Sam Fender

Sam Fender review – cathartic songs delivered with passion and a humble presence

Even when the entire crowd of 23,000 are bellowing his ‘whoah-oh-ohs’, understated Fender quips ‘got some singers here, haven’t we?’ as if performing in a local boozer

Dave Simpson

08, Dec, 2024 @1:05 PM

‘I’d take a mediocre album rather than nothing!’: the new music readers want to hear in 2024

Guardian readers are longing for returns by artists from Ariana Grande to Archie Shepp –and even possibly Kate Bush?

Aneesa Ahmed and Guardian readers

23, Jan, 2024 @11:15 AM

Reading and Leeds festival review – Billie Eilish and the Killers thrill at bucket-hatted blowout

The post-GCSE audience is suitably boisterous at a festival that is keeping its remit admirably broad, from Foals’ intense rock to Bicep’s beautiful techno

Dave Simpson

28, Aug, 2023 @12:56 PM

Kids going to Reading? Don’t panic! It’s a rite-of-passage for UK teenagers

It may have become a lightning rod for parental anxiety but this very British festival is still the dream gig for 16-year-olds fresh from GCSE hell

Dorian Lynskey

26, Aug, 2023 @12:14 PM

Mercury prize: Little Simz wins for Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

Rapper and actor, 28, wins for her fourth album after critical acclaim and a decade as a performer

Shaad D'Souza and Laura Snapes

18, Oct, 2022 @9:14 PM

Sam Fender cancels shows to look after his mental health

Singer-songwriter apologises to fans in announcement on Instagram after becoming ‘burnt out’ from touring

Sophie Zeldin-O'Neill

12, Sep, 2022 @8:40 PM

All back to mine: Harry’s House sets domestic tone for 2022 Mercury prize

Harry Styles’s high-end lockdown album is surprisingly of a piece with other longlisted albums by artists as distinct as Joy Crookes and Gwenno

Laura Barton

07, Sep, 2022 @11:33 AM

Mercury prize: Sam Fender, Harry Styles and Self Esteem lead pack of first-time nominees

Women including Little Simz and Jessie Buckley dominate this year’s cohort for the best British album of the year, which falters on recent diversity gains

Laura Snapes

26, Jul, 2022 @10:15 AM

Glastonbury 2022 review: stunning moments, special singalongs and a rumour mill in overdrive

Billie Eilish, Self Esteem, Paul McCartney, Olivia Rodrigo, Noel Gallagher, AJ Tracey, Sam Fender and Wet Leg were all electrifying. But where was Harry Styles?

Alexis Petridis

26, Jun, 2022 @5:23 PM

‘Miraculously we’re here’: St Vincent, Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish and more meet biggest Glastonbury crowd in years

McCartney sealed an unforgettable Saturday night after a Friday during which female performers called all the shots

Dorian Lynskey

26, Jun, 2022 @8:00 AM

Sam Fender at Glastonbury 2022 review – unforgettable emotional release

Fender is cemented as a major British star with a performance of huge anger and power – with Seventeen Going Under one of the greatest songs this stage has seen

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

24, Jun, 2022 @9:45 PM

Ukrainian techno, UK drill and Tony Christie: 30 acts not to miss at Glastonbury 2022

Whether it’s Kendrick Lamar’s hugely anticipated headline slot, soul music singalongs or late night DJ sets, here are our picks from the hundreds of acts playing Glastonbury

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

21, Jun, 2022 @2:39 PM