Folk legend checks of another monumental show

★★★★★ (5/5)

FRANK TURNER PERFORMING AT LONDON’S 93 FEET EAST AS PART OF BRITS WEEK FOR WAR CHILD
PHOTOCREDIT: PATRICK GUNNING

A stream of Friday night revellers made their way to the confines of 93 Feet East to see folk-punk icon Frank Turner. This intimate show formed part of the 2025 Brits Week as organised by the charity War Child.

The rustic low-fi opener of Ben Brown put the audience in a thoroughly vibrant mood with a unique blend of acoustic singer-songwriter performances.

With a brief introduction, that reiterated the important work that War Child performs in conflict zones, it was time for the main event. Turner opened the night with “The Real Damage” which felt fitting for a Friday night as tales of one too many drinks and creeping hangovers felt apt.

This show made up one of the stops on Turner’s “Road to 3000” tour which sees him approach his three thousandth show as a solo artist. Tonight had the penultimate place as show 2999, and Turner had an idea of how to make the show its own beast. He said that any song performed on this second-to-last night would not be performed during the finale 3000th show. As a result, Turner promised the assembled fans a set that spanned many deep cuts as well as sing-alongs. This served as a reminder of the quality of the catalogue that Turner has amassed over his decades in the music industry.

Turner stood alone on the stage as his longtime backing band, the Sleeping Souls, was absent on the night in preparation for the show three thousand the next day. However, rather than impinging the performance, this allowed Turner to harken back to the Springsteen Americana charm that has inspired much of his work.

Never one to shy away from a soapbox tonight, rather fittingly, would be no exception as Turner lampooned political failings through his songs and reiterated his support for the War Child cause. Many of the punkier songs in the set sound as punchy as ever and feel like they could have been written in any year since their inception.

With the road to his three thousandth show on his mind, Turner became reflective. Especially as he revealed that his first solo show took place the night’s venue. Show number one was in the September of 2004, at a benefit gig. As a nod to that first performance, he declared that he would play the entire seven-song set from that initial night. Consisting mostly of acoustic punk covers a surprise rendition of “Dancing Queen” proved a hit as those in attendance showed their love for ABBA. The nostalgia continued as Turner took pause to talk about the hotly anticipated reunion of his previous band Million Dead later this year, 20 years after their initial split.

The set spanned many different albums and eras from Turner’s career. Track “Mittens” worked to paint an epic love story into the hardware-inspired line “We used to fit like mittens, but never like gloves”, this kitchen-sink realism approach to lyrics and songwriting showed Turner’s artistry. The aptly titled “Ceasefire” from 2024’s “Undefeated” delivered a narrative frame of reconciling with the expectations of youth and how people change over time. A touching tribute to Scot Hutchinson of Frightened Rabbit on “A Wave Across a Bay” saw a beautifully tender moment of reflection. Closing out the night with the political note “Love and Ire” felt appropriate. The optimism in the song, hoping that the world can be better than it frequently is, goes hand in hand with the message of the night.

With the final chords ringing out it was over. As the audience emerged into the cold February night, all were in agreement that they had just witnessed a very special show. Not quite show 3000, but maybe the best 2999th show ever.

These intimate performances have been part of the War Child 2025 Brits week in an effort to raise money to protect, educate, and stand up for the rights of children living through war.

You can donate at https://www.warchild.org.uk