Frank Turner - Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach
Artist profile:
Frank Turner
Date: 20/04/08
Rating: ****
Frank Turner has built a reputation for his unending touring schedule – but even for someone with his sights set on more gigs than hot dinners, nineteen nights on the trot without a break is a bit much. And though there’s been a merciful day off before this Sunday night in Cardiff, there are still very tired legs taking to the stage tonight – but that doesn’t mean it’s less than fun.
For example, when Ciara Haidar starts her first of two sets (She’s also Frank’s keyboard player), she may look and sound ready for bed, but still manages a set of lively and often funny songs with the aid of only an unfamiliar keyboard and an ankle-cartilage-terrifying stamping percussion. Her voice is in bad shape, but being armed with songs like ‘Two Young Lovers’ and ‘Drink to Forget’, early on in the tour she’d probably have stolen your heart.
While Rocklouder is utterly gutted ex-Unbelievable Truth frontman Andy Yorke isn’t playing this Cardiff date, we’re more than happy to have Chris T-T instead. With songs like ‘Bankrupt’ and ‘This Gun Is Not A Gun’, it’d be easy to expect between-song soap-boxing. Luckily, this isn’t the case, letting the tales of moral, political and social injustice come across through the music. He takes a dangerous step with ‘M1 Song’ by putting his guitar down to sing it a-capella. It’s a move that is initially met with an uncomfortable silence, but once the tale of man vs. tree is over, receives the loudest applause of the night.
After nineteen days on and one day off, you can forgive Frank Turner and his band for appearing a little bleary-eyed. At least we can feel more comfortable having him on stage this time: The last time he was here he arrived shortly before his stage time, having just got back from the funeral of a close friend, the album highlight (‘Long Live The Queen’) dedicated to her notable in its absence from tonight’s set. What isn’t notable in its absence is the crowd – the last time he was here, Ifor Bach was half-full. This time it’s rammed. It means his weary voice is bolstered by a full venue’s-worth of backing singers that know every single word.
New material shines through – not that there’s anything wrong with the likes of ‘Father’s Day’ or the legendary ‘Real Damage’, but his new material is a stunning improvement in the live environment. His backing band are spot-on; Ciara back on keyboards and the ever-excellent Nigel Powell behind the kit, tracks like the uproarious ‘Photosynthesis’ are far better than their already quality recorded versions. The Lemonheads-on-steroids racket of ‘Imperfect Tense’ is a welcome addition for fans of his noisy past, but the biggest surprise of the night is ‘A Love Worth Keeping’, one of his best songs to date on record, it sounds sweeping work of beauty live – a world apart from every other track and a clear example of how much he has improved.
Not to be outdone by the newer material, there’s still plenty of time for ‘Back In The Day’ to get the audience dosie-doe-ing and for the crowd to drown out Frank’s vocals on compulsory sing-along ‘The Ballad Of Me and My friends’. The crowd participation this time round is exhilarating to be a part of, and a sign that Turner won’t be confined to venues of this size for much longer. Who knows, he might even get a few more days off in there somewhere.
Phillip May
Frank Turner Official Site
Frank Turner Myspace
Buy Frank Turner CDs | Buy Frank Turner mp3s | Buy Frank Turner Tickets | Buy Frank Turner Merch
Date: 20/04/08
Rating: ****
Frank Turner has built a reputation for his unending touring schedule – but even for someone with his sights set on more gigs than hot dinners, nineteen nights on the trot without a break is a bit much. And though there’s been a merciful day off before this Sunday night in Cardiff, there are still very tired legs taking to the stage tonight – but that doesn’t mean it’s less than fun.
For example, when Ciara Haidar starts her first of two sets (She’s also Frank’s keyboard player), she may look and sound ready for bed, but still manages a set of lively and often funny songs with the aid of only an unfamiliar keyboard and an ankle-cartilage-terrifying stamping percussion. Her voice is in bad shape, but being armed with songs like ‘Two Young Lovers’ and ‘Drink to Forget’, early on in the tour she’d probably have stolen your heart.
While Rocklouder is utterly gutted ex-Unbelievable Truth frontman Andy Yorke isn’t playing this Cardiff date, we’re more than happy to have Chris T-T instead. With songs like ‘Bankrupt’ and ‘This Gun Is Not A Gun’, it’d be easy to expect between-song soap-boxing. Luckily, this isn’t the case, letting the tales of moral, political and social injustice come across through the music. He takes a dangerous step with ‘M1 Song’ by putting his guitar down to sing it a-capella. It’s a move that is initially met with an uncomfortable silence, but once the tale of man vs. tree is over, receives the loudest applause of the night.
After nineteen days on and one day off, you can forgive Frank Turner and his band for appearing a little bleary-eyed. At least we can feel more comfortable having him on stage this time: The last time he was here he arrived shortly before his stage time, having just got back from the funeral of a close friend, the album highlight (‘Long Live The Queen’) dedicated to her notable in its absence from tonight’s set. What isn’t notable in its absence is the crowd – the last time he was here, Ifor Bach was half-full. This time it’s rammed. It means his weary voice is bolstered by a full venue’s-worth of backing singers that know every single word.
New material shines through – not that there’s anything wrong with the likes of ‘Father’s Day’ or the legendary ‘Real Damage’, but his new material is a stunning improvement in the live environment. His backing band are spot-on; Ciara back on keyboards and the ever-excellent Nigel Powell behind the kit, tracks like the uproarious ‘Photosynthesis’ are far better than their already quality recorded versions. The Lemonheads-on-steroids racket of ‘Imperfect Tense’ is a welcome addition for fans of his noisy past, but the biggest surprise of the night is ‘A Love Worth Keeping’, one of his best songs to date on record, it sounds sweeping work of beauty live – a world apart from every other track and a clear example of how much he has improved.
Not to be outdone by the newer material, there’s still plenty of time for ‘Back In The Day’ to get the audience dosie-doe-ing and for the crowd to drown out Frank’s vocals on compulsory sing-along ‘The Ballad Of Me and My friends’. The crowd participation this time round is exhilarating to be a part of, and a sign that Turner won’t be confined to venues of this size for much longer. Who knows, he might even get a few more days off in there somewhere.
Phillip May
Frank Turner Official Site
Frank Turner Myspace
Buy Frank Turner CDs | Buy Frank Turner mp3s | Buy Frank Turner Tickets | Buy Frank Turner Merch
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