Music / Review
Review: Frank Turner, O2 Academy – ‘It was a celebration of strangers collectively shaking off their pain’
It feels poignant seeing Frank Turner at the end of week that began with World Mental Health Day. Where a gig full of songs about depression, addiction and suicide might usually be glum, it’s rather a liberating celebration of strangers collectively shaking off their pain.
Turner takes time to acknowledge this, willing us to talk to someone if we’re struggling, as he understands how difficult this can be. He himself has an impressive support network: three support acts welcome him to the stage, Mash P, Truckstop Honeymoon and Pet Needs – all strangely named, but still brilliant.
He explains that he intends tonight’s show to be two things: ‘a community event where everyone is welcome’, and more importantly, a ‘participation event’. He commands a mosh pit, and we’re baptised into his mesmerising punk-folk world.
After initially joking that we seemed ‘rusty’, he’s clearly taken by our efforts. For the rest of the gig he refers to us as ‘friends’, and it feels completely sincere.
Turner is a master of the live show. This gig is number 2702 of his FTHC album tour, and he’s not slowing down any time soon. He bounds across the stage sharing stories of growing up in the hills of Winchester playing Weezer songs, his parent coming out as trans, and an elaborate bit about Johnny Cash having dinner with Bono.
His smart lyricism is the kind that you can scream at your friends and they’ll be really impressed that you know all the words, and as he turns the lights to us, it’s clear that that’s exactly what’s happening.
Flitting between heavy rock anthems and plucky folk tracks, we go from jumping with our hands round one another’s shoulders to holding one another and swaying softly.
He ends with classic I Still Believe, and as someone runs out to do the harmonica solo, they’re greeted with utter pandemonium. As we all sing ‘Now who’d have thought that after all/Something as simple as rock ‘n’ roll would save us all’, those words have never felt more true.
Main photo: Mia Smith
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