Dave Stewart Brings the Stories Home to Sunderland Fire Station As He Performs His New Album “The Way it Was back Then” In Full

A year on from his acclaimed Dave Does Dylan performances at Sunderland Fire Station, Dave Stewart returned to the venue with a show that felt altogether more personal.

Drawing from his new album The Way It Was Back Then while dipping into Spiritual Cowboys and SlyFi territory, the evening became less of a conventional concert and more of a musical autobiography. Dave arrived in a playful mood, happy to wander through stories from his childhood, his early career, his years with Annie Lennox, family life, and some wonderfully surreal episodes from Sunderland's past.

Before Dave took the stage, local favourites Jack and Daisy made a welcome return to The Fire Station with an eight-song support set. The duo spoke warmly about spending the past year working with Dave on their forthcoming debut album, offering an intriguing glimpse into a creative partnership that appears to be gathering momentum. Their stripped-back songs and easy stage presence provided the perfect introduction to the evening ahead

When the lights came up for the main event, Dave was joined by an outstanding band featuring his son Sam Stewart on guitar, Jesse Samler on drums, Katie Anderson on bass, Hannah Smith on backing vocals, Barry Hyde of The Futureheads on keyboards and Isabel Johnson on backing vocals.

The line-up itself told a story. Sam brought the family connection being Dave’s son and band member of Lo Moon. Barry represented one of Sunderland's most celebrated musical exports, The Futureheads. Katie and Hannah carried a link to Tom A. Smith, whose own connection to Dave continues to grow ahead of Tom cast to portray a young Dave Stewart in the Ebony McQueen film.

Meanwhile, Jesse Samler enjoyed a special evening of his own. Many fans know him as Dave's long-time guitar technician and trusted collaborator, but this marked his first appearance as drummer in Dave's live band. Having played and recorded on much of The Way It Was Back Then, he already knew the material inside out.

From the opening song onwards, it became clear that this would be an evening where every song had a story.

The Way It Was Back Then

Opening with the title track of his latest album, Dave immediately settled into storyteller mode. One of the first tales of the night involved the curious character "Jackie One Eye", setting the tone for an evening where songs and stories would constantly overlap.

The audience quickly realised they were not simply going to hear a setlist. They were going to hear where the songs came from.

Your Wishes

Your Wishes continued the warm and conversational atmosphere.

Dave appeared completely relaxed, frequently stepping away from the microphone between songs to share snippets of memory and reflection. There was a feeling that the audience were listening to a friend recounting chapters from his life rather than watching a carefully choreographed concert.

Cry If You Want To

Before launching into Cry If You Want To, Dave joked that everyone was supposed to cry.

The audience laughed, but it was another reminder that many of the songs in the set came from deeply personal places.

Humour would become one of the evening's defining characteristics, often arriving moments before genuine emotion.

The House Where I Was Born

If one song captured the heart of the evening, it was this.

Dave explained that during the weekend he had been staying in an Airbnb opposite the house where he was born on Barnard Street. Looking across the road, he found himself staring at the very window he used to look out of as a child.

That simple image immediately transported the audience back with him.

He also reflected on being back in Sunderland and spoke about watching Sunderland's match against Arsenal, joking that the game should have finished 1-1.

When the song began, however, the mood became noticeably more emotional.

As Dave reached the line:

"I miss you Dad"

the band instinctively eased back.

The keyboards softened. The rhythm section became almost invisible. Space opened around the vocal, allowing the lyric to carry the full emotional weight of the moment.

It was beautifully judged by the entire band.

For a few seconds the room seemed completely still.

It was one of those rare moments in a live performance that sends goosebumps through an audience, and without question one of the most moving moments of the night.

Black Cat

Following such an emotional performance, Black Cat began gently before steadily building into one of the strongest full-band pieces of the evening.

Sam Stewart's guitar work stood out throughout, helping shape the song's gradual rise in intensity. The performance highlighted just how naturally this group of musicians play together.

