An electric crowd offered double Brit award-winning musician Sam Fender a hero's return for his second night at Newcastle's Utilita Arena.
So it was only fitting that the North Shields born singer-songwriter bounded on to the stage to the strains of the instrumental track Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero. The tune penned by another North East musical icon, Mark Knopfler, for the 1983 film Local Hero has, as any football fan will know, gone on to become the pre-match anthem that Newcastle United run out to at St James' Park.
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And the classic track from the Dire Straits frontman has been adopted by diehard NUFC supporter Sam, who opened the second night of his homecoming Seventeen Going Under gig in his home city with the Geordie anthem.
The rapturous sellout audience - many wearing Newcastle United tops and proudly waving giant NUFC flags - were more than ready to welcome Sam home.
As the sense of expectation slowly ratcheted up with the soft and melodic opening strains of Knopfler's masterpiece, Sam Fender's sax player, Johnny Bluehat, took centre stage and the 11,000 strong crowd exploded as one into life. A spinetingling mass singalong lifted the roof of the Utilita Arena as Sam's Toon Army belted the tune right back at their local hero, before he arrived grinning on stage to get stuck into his set list.
