For fans of Frank Turner, there are few experiences comparable to his live shows. There is a community of us ready to belt out the songs until we’re hoarse, ready to leap around with abandon with excursions into the mosh pit when we’ve caught our breath. There is a tremendous sense of heart-bursting, heart-pounding release and beautiful camaraderie. Frank Turner and his excellent band are able to transmit a huge amount of energy to their fan-base and there’s a mutual exchange – they rise to the occasion, elevating the performance in response to the audience. Turner is also at that perfectly-balanced level of popularity where he draws large, passionate crowds but is still playing in relatively intimate venues – if you want to be close to the action, you can be. Epic Studios in Norwich is, therefore, an excellent choice of venue. Large numbers of people can be packed in (the mosh pit felt very close and busy) but there’s plenty of width and nobody is too far from the stage.
The evening began with two excellent support acts, both of which have worked with Frank Turner and who were cheered on by good-sized crowds, raising the anticipation for the main event. First up was Manningtree-based singer-songwriter Ben Brown whose latest single, ‘Blue’, was posted on AUK recently here. Before the song, he told a story about meeting Turner at a barbecue and subsequently recording together. He joked about making t-shirts for the tour and having been told that the best way to sell them is to show the shape when worn – so he was modelling a medium. There was much laughter and plenty of lighter moments like this. He then played ‘Coffee and Oranges’, which he described as his step-father’s least favourite song, saying “Fuck you Drew – you’re not my real dad!” and then announcing that Drew was in the audience. In this song, he showed his range, often singing a high-pitched melody. He continued with amusing chat about how to follow him, culminating with Brown giving out his home address and his dad’s mobile phone number, which he repeated multiple times and encouraged the audience to text and phone him. ‘Dancing With Our Eyes Closed’ had a lovely, flowing vocal melody and was another highlight. Ben Brown is a superb performer, who brings a lot of fun and joy, sharing jokes and witty asides, all played with a smile. He appeared to enjoy himself up on stage and that was infectious.
Then we had an altogether different musical experience. Still fun and full of humour, The Meffs are a punk duo that deliver fast-paced, rocking songs with urgency. They opened with ‘Everything’s Gone’ from forthcoming album ‘What a Life’, with some excellent back and forth between Lily on lead vocals and guitar and Lewis on drums and backing vocals, before launching into a frenetic ‘No Future’. They interacted well with the crowd on ‘Stand Up, Speak Out’, encouraging the audience to call out, “Speak out!” Lily continued to deliver forceful riffs through songs like the anti-government ‘Clowns’ and ‘Wasted on Women’, which prompts words about not tolerating hate. They finished with an energetic ‘Broken Britain, Broken Brains’ with Lily bouncing on guitar.
Frank Turner’s touring schedule is relentless – this was show number 2925 and next February will see him celebrate his 3000th gig. A consequence of so much touring is that he and his fabulous band, The Sleeping Souls, are incredibly well-practised and adept at playing with a balance of precision and heart. It also means that large numbers of fans have attended his shows on multiple occasions – they know the songs and what to expect and engage fully, immersing themselves in the experience and, in a sense, becoming part of the show. As soon as Turner and the band appeared on stage, they launched into a raucous rendition of ‘No Thank You for the Music’ from the latest album, with instructions to the audience to, “…go fucking crazy!” And the fans obliged. There was no let up in the dynamic thrust of the music for quite some time. Another new song, ‘Girl From the Record Shop’ was belted out and got a response like an old favourite. Indeed, it was great to see how well his new material was woven into the set and appreciated by the crowd. Then, fan-favourite ‘Get Better’ was played with gusto, with the audience chanting along to the pounding chords, “We could get better because we’re not dead yet.”
It was then that Turner introduced the ‘rules’ for the gig. His live shows tend to lean on his punk rock past with each song levelled up in terms of energy and purpose. There’s always a mosh pit and, for those willing and able to get involved, it can get quite lively. So, the rules involve showing consideration, kindness and respect and helping others if they go down – all summed up with the dictum, “Don’t be a dickhead.” Following these instructions, a frantic version of ‘The Next Storm’ featured the repeated word, “Rejoice!” and this single word quite neatly reflected the feeling of elation as many fans leapt and bounced and sung along to every word. It was with the next song, ‘If I Ever Stray’, that the moshing fully started for me, giving myself over to the party atmosphere and becoming lost in the music and the physical experience. Please understand, dear reader, that it is quite difficult to get out one’s notepad and continuously and feverishly maintain a detailed record of events under such conditions. I was quite absorbed and I’m sure a couple of songs passed by just as physical sensations and nothing more.