Makes Me Happy

One of the evening's funniest and most insightful introductions came before Makes Me Happy.

Dave reflected on how life often swings between happiness and sadness. Something as simple as rain, he suggested, can make someone feel joyful one day and melancholy the next.

The observation perfectly matched the song's themes.

The audience then enjoyed one of the biggest laughs of the night when Dave reflected on his long creative relationship with Annie Lennox.

"We were like Fleetwood Mac backwards," he joked.

The line landed perfectly and demonstrated the self-awareness and humour that have always been part of Dave's character.

Oh Jesse

Introducing Oh Jesse, Dave explained how the song had begun as a simple vocal idea before gradually evolving into a complete composition.

He then addressed the obvious question.

Many people, he joked, assume the song is about Jesse Samler.

It isn't.

The audience laughed before Dave introduced Jesse properly, acknowledging both his contribution to the new album and his debut appearance as drummer in the live band.

It was a lovely moment between two long-time collaborators.

All Done

The stories became increasingly entertaining during All Done.

Dave found himself revisiting his earliest days in the music business, recalling his time with Longdancer and the excitement of suddenly finding success while still incredibly young.

The audience were treated to tales of record deals, advances and youthful enthusiasm.

One story centred on Longdancer's £58,000 advance and the inevitable journey to Denmark Street that followed to buy 4 guitars, and various drug related temptations!

There were guitars to buy, adventures to be had and lessons to be learned.

Dave also reflected on seeing artists such as T. Rex and The Who at The Locarno during his younger years and the impact those experiences had on his own musical ambitions.

These memories were delivered with equal parts affection and amusement.

Thin Ice

The evening took a more serious turn with Thin Ice.

Dave explained that the song was born from concerns about events in America and anxiety over where society may be heading.

Unlike many songs in the set, he performed this one without a guitar.

The absence of an instrument gave the performance a different intensity. There was nowhere for the lyric to hide, and the result was one of the most powerful and direct songs of the night.

What's A Man Supposed To Do

Before performing What's A Man Supposed To Do, the band left the stage and Dave shared another deeply personal chapter of his life.

He spoke about celebrating twenty-five years of marriage and more than thirty years together with his wife.

The song immediately took on additional meaning.

Dave also reflected on difficult years in London with Annie Lennox, remembering periods when money was scarce and life felt uncertain. At one point he joked that he had "died three times", drawing laughter from the crowd.

There was humour in the story, but there was also resilience.

The song felt less like a traditional love song and more like a reflection on survival, commitment and the realities of building a life with another person.

This Little Town

One of the evening's most entertaining stories arrived before This Little Town, the Spiritual Cowboys song that felt perfectly at home in Sunderland.

Dave recalled a youthful adventure involving a purple micro-dot and a very long night wandering through the city.

At around four in the morning he found himself talking to shop-window dummies as though they were old friends.

Eventually a police officer appeared.

Rather than arresting him or sending him on his way, the officer politely took him back to the police station and gave him a cup of tea.

The audience loved every second of the story.

It was funny, eccentric and unmistakably Sunderland.

Jack Of All Trades

The final song of the evening came from the SlyFi catalogue.

Jack Of All Trades brought the entire band together one last time and provided a suitably upbeat finale.

It also produced the evening's final laugh.

Towards the end of the performance, Barry Hyde turned to Dave and asked:

"Are you Dave Stewart?"

Dave replied:

"Yes."

Without missing a beat, the rest of the band shouted:

"You're crap!"

The audience erupted with laughter.

Dave paused in mock shock before carrying on to the end of the song.

As the final notes rang out, the room responded with huge applause and the band stepped forward to take a well-deserved bow.

Final Thoughts

This was not a greatest hits show. It was Dave Stewart sharing songs, memories and a lifetime of experiences with a hometown audience. Funny, moving and thoroughly entertaining throughout. As the band took their final bow following Jack Of All Trades, the standing ovation suggested Sunderland had thoroughly enjoyed having him back and everyone was left reflecting “The Way It Was back Then”