There’s a particular kind of hush that settles over a venue just before the opening act walks on. Not silence, because Mancs and the Ritz don’t do silence, but that low, curious murmur of a crowd still finding its feet, still shrugging off the day, still deciding whether they’re ready to be impressed. On Wednesday night, as the Zac Shultze Gang stepped into the lights ahead of Samantha Fish, you could feel that familiar ripple of “go on then. Show us…”
And they did. From the first few bars it was clear they understood the golden rule of opening for a heavyweight like Samantha Fish. Warm the room, don’t scorch it, and their set had that pacey but unforced lift to it.
Zac himself has that front person charm and confident swagger that works beautifully in a support slot. Not overtalking or trying too hard, not pretending it’s his name on the ticket or trying, but a natural, grounded presence that makes you want to see them again on their own terms on their own tour. His voice sits in that sweet spot between grit and warmth, and when he leans into the more soulful edges, you get flashes of something properly compelling.
The band behind him? Rock solid. No ego, no fuss, no unnecessary flourishes. Just musicians who know how to deliver a song well and keep the energy flowing. As a long time Dr Feelgood fan, the moment that really confirmed their quality for me was their cover of She Does It Right. It wasn’t just good. It was proper good (It’s a Manc thing lol). Zac and the band flawlessly reproduced the song’s wiry swagger with real affection, and despite it not being quite the same as the original, it didn’t need to be. They kept the bones, added their own grin, and it worked very well. There was even flashes of Wilko Johnson’s unmistakable mannerisms respectfully thrown in, which made me stop shooting from the crowd and stand there grinning like an idiot.
We’ve all been to gig that, despite being brilliant, opening slots can still feel like somewhat of an afterthought sometimes, but it didn’t feel that way tonight because what stood out across the whole set was their sense of pacing. They built their set with a quiet confidence, and by the time they hit their last number, the crowd weren’t just warmed up, but ready.
Now, there are headliners who walk onstage and take a few songs to settle in, and then there’s Samantha Fish. One moment the crowd is buzzing from the Zac Shultz Gang’s warm up set, and the next, the Ritz is locked onto her with that collective, electric focus that only truly commanding performers generate. From the opening number, she had that unmistakable blend of swagger and precision that’s become her trademark. There’s a confidence to her playing that never trips over into arrogance. She’s more like someone who knows exactly what she can do with a guitar and is delighted to show you, but only when the moment calls for it. I’d honestly say she’s not a show off, but a show maker.
Her tone was gloriously sharp when it needed bite, smooth when she touched on soul, and always sitting right in that sweet spot where blues, rock, and something distinctly “Samantha Fish” meet. She’s one of those rare guitarists who can make a single note feel like a full sentence. Vocally, she was just as strong. There’s grit, there’s warmth, and there’s that slightly smoky edge that gives her songs all of that emotional weight. She can go from a whisper soft line to a full throated holler without losing control for a second.
For me, what makes Samantha Fish such a compelling live performer isn’t just the technical skill, athough she has that in spades. I’v seen her a few times now, and for me it’s the way she shapes a night. She knows when to hit hard, when to pull back, when to let a song breathe, and when to let it roar. She builds a set like a story, and by the end, you feel like you’ve been taken somewhere.
On Wednesday she didn’t just headline. She commanded, connected, and delivered a show that felt both meticulously crafted and gloriously alive.
Words and Photos by Gregg Howarth
