Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls Liverpool Academy 25/04/18
At the 02 Academy in Liverpool drumming kicks off the start of a set, the guitarist and bassist rush onto the stage, followed by the song writing machine that is, Frank Turner. 1933 is the song to boot things off, a song written whilst Frank and his band toured America during Trumps sadly successful election campaign.
I always look out for opportunities to go see Frank Turner, so it’s boss when the chance to go review one his gigs comes up! Formerly of The Million Dead a Post Hardcore band, Frank Turner has since launched a solo career with the backing of The Sleeping Souls. Now drawing on his folk, rock and punk Franks many albums (7 in 11 years) covers a whole manner or topics, to paraphrase one of his own songs he writes love songs in C and does politics in G and sings songs about friends in E minor. Of course there’s more than that, Frank explores the dark feelings after going out on Friday and coming home Monday, persistently questioning his own decisions on topics like this, as well many others. Looking back at the time he spent as Straight Edge, remembering past girlfriends in long lost photographs, memorialising friends who’ve sadly passed. Then there are the calls to arms, challenges to the decision of world leaders and those who voted them in. There are tracks celebrating music and what it does, encouraging us all to pick up a guitar.
After the political opener, the next few songs in the set comprised a few more of Franks more recent tracks with Get Better and The Next Storm from the 6th album and another two from the upcoming album ‘Be More Kind.’ A performance of the title track and another new political track Make America Great Again followed a blistering performance of Recovery!
The rest of the set intermixed a few more from the upcoming album with a lot from Frank Turner’s earlier catalogue. The crowd really turned up their own backing vocals to belter tunes; I Am Disappeared, The Road and Peggy Sang The Blues. How Frank picks his set lists with his array of boss tracks I don’t know, but the hits kept coming.
After performing Long Live The Queen, a song sadly written about the passing of Turner’s Friend Lexy, the band left the stage. Frank continued solo with the brilliant Faithful Son, exploring Franks relationship with his parents and the route he has taken. Another new track came next followed another of Frank’s brilliantly written love songs.
The Sleeping Souls returned to the stage to perform another new track, Blackout followed by Out Of Breath and Photosynthesis. Throughout the night the crowd are locked in on the band, particularly Frank Turner who has such a passionate following.
With the night nearing its end the crowd naturally called out for more, their demand was met firstly with one of Frank’s earliest tracks; the continuously building I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous! Next up was the song that got this Urbanista into Frank Turner I Still Believe! The 02 Academy was bouncing and desperate for the gig to continue! From I Still Believe this the band kicked straight into Four Simple Words. Frank delivered his tip to cherish moments and make more memories with the final song Polaroid Picture.
I’ve seen Frank Turner three times, each time he has put on a quality show and fortunately he’s got loads more dates on his huge tour, so you can catch him yourself! If you haven’t listened to him before then check out any of the tracks mentioned above, or better still get onto some of his albums. England Keep My Bones is probably my favourite but don’t limit yourself, immerse!
