Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls

Sunday, 11 November 2012 saw Frank Turner kick off his latest UK tour in incredible fashion in front of an adoring Rock City crowd.

Opening act Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun, named one of NME’s ‘bands to watch’, really got the crowd going with their lively blend of country and rock.

Up next – all the way from the USA – was Tim Barry, an act Frank once supported on a tour in 2006.

Relieved to be free of the pressure of having to follow Frank, the former Avail vocalist endeared himself to the crowd with his heartfelt and brutally honest lyrics.

After an age of watching a roadie with the most glorious moustache I have ever seen, Frank arrived on stage solo – without the support of his backing band – and the crowd instantly hushed as the familiar chords of ‘If I Ever Stray’ swept across the room.

Rock City then erupted as The Sleeping Souls joined in for the chorus, followed immediately by ‘The Road’ and crowd-favourite, ‘Peggy Sang The Blues’.

Frank’s lyrics have always been full of open-hearted honesty and no song better epitomises this than ‘Long Live The Queen’, a song he wrote about a friend that died.

There was plenty of room in the 100 minute set for both the old and the new, with classics such as ‘I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous’ and ‘I Still Believe’ interspersed with titles from his upcoming album, such as ‘Time Machine’ and ‘Four Simple Words’.

Frank was evidently having an incredible time up on stage, and encored with ‘Photosynthesis’ and a quick blast of ‘Dan’s Song’, while he flung himself into the crowd, to the obvious dismay of the security team.

When all was done, it was clear that Rock City had set the bar high for the rest of the UK to compete with, in what will definitely be an incredibly successful tour.

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