Sam Fender has told fans that he used to watch Brian Johnson interviews when he was homesick.
- READ MORE: Sam Fender – ‘People Watching’ review: reflective and perceptive indie rock from North Shields’ shining star
In a new social media post reflecting on the influence of the AC/DC star, Fender shared a picture of the two and looked back on the early days of his career. “When we were on our first tours before everything kicked off, I used to watch interviews of Brian when I was homesick,” he said on Instagram this Saturday (December 13).
“He was given the keys to the kingdom when he joined AC/DC, yet he never stopped being that little Geordie/Italian lad from Dunston. When things started to go well for us, my Dad would always say, ‘Be like Brian, no matter how far it goes, always remember where you’re from’.
“Here’s me and Brian. We’d both just headlined shows in Sydney. Two normal Geordie Lads. Mental.”
AC/DC’s return to Australia for the first time in a decade saw the return of ‘Jailbreak’ for the first time in 34 years – in a concert so powerful, it set off earthquake detection equipment.
As for Fender, having been out on tour and been vocal about the importance of protecting live spaces, he recently donated his Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venue Trust (MVT), while highlighting the importance of “struggling” small gig spaces in the UK. The funds will support the charity’s ongoing work to protect and secure the future of such live music spaces across the nation.
“I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing today if it wasn’t for all the gigs I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out,” he said. “These venues are legendary, but they are struggling.”
Last week, he also shared his Live At London Stadium concert film. It captures the Mercury Prize-winning artist playing his biggest gig to date at the 82,500-capacity venue as he kicked off his huge UK summer stadium tour back in June.
The gig was also his first stadium headline date outside of his hometown of Newcastle, and saw him bring out support act Olivia Dean for a rendition of ‘People Watching‘ track ‘Rein Me In’, marking the first time the two singers had joined forces on stage. The track was later officially released.
NME gave ‘People Watching’ a four-star review upon its release in February, writing: “Feeling existential, uprooted and disconnected from his old working-class life thanks to his rapid rise to fame, the British guitar hero channels it all into his gorgeous third album.”
The record also landed at Number 20 on NME’s Top 50 albums of 2025, with Alex Flood writing: “Though its title suggested an observer documenting life’s mundanities from a distance, the contents of ‘People Watching’ proved anything but detached.
“From hooky jam ‘Arm’s Length’ to heartbreaking ballad ‘Remember My Name’ – a love song dedicated to his late grandparents – this album allowed us closer than ever before to the friends and family that made Sam Fender who he is today.”
Similarly, the album’s title track landed at 37 on our round-up of the year’s top 50 songs, with Damian Jones writing: “Easily the best song on the Mercury Prize winner’s third album, ‘People Watching’ is steeped in grief and anger – yet it bursts with emotional euphoria as Sam Fender cries “I people-watch on the way back home” over jangly guitars and a spine-tingling saxophone. A stadium-slayer for the ages.”
