BRIT Award winner and local lad Sam Fender surprises punters as he performs at a Newcastle bar
Sam Fender surprised punters when he took to the piano to play a new song at Newcastle’s Prohibition Cabaret bar on Saturday night.
The 28-year-old BRIT Award winner, who hails from nearby North Shields, treated customers to a heartfelt song inspired by his grandparents, which will feature on his upcoming album Seventeen Going Under.
Sporting a casual figure in a dark hoodie, he showed off his incredible vocals after originally stopping by for a quiet drink.
The bar owners took to their Facebook page with footage of the impromptu performance declaring Sam a “tone treasure.”
In the video, the star can be seen in the small hall, accompanied by a saxophonist, as an audience member wipes away tears, overwhelmed by the emotion of the song.
Surprise: Sam Fender, 28, surprised punters when he took to the piano on Saturday night to perform a new song at Newcastle’s Prohibition Cabaret bar
Impromptu performance: Cutting a casual figure in a dark hoodie, he showed off his incredible vocals after originally stopping by for a quiet drink
Star on the rise: The BRIT Award winner, who hails from nearby North Shields, treated customers to a heartfelt song inspired by his grandparents that will feature on his upcoming album
They captioned the video: ‘Last night local musician and all round sweet boy Sam Fender stopped by for a quiet drink and sang along a bit with our house pianist Merlin Roxby who was just coming to the end of his set’.
‘Sam then sat down at our house piano himself and gave us all a lovely Easter treat by performing live a song he said was off his forthcoming new album to a stunned Prohibition Saturday night crowd!’.
They continued, ‘In this video, filmed by our Danny, you can hear the audience slowly fall into silence as Sam’s unmistakable voice cuts through the chatter and his humble lyrics fill the room’.
“By the time he finished playing, he had the entire room under his spell. What a beautiful song, which he said was about his grandparents.
“Such a smart, genuine boy and, of course, so talented. Truly a treasure from Toon! Thank you for visiting Sam, we wish you all the best with your new album, we look forward to it’.
Before adding: ‘Gan canny fella, hope we see you again’.
Last year, Sam had to cancel a number of upcoming US headline appearances to focus on his mental health.
Star turn: In the clip, the star can be seen in the small hall, accompanied by a saxophonist, as an audience member wipes away tears, overwhelmed by the song’s emotion
Guest of Honor: The bar owners took to their Facebook page with footage of the impromptu performance declaring Sam a ‘tone treasure’
He was scheduled to perform in Seattle, Portland and Vancouver in September before supporting British band Florence and the Machine at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
But the Geordie singer-songwriter pulled out of the remaining dates after admitting his mental health was failing and his friends and colleagues were concerned about his well-being.
He said, “It seems utterly hypocritical of me to advocate for mental health discussion and write songs about it when I’m not taking the time to take care of my own mental health.
“I have neglected myself for over a year now and have not engaged in things that have deeply affected me.
“It is impossible to do this work on myself while on the road, and it is wearisome to feign happiness and well-being for the sake of business.”
Fender told Twitter and Instagram that he was “forever overwhelmed by the love and support of our fans” and was upset to let them down.
Watch out: Last year, Sam had to cancel some upcoming gigs in the US to focus on his mental health
Reaching out: Among the outpouring of support in his comment section was a message from Gwyneth Paltrow, 49, who said, ‘This is beautiful. We (heart emoji) you. Take care of yourself’
Among the stream of support in his comment section was a message from Gwyneth Paltrow, 49, who said: ‘This is beautiful. We (heart emoji) you. Take care of yourself.’
The North Shields artist previously said the title of second album Seventeen Going Under was influenced by his mental health issues and his therapy sessions.
On social media, he added: “The state of my well-being is beginning to affect everything I do, including my performances (and) I refuse to go out and not give it my all EVERY time, as you all deserve nothing less.”
The singer songwriter said his future UK record store dates would be off, but were to “work something out” for cardholders.