The first time I saw Frank Turner it was something of an accident. He was playing with Tellison in Kingston and wondered who this odd man confidently playing solo songs on stage was. I also wondered why everyone in the room knew the words. I felt a bit left out. Since that day, Frank Turner has come a long, long way. His entire tour of the country just sold out and the hordes packing out Shepherds Bush Empire tonight are terribly excited for this gig. Everyone, it seems, has been looking forward to it for a long time.
I'm not a big fan of Shepherds Bush. The sound's always dodgy. Also it smells funny. So I can't help but be a little wary and as soon as the band break into the opening bars of 'Live Fast Die Old' the characteristically bad sound rears its head. But it really isn't going to matter. No-one's here for a lesson in music tech. We're here because we bloody love Frank Turner and the chance to see him with the whole of Shepherds Bush Empire singing along is something we can't miss.
There's a decent mix of songs tonight. Enough tracks from 'Poetry of the Deed' to please Frank's latest fans, and naturally a massive chunk from both 'Love, Ire and Song' and 'Sleep is for the Week'. Some nice throwbacks also in the form of old-school track 'Nashville Tennesse' and Million Dead's 'Smiling at Strangers on Trains'.
There are a few stand-out moments. The first is 'The Real Damage' and it's obvious that even Frank is blown away by the crowd's sing-a-long fervour. The second rather interesting moment is Mr Turner's insistence on educating the crowd about English folk songs by singing us one. Alone. Without a guitar. It's definitely a brave feat and at first everyone's a little unsure, but it's a haunting song and the applause at the end is huge.
The main set finishes on the sombre 'Journey of the Magi' and naturally, being the last date of the tour, Frank returns to the stage for a rousing finale. Crowd favourites 'Reasons Not to be an Idiot' and the brilliant 'Photosynthesis' bring the night to a close, as the stage overflows with Frank's friends and support bands. As the stage clears and the crowd start to shuffle towards the exit, there's a shared feeling in the air: That was good. That was damn good.
Photo credit: dichohecho
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