, fists in the air, hearts on their sleeves.
This wasn’t just a gig. It was a gathering. A celebration. A sea of Geordies, proudly flying their colours abroad, sharing a once-in-a-lifetime experience with their hometown hero. In Amsterdam that night, Sam Fender reminded everyone — locals and visitors alike — what it feels like to belong to something bigger than yourself.
A night of music, magic, and massive Geordie pride. Unforgettable.
