Frank Turner: Show 3000 

Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls:

With 10 albums under his belt, including a UK Number 1, and five others reaching top 3, there can be no denying the impact Frank Turner has had on the UK music scene over the last two decades. However despite these impressive stats, it's actually on the stage where Frank is most renowned. As an avid advocate for grassroots music you will struggle to find a venue across the country that Frank hasn't played, which makes it easy to see how he has racked up 2999 gigs to his name. All of that musical history led to last night, Frank Turner's 300th show, taking place at the iconic Alexandra Palace.

Given this gig sold out months ago, it was no surprise that on the approach to Alexandra Palace you were met with a wave of Frank Turner T-Shirts, but what was perhaps even more heart-warming was the number of people wearing shirts of the acts that have supported Frank over the years. Many bands like Pet Needs and Skinny Lister were given huge platforms by Frank across his last 2999 shows, so to see tonight's audience so well represented by them was rather fitting. These were not the only shirts in sight however, as Frank had released a special one-off shirt for Show 3000, which provided a custom space for people to write in the first Frank Turner show they to. This led to some extremely wholesome moments throughout the evening of complete strangers becoming friends, bonding over their past shows whilst recalling stories from the night.

As the time approached for Frank to take to the stage large numbers appeared on the screens at the back of the stage, starting at 1 and counting all the way to 2999, representing the gigs that led up to this moment. The number would eventually tick over to '3000', at which point Frank Turner appeared under a singular spotlight holding an acoustic guitar, being met by one of the loudest responses I have ever heard from a crowd. He opened with cult favourite 'The Ballad of Me and My Friends', which was met with a rapturous sing along from the 10,000 strong in attendance. As a huge applause brought 'The Ballad' to an end, Frank would be joined on stage by his live band 'The Sleeping Souls'. The anthemic 'I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous' followed, a song that builds more and more as it progresses, acting as the perfect full-band welcome to the night.

We now had our front-man, we had our live band, but for the night to really begin there was one more kick of volume from the crowd requested. To the credit of all in attendance the crowd were in fine voice from the get-go, but it was the call and response section of third song 'I Still Believe' which really picked the volume up a gear. From this point onwards the volume and energy levels would not drop, providing the perfect platform to build a career-spanning night of folk and punk brilliance atop. The setlist was nothing short of perfection, mixing tracks from Frank's most recent album 'Undefeated', such as 'Do One' and 'Girl From the Record Shop', with the biggest and best songs from across his career, like 'The Next Storm' and 'I Am Disappeared'. Intertwined amongst these were some fan cult favourites such as 'Try This at Home', but having heard the response to each song live you'd have never been able to work out which song was 'bigger' than another, as they were all screamed back to Frank as if the audience's life depended on every word.

After an hour or so of blissful folk-punk chaos, Frank would again stand alone centre stage, with just an acoustic guitar, a spotlight on him, and screens illuminated with an image of Alexandra Palace's famed stained glass window. With just his raw vocals and guitar, supported by a 10,000 person choir, Frank would play a rousing of 'The Road' before delivering truly poignant performances of 'Long Live the Queen' and 'Be More Kind'. These were two of the most emotional songs played on the night, and it was clear from the palpable energy they left on the audience that they'd struck a chord with many in attendance.

This touching moment ended with the stained-glass windows fading as The Sleeping Souls made their way back to the stage, ready to kickstart the home straight to the end of the night. This string of songs featured sing-a-long after sing-a-long, with stirring renditions of 'The Way I Tend to Be', 'If Ever I Stray', and 'Recovery'. The performance of 'If Ever I Stray' was particularly impressive, being accompanied by a wave of some 20,000 hands up in the air clapping along. A rip-roaring rendition of 'Never Mind the Back Problems' came next, being followed by main set closer 'Photosynthesis'. This song is always a highlight of any Frank Turner gig, but I am not sure it has ever carried quite as much weight as it did last night.

