Entering Academy 1 just after doors and those of us early attendees were in for a surprise treat, added a few days ago on the tour was an extra support act in the form of Mash P. Introduced by Frank Turner himself who told the story of how he first met Mash in 2017 in Freetown, Sierra Leone where he was living on the street, and visiting the way out arts charity to find his art and his voice.

Five years later Mash P is in the UK, music saved his life, and he is funding his studies through music. Playing a vibrant mixture of Afrobeat and Dancehall this was an incredibly enjoyable set, the joy radiating from him during the performance was almost tangible and he was bouncing and jumping around the stage, he built up an awesome vibe amongst those who’d turned up as early as they could to the venue.

As Mash finished, we were then greeted with the first official support Truckstop Honeymoon consisting of husband-and-wife duo Katie and Mike West from New Orleans, attired in such a way they could have almost stepped straight from the canvas of American Gothic, but with a banjo and a double bass. Playing a delightful bluegrass/Americana set which was delivered with an effortless rustic charm in a southern drawl, punctuated with sparkling wit in the delivery that had the crowd enraptured.

Mike introduced a song by saying that they’d spent 20 years on the road, touring 3 continents and having raised four kids so Miss Katie had got no patience left and the crowd had better shout out loud a greeting of ‘Hello Miss Katie’, was met with the required chant and plenty of laughter too as they well and truly won the crowd over.

 

Their set seemed remarkably short but was both captivating and hilarious, introducing the song ‘Your Mother is a Sociopath’ by asking if there were any mothers in the crowd. This was a duo that loved to play with expectations and even had a children’s book available, they certainly played expertly with any expectations you may have had of them. A story about used to live in Manchester 32 years ago and having visited the area that day declared it was still as ‘broke-ass’ as ever, left me not caring if it was true or not, too busy chuckling along they definitely won me over tonight with an incredibly charismatic performance.

 

Following on from them was the first loud band of the night, the main support act Pet Needs who proceeded to remind me that I’d somehow forgotten my earplugs that night. They too had infectious energy to them. Raucous, they played tracks from their latest EP Primetime Entertainment, which they’d recorded in Frank Turner’s shed. This was a non-stop set of catchy ‘fractured party music’ which to be fair sounded like heavier pop-punk without the cheese.

Another band seemingly expertly chosen to build the vibe in the room, this was shaping to be one hell of a party in the making. With awkward dancing and amusing stories about the drummer’s failed attempt at washing meaning he was currently sat performing in soggy shorts, the set was punctuated with flying guitars, shapes galore, and big crowd engagement. It’s also one of the few times I’ve heard a ‘fuck Mickey Mouse chant’ after a story about the Academy on that night not charging merchandise fee, which was better than when they’d played Disneyland, who wanted $800 to sell merch. So yes, F the mouse indeed.

 

The band is coming back to Manchester to play at the 100-cap venue Gulliver’s in the Northern Quarter. I imagine after tonight a venue upgrade may be in order. They were perfect supports, and massive applause at the end, they owned that stage, and by the time they finished the atmosphere was already electric inside Academy 1.

 

Frank Turner & the sleeping souls took to the stage for their 11th Manchester gig, and it was absolutely incredible from start to its eventual finish 2 hours later, opening with ‘Four Simple Words’, ‘Haven’t been Doing So Well’ and ‘Photosynthesis’, I was in heaven right from the get-go.

 

Particular highlights were tracks such as ‘The Work’ and a story about turning a lovely folk song about relationships for his wife into a rock song, and we were summarily invited to mosh for long-term relationships.

2022’s FTHC (read our review here) track ‘Miranda’, a song about his broken relationship with his father now being repaired as they have transitioned to a transwoman called Miranda, was met with a huge and especially warm singalong from the crowd.

 

The song ‘Wave Across a Bay’ is a particularly emotional tribute to the late Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit who tragically took his own life. A bittersweet tribute, sad but happy, a celebration of life. The sight of several hundred people holding drinks aloft and raising a tribute was spectacular. They say that you’re not truly dead if people remember you and it must be said that few could hope for such a memorial. No, you’re crying.

 

The next four songs were performed solo with just frank and his acoustic, a combination in which he truly shines. This section starts with ‘There She Is’, ‘Cleopatra in Brooklyn’ before we see a welcome return to the set of ‘Thatcher Fucked the Kids’, a reaction to the fresh round of dickheads we have in government. The last acoustic song before the band returned was ‘Be More Kind’, a song written in 2016 and he was worried that the world would calm down and he’d never get to perform it live. Spoiler alert: the world did not in fact calm down.

 

When the band comes back in for ‘The Way I Tend to Be’, the atmosphere is huge, pure unadulterated optimism, and good vibes loom large in the air. A story about his first gig in Manchester at the Star and Garter back in 1999 with the band Kneejerk and hardcore punk ideology, before launching into a blistering rendition of ‘Non Serviam’ followed by a life-affirming rendition of ‘The Gathering’, At this point the venue feels like it might explode with the energy crammed into the venue.

Damn it feels incredible tonight, life-affirmingly awesome, the kind of once-in-a-blue-moon gig that makes you want to go out and make the world a better place for everyone.

 

Setlist

Four Simple Words

Haven’t Been Doing So Well

Photosynthesis

Punches

1933

Plain Sailing Weather

The Work

I Am Disappeared

Out Of Breath

Miranda

If Ever I Stray

The Next Storm

Wave Across a Bay

There She Is

Cleopatra In Brooklyn

Thatcher Fucked the Kids

Be More Kind

The Way I Tend to Be

Non Serviam

The Gathering

Polaroid Picture

Get Better

The Ballad of me and My Friends

Recovery

Try This at Home

I Still Believe

 

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY RICH PRICE