Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls at Vans for Bands Online

After six months since their last live show together, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls have reunited for this very special milestone. During lockdown – what Turner dubs as “the boring apocalypse” – he has performed countless solo concerts on livestream with the only physical audience being his wife and cat. Despite all the fun and reasonable success of his individual performances, there is nothing as magical as getting the band back together again. And how better to celebrate the reunion than their 2500^th live performance?

The setlist is full of recognisable hits such as Get Better, Recovery and I Still Believe. It is designed to lyrically and rhythmically cater to that vicarious sense of life many may have adopted throughout the course of lockdown and isolation. It is full of summer cheer and vibrance, anthems of freedom and getaways, but most importantly – the chaos and uncertainty that has wreaked havoc this year. The songs exude fatigue and a hopeful sense of longing.

Get Better is a fantastic opener; it summons a series of different emotions on opposite ends of the spectrum from motivation to confusion. The transitional conversations between each song were really engaging and funny, and the sparks of laughter from the band’s members livened up the whole room. Every single track flowed seamlessly into the next, and it all felt very much like a concert made for a crowd. No corners were cut; one would assume that the closer would be Recovery, but they ended the night with two encore-worthy songs: I Still Believe and Four Simple Words.

Despite the lack of a physical audience, it was very much in tune with what anybody would expect from a rock concert. From the venue’s basement aesthetic, the chords and equipment dotted all over the small space, the hot and dizzying heatwave in the UK and Turner’s enriching charisma and infectious smile – it was all there. You could feel the vibration of energy and passion in each strum of the guitar and every lyric sung. Turner was breathless, the band members were sweating and you could hear through the screen every single one of them giving it their all. It might not make up for the experience of a live concert, but it was a fantastic watch nonetheless.

Mae Trumata
Photo: Guifré de Peray

For further information and future events visit Frank Turner’s website here.

Watch the video for The Next Storm here: