Frank Turner /19th October / Wulfrun Hall / Wolverhampton

This is the third time this year I’ve seen Frank Turner live. After supporting The Gaslight Anthem and his set at Leeds Festival, I’m excited to see him headline on his own tour. The twentysomething singer/songwriter from Winchester combines basic guitar chords with upbeat rhythms along with very insightful and well written lyrics. This is the genius of Frank Turner, a guy with an acoustic guitar singing about waking up and not knowing where you are, getting a few too many pints in at the pub and never getting the girl. We can all relate to him.

I have mixed opinions of the gig itself. The set list started unfavourably for me with tracks from the new, more electric album dominating proceedings. This is not the Frank Turner I necessary came to see, however I realise when on tour for an album I don’t particularly enjoy this is to be expected. However, he makes up for it in the last half an hour of the 70 minute set. He performs fan favourites such as Love Ire & Song, I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous and Reasons Not To Be An Idiot to the rapturous Wolverhampton crowd. It gives a sense of collective despair when 1,500 people sing together “Life is about love, last minutes and lost evenings, about fire in our bellies and furtive little feelings, The only thing that's left to do is get another round in at the bar.” Yes we’re screwed but we’re all in this together.

He closes with the magnificent Ballad of Me and My Friends (“If you’re all about the destination, then take a fucking flight”) and finally Photosynthesis. All in all a great night enjoyed by myself and a good performance by Frank Turner who is either a lyrical genius who represents an entire demographic or a pretentious posh boy with a guitar wallowing in self-pity who sings about getting drunk. Make up your own mind.