Frank Turner // UEA LCR - 22.03.10

Frank Turner is an artist that I just can't get enough of live. He's so vibrant, energetic, charming – and on top of that, of course, the music is utterly brilliant. A near capacity UEA LCR last Monday evening just couldn't have agreed with me more. Originally supposed to happen at The Waterfront but upgraded due to phenomenal demand, the fact that everybody knew every word to every one of the songs – yeah, even the old ones – was one of many highlights that added to the buzz around this intrinsically not-to-be-missed show.

Exploding on stage in a timely manner after Chuck Ragan – who Frank tells us later was one of his idols growing up – completed his set, Frank kick started the evening with 'Photosynthesis', which incidentally was the final song of Mr. Turner's encore last time I saw him perform. A few excellent songs, shouts and thanks later, he opened dialogue about the fact that he'd played The Marquee in Norwich to an audience of twenty people a few years back, and playing the LCR was a new sensation, and a bit surreal. What a charmer. Frank Turner truly has the ability to speak to over 1,000 people at a show as if he was talking to four mates around a dinner table at home.

Other musical highlights of the show included new single 'Isabelle' (released April 5th) album title track 'Poetry Of The Deed' and 'The Road', the latter being the song which concluded Frank's encore this time round. Pure brilliance from his amazing new album, but there were old favourites too – 'Long Live The Queen' got the audience, as did 'The Real Damage' and 'I Knew Prufrock Before He Was Famous'