Before the encore had even begun this was already a true night to remember, but with a quartet of songs featuring some of his best work, Frank firmly stamped this night as one of the greatest nights Alexandra Palace had ever seen. The title track of most recent record 'Undefeated' opened the encore, a song which clearly already means a lot to many in the crowd, but also Frank himself. It was perhaps this song more than any on the night were it really seemed to dawn on Frank all that he has achieved. As much as this night was a celebration of Frank's music and the community it has created, it was also a celebration of Frank Turner the man, and this song sums his journey in the most moving way. After such a powerful performance it was time to get the audience fully moving again, and there is no better tool to call upon for this than 'Polaroid Picture'. A wave of jumping fans accompanied every chorus of this song, creating a true spectacle, highlighted further by the crowd-shots appearing on the big screen.

The night was eventually brought to an end by the eternal duo of 'Get Better' and 'Four Simple Words', with thank yous to the band and audience happening on the link between the songs. These two tracks epitomise Frank Turner's music, high energy songs that feature empowering lyricism, often with a focus on the beauty that follows music communities. There were a few moments of reflection across the night, with Frank taking the opportunity to talk about his career so far and what people across the industry mean to him. However the best proof of Frank's impact on music and those around him was the night's closer. After crowd-surfing for part of the song, Frank was joined on stage by the night's supports 'The Lottery Winners' and 'The Meffs', who came out to dance alongside a packed-out audience. Despite being nearly 2 hours deep by this point, the crowd still maintained their fine voice, with by far the loudest sing-alongs of the night. This was a chorus of 10,000 people whose lives have been made infinitely better by the words of one of this generations greatest song writers, who in turn was sharing the stage with musicians whose careers have flourished whilst working with him. There couldn't have been a more perfect end.

Show 3000 was a reflection on all Frank Turner has done in his 20 years as a solo artist, and a celebration of all he has done, both for himself and so many others. However, Show 3000 also acted as a reminder that even with that many shows under his belt, Frank is showing no signs of slowing, and will continue to remain a vital cornerstone of the music scene for years to come... and the scene is alot better off for it.

The Meffs:

It takes a special band to open a night set to be this iconic, and there may not be many better to do it than The Meffs. The Colchester duo delivered a riotous set of BritPunk brilliance, being greeted by an ever-growing audience all rushing through upon hearing how incredible they are live. It becomes a cliché when talking about duos like The Meffs, but the sound they create from just two people with two instruments seriously is impressive. The seamless synchronicity that Lily Hopkins and Lewis Copsey share is truly spellbinding, with the duos chemistry being radiant from first note till last. As frequent collaborators of Frank Turner there really couldn't have been a more perfect band to start the night off, with their catchy high-energy songs making the Alexandra Palace audience gripped from the get go. Songs like 'Stamp It Out' and 'Deathwish' had the crowd on board instantly, and whilst a cover of The Prodigy's 'Breathe' helped sweeten the deal, it was really The Meffs original music that won the hearts of all in attendance. By the time set closer 'Broken Britain, Broken Brains' rang out there can't have been a single soul in Alexandra Palace who hadn't been one over.

The Lottery Winners:

The night's second support came from Special Guests The Lottery Winners, the talk of the indie scene right now. With upcoming album KOKO impending, the 2024 SBTM Live Act of the Year are going from strength to strength. The response to their set opener 'Worry' made it abundantly clear that a large portion of the night's crowd were also Lottery Winners fans, but it was second track 'Turn Around' which not only cemented the conversion of any newcomers to the band into fans, but also showcased why they are on such a meteoric rise at the moment. The chorus is one of the catchiest you will hear, and it's pairing with joyous dance moves means you cannot help but have a smile on your face throughout. This was followed by 'Much Better' being fittingly sandwiched by two of the band's collaborations with the night's headliner Frank Turner, 'Letter to Myself' and 'Start Again'.

Of course like all of The Lottery Winners gigs the music is only half the fun, with the other coming from the hilarious on stage antics of lead singer Thom Rylance. Thom was in fine form last night, getting the audience on board from the get go, leaving many audience members in stitches with his ad lib comments and song introductions. However what was quite noticeable on occasion last night, not just on Thom's face but also bandmates Katie Lloyd, Robert Lally, and Joe Singleton, was how taken aback they were by the response they were receiving. With every song that passed the audience reaction grew and grew, meaning by the time set closer 'Burning House' came to an end, you could've been excused for thinking this was a Lottery Winners headline gig... After all, it is undoubtedly only a matter of time until they are headlining rooms this big