The Club's team song 'Long Live the Newcastle Knights' CD is available now for free at the Hunter Sports Superstore as well as at Wests Mayfield's The Locker Room.
For Morgan Evans, the thought of performing the Club’s team song ‘Long Live the Newcastle Knights’ in front of an electric home crowd at Hunter Stadium gives him goose bumps.
Anticipation is building for the acclaimed country music singer/songwriter who is gearing up to perform the team anthem live at this Friday’s blockbuster between the Knights and Broncos at Hunter Stadium.
The proud Novocastrian wanted to create a Club song that would inspire and capture a stadium, as the players, Members and fans celebrated a win.
“I’m really looking forward to performing it for the first time at a game,” Evans said.
“It’s a song that’s totally meant to be sung by 20,000 people, not just one, that’s for sure.
“I want people to learn the words, and once we smash the Broncos, we’ll all sing it together."
Since the song debuted on The Footy Show and then made available to download for free at newcastleknights.com.au, the online story ranked the seventh most popular web story for the week across the NRL platforms.
The song has been embraced by Knights supporters far and wide and downloaded thousands of times in the short time since its launch.
Growing up in Newcastle, Morgan has red and blue running through his veins.
He has followed the Knights passionately since he was a child and has fond memories of staying up late to watch Friday night footy and thinking about his own footy game the next day.
“I grew up in Newcastle, and it’s sort of a right of passage I guess that you become a Knights fan," he explains.
“My most solid memory as a kid was watching the 1997 and 2001 grand finals, like most Novocastrians.”
Since these glory days, Evans has established himself as one of the hottest young artists in Australian music today and has toured with the likes of international superstars Taylor Swift and Alan Jackson.
He recently won a record-breaking three CMC Awards in March 2014, winning all three fan-voted award categories he was nominated in - CMC Oz Artist of the Year, CMC Male Artist of the Year and CMC Australian Video of the Year.
The team song has been a project of combined passions- singing/song writing and his love of the team.
“I first wrote the song a few years ago when the Knights were going through a lot of change," he said.
“I thought it would be cool to have a song that reflects the fact the team’s heading in a good direction and that the team and the crowd could sing after a big win on game day."
The song evokes ideas of mateship, loyalty and the deep seeded passion and dedication shared by countless Knights fans.
Evans believes, that with the events of late, including the injury of player Alex McKinnon, now more than ever is a time for the Club and supporters to band together.
“If music can bring us all together and people can get behind Alex and the team, and I can be a part of that, then that’s an awesome thing,” he said.
Although Morgan doesn’t get to as many games as he’d like because of his touring schedule, he said the experience of a live game at Hunter Stadium is unbeatable and he eagerly awaits the opportunity to perform in front of Friday’s home crowd.
“It’s going to be amazing. I get goose bumps just thinking about it,” he said.
“It’s a really proud thing for me. I’m from Newcastle through and through.”
A free copy of the CD single ‘Long Live the Newcastle Knights’ performed by Morgan Evans can be picked up now from the Hunter Sports Superstore and The Locker Room at Mayfield Wests.
Get your copy before Friday’s Knights v Broncos game and learn the words in time for the home game debut performance.
LONG LIVE THE NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS LYRICS
Like brothers in arms we're more than a team
And the heart of a city we wear on our sleeves
For the red and the blue 'til the end we will fight
Singing long live the Newcastle Knights
Long live the Newcastle Knights
Long live the Newcastle Knights
For the red and the blue 'til the end we will fight
Singing long live the Newcastle Knights
From the beach to the city and right up the hunter
We grow up with dreams of wearing the jumper
To play for our families, to play for our mates
And bring home the glory whatever it takes
Like brothers in arms we're more than a team
And the heart of a city we wear on our sleeves
For the red and the blue 'til the end we will fight
Singing long live the Newcastle Knights
Long live the Newcastle Knights
Long live the Newcastle Knights
For the red and the blue 'til the end we will fight
Singing long live the Newcastle Knights
