Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls (Roundhouse, 13.5.17)
Back to the Roundhouse for yet another Frank Turner show. On a lovely Saturday evening I walked through Camden from Mornington Crescent, enjoying the hussle and bussle. I had almost forgotten that the first time I went there 13 years ago, my friend was threatened by a guy wielding a knife outside a cafe. Good times.
I got there for Seth Lakeman's main support set. It was something of a surprise choice for a support act. I'm not familiar with his work but have read enough gig guides to know that he's capable of selling out the Roundhouse on his own. Lakeman treated us to some virtuoso violin playing before half an hour of enjoyable folk rock. It transpired that Turner used to open for Lakeman in the early days of his career. Kudos to him for returning the favour.
Tonight's headline set was comprised entirely from Turner's debut record "Sleep Is For The Week" and his first two EPs, back when he was more troubled troubadour than rock and roll showman. How well does this material hold up? "The Real Damage" gets us off to a promising start, prompting huge singalongs. It's a song about blacking out for an entire Sunday, which I both can and can't relate to. It's one of a number of high points including the terrific weariness of "My Kingdom For A Horse" ("Don't you ever kind of wish that the world would just stop? That the band would pack up and the curtain would drop") and the vicious "Worst Things Happen At Sea", regarding a lost love. Many of Turner's songs from this period are about failed romances, but few are as distinctive.
"Sunshine State" for example feels supremely dull by comparison and features a cringeworthy line that not even Turner's earnestness can save. "Wisdom Teeth" fares a good deal better, as does the thoughtful "A Decent Cup Of Tea", despite being a quiet song in a vast space. Between the soulful solo numbers there's songs that are enhanced by the Sleeping Souls, including the Americana inspired "Nashville Tennessee" (now with pedal steel), the rambunctious "Once We Were Anarchists" and a loud rendition of the seldom heard "Ladies Of London Town" which elevates the track above the "boys chasing girls" lyrical territory it occupies.
"Father's Day" is the song one is most likely to hear in a modern day Turner set and unsuprisingly raises the energy level here, with the audience's backing vocal "la la la"s all present and correct. He concludes, as he must, with "The Ballad Of Me And My Friends", leaving the Roundhouse crowd to sing the overwhelming majority of the lyrics. It's a song that means a lot to me and it's a joyous, life affirming communal experience. We're all basically fucked but we're going to go down swinging.
I got there for Seth Lakeman's main support set. It was something of a surprise choice for a support act. I'm not familiar with his work but have read enough gig guides to know that he's capable of selling out the Roundhouse on his own. Lakeman treated us to some virtuoso violin playing before half an hour of enjoyable folk rock. It transpired that Turner used to open for Lakeman in the early days of his career. Kudos to him for returning the favour.
Tonight's headline set was comprised entirely from Turner's debut record "Sleep Is For The Week" and his first two EPs, back when he was more troubled troubadour than rock and roll showman. How well does this material hold up? "The Real Damage" gets us off to a promising start, prompting huge singalongs. It's a song about blacking out for an entire Sunday, which I both can and can't relate to. It's one of a number of high points including the terrific weariness of "My Kingdom For A Horse" ("Don't you ever kind of wish that the world would just stop? That the band would pack up and the curtain would drop") and the vicious "Worst Things Happen At Sea", regarding a lost love. Many of Turner's songs from this period are about failed romances, but few are as distinctive.
"Sunshine State" for example feels supremely dull by comparison and features a cringeworthy line that not even Turner's earnestness can save. "Wisdom Teeth" fares a good deal better, as does the thoughtful "A Decent Cup Of Tea", despite being a quiet song in a vast space. Between the soulful solo numbers there's songs that are enhanced by the Sleeping Souls, including the Americana inspired "Nashville Tennessee" (now with pedal steel), the rambunctious "Once We Were Anarchists" and a loud rendition of the seldom heard "Ladies Of London Town" which elevates the track above the "boys chasing girls" lyrical territory it occupies.
"Father's Day" is the song one is most likely to hear in a modern day Turner set and unsuprisingly raises the energy level here, with the audience's backing vocal "la la la"s all present and correct. He concludes, as he must, with "The Ballad Of Me And My Friends", leaving the Roundhouse crowd to sing the overwhelming majority of the lyrics. It's a song that means a lot to me and it's a joyous, life affirming communal experience. We're all basically fucked but we're going to go down swinging.
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