PHOTO GALLERY: Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls

Returning to London for the first time since his album release in May last year, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls made sure to remind everyone just how much fun a night filled with indie-folk tunes can be. From the second he stepped on stage until the moment he left, Frank and his band brilliantly captured the crowd’s full attention and had everyone jumping and singing from the get-go.

With an impressive 24-song setlist they did a fantastic job at keeping everyone energised throughout the night, even pulling off a surprisingly large fire display during “Try This At Home” and “I Still Believe”. Mixing old familiar classics (“If Ever I Stray” was an absolute crowd favourite) with a couple of newer songs from his last album, Frank performed a well-balanced set while also leaving some time to chat with the crowd in between songs. With his cheeky British charm and overabundant love for the entire city of London, he easily connected with every single person in the room, and his requests for everyone to keep their hands up and clap along were immediately met.

The Sleeping Souls, described by the band itself as ‘one soul split four ways’, backed Frank for most of the night, and only left the stage for a couple of songs in which it was just Frank and his guitar. He cleverly used the slight change of atmosphere to talk a bit more in-depth about his most recent album and the meaning of it’s title track. “Be More Kind” was heavily influenced by the world’s current political climate, and the small speech Frank gave about treating every human being with respect had the crowd cheering and applauding every word.

Rounding off the night with a 4-song encore, it was clear both the audience and Frank himself had  had the time of their lives. Having gone through a full range of folk songs, slow(ish) ballads, and absolute ‘scream-and-shout-until-your-lungs-give-out’ anthems, the night officially ended after a powerful rendition of “Four Simple Words” which had everyone raising their beers high in the air while stamping along to the rhythm.

Whether you were giving it your all at the barrier or having a drink in the back by the bar, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls put on a solid show that made the entire room feel like one big family and, contrasting the name, there wasn’t a single sleeping soul in sight. To borrow Frank’s words, ‘We’ll sing like the barricades are down and we’ll dance like there’s no one around’, which I’m happy to report we all enthusiastically did.