Acoustic troubadour Frank Turner has got something to prove. Formerly the master of the sweatily intimate gig, the thirty-two year old Turner has been forced to step up to the arena circuit after the release of his latest LP, Tape Deck Heart. It’s a brilliantly gritty and personal album that’s packed full of Turner’s trademark singalong standards, and solidifies Turner’s status as one of the UK’s finest songwriters. His years of touring the UK (and playing over 1500 shows) have moulded him into a formidable live act, yet some notable critics have been quick to doubt Turner’s right to headline some of the UK’s most cavernous venues. Well, we’re pleased to report that he’s evolved into a stadium-sized performer who’s capable of converting even the most reluctant attendee into a fully-fledged fan.
The night is kicked off in style by the ever-entertaining Beans On Toast, who seems to have resorted to mass-voting to decide his setlist – the crowd are treated to tracks about Bedford, ditties about dollars and songs about chickens (during which a six-foot tall chicken runs on to the stage to fix a microphone stand), and they’re loving every second. Irish-rockers Flogging Molly get the crowd up and dancing with their unique blend of rock, folk and storytelling lyricism – they’re fun, exciting and entirely enjoyable, and we’d recommend checking them out as soon as you can.
Opening with former set-closer Photosynthesis is a clear statement of intent from the singer-songwriter, and it’s pretty much the perfect opener – it’s arguably his signature song, and it gets every member of the crowd singing along from the off. Plain Sailing Weather is the first of several tracks from Tape Deck Heart to get an airing tonight, and it’s safe to say that it goes down well; every word is screamed back into the face of the visibly-joyous Turner, and it’s arguably an early highlight of the set. Older tracks Peggy Sang the Blues, Try This At Home and Reasons Not To Be An Idiot are welcomed with rapturous applause from the crowd – it’s often said that Turner attracts an almost cult-like following, and the reception he receives on this cold Tuesday evening in Plymouth does little to dispel this rumour to this humble reviewer. However, it’s the newer tracks that are greeted with screams – Tape Deck Heart singles Recovery, Polaroid Picture and The Way I Tend To Be are pounded to within an inch of their lives by Turner and his band, and they’re the highlights of the night. Recovery is fast becoming an anthem for the drunken generation, and it’s easy to see why – it’s a roaring barnstormer of a singalong, and we can easily see it becoming one of Turner’s signature singles.
Turner’s voice is strong and clear, and his clear musical talents are amplified by his formidable backing band, The Sleeping Souls. They’ve been touring with Turner since 2006 and it shows – they’re a tight-knit unit who clearly love what they do, and they’re the perfect musical accompaniment to Turner’s talents. His between-song chitchat shows him to be an amicable and likeable character – tales of bitterness towards a Parisian ex-girlfriend and stories of gigs in grimy bars are entertaining, and (refreshingly) don’t reek of time-wasting from a man too talented to have time in his show.
The main portion of the set is closed by the tenderly vulnerable Broken Piano, before Turner returns to perform a solo acoustic version of the anthemic The Ballad of Me and My Friends. It’s a true example of Turner’s songwriting talents, and rarely does an acoustic track (one that’s never been recorded in a studio, we hasten to add) receive such a rapturous reception. The sound of four-thousand people singing Turner’s refrain of ‘we’re definitely going to hell, but we’ll have all the best stories to tell’ back to him is something we’re unlikely to forget for a while.
The titleholder of ‘The British Springsteen’ has been open to debate for years, but let’s try to narrow it down a little. Bruce Springsteen is a talented live performer. He writes anthemic, rousing and beautiful songs. He’s a wordsmith with a passion for poetry. Based on what we’ve seen tonight, we see no reason why Frank Turner can’t hit the giddy heights of stadium stardom in the near future. He’s an immensely gifted live act with a dedicated following of die-hard fans. He’s already hit the arena circuit with a bang, and we can’t wait to see him continue to pack out massive venues across the UK.