Live Review: Frank Turner - O2 Academy Birmingham (11/24/11)

Embarking along his own shores with his first big production tour, Frank Turner truly overwhelms expectations for his sold out show at the O2 Academy in Birmingham. Accompanying him is the lush songstress Emily Barker & the Red Clay Halo later follower by the intense, non-stop relentless energy from Florida's Against Me, performing with streams of sweat down their faces through a small selection of their back catalog.

As the curtains draw open during the opening bars of 'Eulogy,' Frank Turner and his band, The Sleeping Souls, are welcomed to the stage by cheers all around from the audience, Frank strums the sparse opening chords of the song and beckons to the entire room, like a town crier, and as the entire band accompanies Frank with each chord feeling like a building collapsing, a heartfelt crowd sings along to each and every word. With the next few songs being some of his biggest ('The Road' and 'If I Ever Stray') an untamed crowd ploughs through as a solitary force to be reckoned with.

The theatrical production of the entire show is mesmerizing in itself. 'Sons Of Liberty' in particular gives off this majestic lift and the intensity of the lights made the song feel a lot more dramatic. The accompaniment from the lights also made "One Foot Before The Other" a lot more dark and mysterious as it is on the original album. Frank's stagemanship is beyond charismatic and is probably up there with the greats like Freddie Mercury and Bruce Springsteen. Speaking of which, the band roared into a cover of Queen's 'Somebody To Love' where Frank had a perfect chance to pay homage to Freddie Mercury, by ditching his guitar, as well as performing his best impression.

An entire dictionary of words couldn't describe the grandiose, theatrical conclusion to Frank's set, 'Photosynthesis'. Before the final sing along, Turner requests that everyone in the audience sings along to the final chorus of the night (this list including; bar staff, the crew, support bands, plus ones and the security guards at the front of the barrier), and as they do, two cannons sputter confetti into the audience and as it rains down upon the audience, an apologetic Turner makes a run for the exit before the cleaners of the O2 Academy come after him.

George Gadd