Sam Fender was unable to perform at Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival on Tuesday as scheduled, but attendees still heard a bit of his music thanks to Benson Boone.
The “Beautiful Things” singer covered Fender’s song “Seventeen Going Under” during his set, which became the night’s headlining show after Fender pulled out due a hemorrhaged vocal cord.
In introducing the song, Boone told the crowd that he felt “terrified” upon learning that Fender would not be performing and that he would be taking over his headlining spot.
“I was honestly expecting a bunch of angry people, like, ‘We want Sam! We want Sam!'” Boone said. “And you guys have been lovely. So I really hope that the people that came to see Sam today can get just 5% out of this song, ’cause it’s a beautiful song.”
Upon finishing the performance, Boone declared, “I hope you’re doing well, Mr. Sam Fender, we all love you out here.”
You can watch an archived stream of Boone’s set via the Montreux Jazz Festival YouTube channel.
Fender is scheduled to return to the road in August. He’ll launch a U.S. tour in September in support of his new album, People Watching.
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