Sam Fender tribute act perfects singer’s voice and mannerisms but says he is ‘too short’ to be mistaken for him in daily life

A Sam Fender tribute act who wears custom-made outfits designed to look exactly like the singer’s, spends hours perfecting every move, and has an uncanny voice admits he has never mistaken for him in daily life because he is “too short”.

Jack Johnson, a welder and fabricator by day, began playing guitar at age six and said he felt even then that music was what he was “born to do”.

Jack, who is 32 and lives in Hartlepool with his fiancee and their four-year-old son, went on to play in bands with school friends before going solo in 2012, playing with a loop pedal in a style he described as “very Ed Sheeran-esque”.

He performed as a drummer in The Specials and Courteeners tribute acts, before forming his Sam Fender tribute Sam OfFender in 2022.

By then, he was listening to Sam Fender daily, spending £2,000 on merchandise, buying replica outfits and studying hundreds of YouTube videos to perfect his mannerisms.

He has since toured across the UK, growing in popularity amid rising ticket prices for the real artists and the success of Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s chart-topping track Rein Me In.

Jack, who stands at 5ft 5in tall, told PA Real Life: “I’m almost never mistaken for him, I’m too short!

“I know it sounds cliche to say you’re someone’s number one fan, but I genuinely think I am.

“I have all of his records, not to mention countless amounts of merch and memorabilia.

“I think I’ve listened to a Sam Fender song everyday for the past five years!”

Jack started playing music when his grandfather gave him his first guitar at the age of six.

He said: “From the moment I picked up that guitar, I knew that music was 100% what I was born to do.”

Jack also learnt drums at the age of nine, eventually progressing to grade eight.

Jack said: “The first thing I learnt was the opening drum groove to Paradise City by Guns N’ Roses.

“My first singing performance was on holiday in Majorca aged eight, where I sang Unchained Melody in a talent competition and won!”

Growing up, his biggest musical influences were “a whole range” of people, including Dave Grohl, Michael Jackson and Robbie Williams.

As he got older, from 2009 to 2012, he played in a few different bands as a drummer with school friends.

He then went on to perform solo in 2012 in local pubs and bars.

He said: “It was just me, a guitar and a loop pedal, very Ed Sheeran-esque!”

Jack also joined The Specials and Courteeners tribute bands as a drummer.

In 2022, one of the band members in the Courteeners tribute band had the idea of forming a Sam Fender tribute.

At the end of the year, Sam OfFender was born, with Jack, Gareth, Dave and Robo, with Sam’s “passion” standing out to them alongside their desire to “showcase” his songwriting.

“I jumped at the chance, I wasn’t originally meant to be the frontman, but when I tried it, I never looked back,” Jack explained.

“It was quite a leap, but I was very adaptable as I think myself and Sam Fender share many musical qualities.”

Jack first discovered Sam Fender’s music in 2018, with his “heartfelt indie tracks” from the north east “really relating” to him.

He has countless pieces of merchandise and memorabilia, such as records, t-shirts, badges, picture frames  and hats, which he estimates have cost him £2,000, and listens to Sam Fender everyday.

In the run-up to their first gig, he even went out and bought the same outfits as him.

He added: “The Newcastle training sweater is always a go-to in the winter season of our shows, he recently rocked a black denim jacket with Newcastle memorabilia on which I have had replicated and custom made.

“I wear that for festivals mostly, not to mention the Adidas Sambas he wears!”

The band’s first gig as Sam OfFender was in 2023 at Hartlepool Rovers FC Rugby Club.

“It was plain sailing, no nerves, just sheer excitement and adrenaline,” Jack said.

“All my family are Sam Fender fans, so they love watching us play.”

Since then, Jack has played all over the UK, with his highlight being performing in front of 11,000 people at Camper Jam Festival in Shropshire last year.

“I think getting the crowd to chant Seventeen Going Under back at me is always a stand-out point in any gig we’ve done,” he explained.

“I love the control you get with the crowd.”

Jack watches countless YouTube videos of Sam’s performances, and said seeing him live four times has “certainly helped” him take on the Geordie’s persona, such as mimicking his “eclectic guitar technique” and “chants”.

Following the surge in popularity for Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s recent single Rein Me In, which was number one for four weeks in February 2026 and was awarded the Brit Award for Song of the Year, Jack has noticed an increase in interest in his gigs.

He said: “It’s such an anthemic track, it hasn’t changed much other than the crowd singing along a lot more to it now, which makes performing it even more enjoyable than it was beforehand.

“Since increases in ticket prices, without a doubt, we’ve seen huge interest, more page likes, follows, bigger crowds, inquiries through the roof. That’s always a plus.”

In his day-to-day life, he has not been mistaken for Sam Fender due to “only being 5ft 5in”, with Sam reported to be 6ft 1in tall.

“It’s always lovely to hear from people that my voice is as good as Sam’s though, it’s great when people pick up on my mannerisms on stage and say I’ve grasped Sam really well,” Jack added.

He is also yet to meet him, despite getting close last year.

Jack said: “We had a huge banner at his St James’ gig last year asking him if I could play The Borders with him on stage. He did look over a few times, but I’ve sadly not had the pleasure of meeting him yet.”

Looking ahead, Jack wants to “perform on stage forever” and eventually record and write his own album.

He said: “The buzz you get from playing in a tribute band at a festival (in front of) thousands of people is currently tough to beat.”

Sam OfFender will be performing at Replika Festival in  Catton Park, Derbyshire which will be attempting The Guinness World Records title for “most tribute acts to perform at a music festival ever”, from June 25 to 28.

For more information, visit: www.replikafestival.com.