Before ‘Letters’, from the new album ‘Undefeated’, Turner told a story about meeting a girl on a camping holiday in Cornwall when he was about 14 years old. A metal fan, he had been wearing a Korn hoodie and she wore a Pennywise one and they bonded over punk rock. For 3 years they wrote letters and she introduced him to bands like Black Flag and Dead Kennedys through mix-tapes she sent him. But then the letters just stopped, inspiring this song. However, there has been a happy ending of sorts – after hearing the song on the radio, she recognised it related to her and she got back in touch a couple of months ago. ‘Letters’ translated very well to the live set. The sound was layered, full and powerful without losing any of the melody. Matt Nasir’s keys and Tarrant Anderson’s bass were prominent and played with precision; Turner and the crowd showed much appreciation for a bass solo from Anderson. Another recent song that blends energy and tunefulness followed in ‘Haven’t Been Doing So Well’, a song about anxiety.
Turner then talked about getting involved if you could, asking everyone to jump up and down together at the end of the next song. He spoke of a, “…moral reckoning,” we would have with ourselves later if we were able to give it our all and hadn’t. Like much of his chatter throughout the evening, it was good-humoured and prompted laughter from the audience. ‘Polaroid Picture’ from 2013’s ‘Tape Deck Heart’ followed and, frankly, it would have been hard not to jump, given the nature of the song and the fact that everyone around was doing so in close proximity. Recent song ‘Ceasefire’ followed, offering a slight breather from the bouncing and moshing. Turner explained that it is a song about his youth when he was pissed off at the world and everybody. Hurt as well as angry he wanted to reach out to his younger self and give him a hug. The song featured swirling keys, urgent drums and hand-claps from the audience as it built from quieter beginnings to a great crescendo. The song, an older one played by request, was written for a dear friend, Lexie, who had died from breast cancer – ‘Long Live the Queen’ was an upbeat sing-along with acoustic guitar at its heart. The next song, ‘Demons’, also a request, was more of a challenge because Turner had struggled to remember the words and had had to Google his own lyrics, managing to play it only once through correctly in rehearsals. He went on to explain that the meaning of a song can sometimes seem to change over time. ‘Demons’ has become about his friend Nick who was killed during the terrorist attack at the Bataclan Theatre in Paris in 2015. Quieter moments were interspersed with a powerful strum and Turner’s voice was gruff and emotional.
Aside from an appearance at Latitude Festival, this was the last show of this leg of the tour. Unsurprisingly, given the relentless schedule, Turner’s voice was cracking and he asked the crowd for more help singing along. The extra edge of vulnerability in his vocal performance actually just helped it all to be even more wearily emotional and authentic. Turner made a point of thanking The Meffs and Ben Brown, telling his own version of the story of meeting Brown at a house party. ‘I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous’ and ‘Ballad of Me and My Friends’ were both crowd-pleasing sing-alongs, drenched in nostalgia and the universally-felt passing of time: “We won’t change our ways, we will proud remain when the glory fades…life is about love, last minutes and lost evenings.” And these simple lines, sung together by the fans, are profound.
Then, pounding drums introduce ‘Somewhere In-between’, a song about anxiety and having impostor syndrome. It’s another new song that really lends itself to live performance with sustained keys, throaty bass, relentless drums, all growing and swelling until it bursts. An extended period of mosh-friendly songs raised the energy level and propelled the show forwards. In quick succession, we had a forceful ‘Punches’ from 2022’s ‘FTHC’, the anti-fascist anthem ‘1933’, the crazy ‘Non Serviam’, a chant-friendly ‘Do One’ and the surging ‘Never Mind the Back Problem’. Finally, the main part of the set concluded with the classic tune and familiar words of ‘Photosynthesis’: “I won’t sit down // And I won’t stand up // And most of all I will not grow up.” And there we all were: a bunch of music lovers steadfastly not growing up. Let’s be clear, I am probably too old for moshing. Did it stop me? No.
So, to the encore. Solo, Turner played an acoustic ‘Undefeated’, which really felt like it was for the fans, who he thanked and praised for sticking with him: “Survival adds up to something.” ‘Recovery’ and ‘I Still Believe’ are straight out of a greatest hits package. Back in 2012, Turner performed the latter at the opening ceremony for the London Olympics and it had lost none of its fizzing, energetic buzz in Norwich 12 years later. Finally, the closer was ‘Four Simple Words’, played in a party atmosphere – a song about dancing for people born to jump, a song that bursts into life towards the end: “I want to dance // I want to dance // I want lust and love and a smattering of romance // But I’m no good at dancing.” The explosive finish allowed for one last release of energy and emotion.
This was a lost evening full of joy, the sort that makes it all worthwhile. If you get the chance, do go to see Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls…and you will get the chance on their never-ending tour.
Fantastic – Thanks for including me in your write up.
I hope to see you again soon!
Brilliant gig! Loved your set – so entertaining! Look forward to seeing you again soon.