By Mark Tavender
Photography by Megan Ramsey
The streets and pubs of North Shields were much quieter than usual on Easter Saturday night this year. The reason? A much anticipated gig by Liam Fender performing with his full band at Tyne Bank Brewery.
The venue, whose motto ‘It’s what inside that counts’ is painted above the entrance door, was ram-packed with the great and good of North Shields, many of whom turned up early to see the support act – superb local band Bear Park.
This was the first time in a long time that Liam Fender had performed with a full band and they were straight into it, back in the fold of their music family who cheered loudly as they walked on stage; there was a palpable release of energy that emanated out into the crowd.
Although confessing to being a little under the weather with what he called ‘the lurgy,’ Liam’s Scott Walkeresque voice came through loud and clear during the first couple of tracks and throughout the set.
You could tell he and the band were back in their happy place in front of people he loves and who love him. ‘Welcome to a piss up in a brewery!’ he bellowed before launching into Metanoia, a firm fan favourite.
Despite his self effacing and down to earth demeanour off stage, Liam is larger than life when in front of a crowd, quite rightly confident of his and his band’s extraordinary musical talents who are all worthy of a mention; Luke Elgie (bass), Nile Krieger and Stuart Davies (guitar), Dave Lourie (drums), Mark Dickinson (keys) and Arthur Thompson (cello).
The band thundered through the set, their tunes an intoxicating blend of Americana, Country and Rock and Pop music.
The pace only really slowed down mid-way through, when they deliver us Liam’s version of Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ – surely a tune he would have written if it hadn’t been already.
Things speed up again, especially when a friend, Dave Danger Brown, who was on the merch stand, is invited onto stage. He joins in, adding percussion, Bez like, with a set of maracas before being told ‘You’ve had your fun, now fuck off!’
The band end their set with ‘Don’t Follow Me Down’ with its rousing, crowd pleasing anthemic chorus and which was released last year to widespread acclaim (now available on vinyl as part of his excellent 6-track EP). This was followed quickly by ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’ – a tantalising track to end on given his body of work.
The partisan crowd did not want it to end there though and the band were loudly called back for a couple more songs; the penultimate track was ‘Still Here,’ a country song full of melancholy and determination – but what else to end on but ‘Love Will Conquer’ – a sentiment that seems to come through a lot in Liam’s songwriting – sending the crowd home very happy.
Liam is a talented musician and a gifted versatile songwriter whose music deserves more exposure, especially in a live setting and with a full band behind him. He’s not afraid to reveal his true thoughts and feelings in a lot of his songwriting, his heart firmly stitched onto his sleeve at times.
