#lostevenings2

Ths weekend is the second edition of Frank Turner’s Lost Evenings festival - a 4-day takeover of most of Camden in London where he is the headline act each night at the world-famous Roundhouse.

Last night we had tickets for the 10-year anniversary show of Love Ire & Song. Given the culture around him and the density of fan favourites on that album, it was a very special night. It was not played in order, and anyone who knows the record knows this was a good move as it opens with a perfect encore of 3 songs.

He opened the show with a beautiful solo piano rendition of Jet Lag - only the second time he has ever played it on piano and the first time in 15-20 shows I’ve been to that I’ve seen him anywhere near the piano. Once the black backdrop fell to reveal a 3-story tall album poster (”everyone should get one of these”), what followed was a passionate tour through that era with album tracks and ones written or released around that time. This included the first live rendition of Old Flames - released as a B-Side to Positive Songs’ Song for Josh - that apparently was written 11 years ago and was meant for the album but his duet partner ‘became too famous’ to do it in the end... we wonder who that may have been. Emily Barker returned the duet favour for that track as Frank had joined her during her supporting set for the brilliant Fields of June.

The emotion crescendoed when he played Love, Ire & Song (the title track from the album), I Knew Prufrock and Ballad of Me and My Friends pretty much back to back (the last opening the encore). Voices raised and lyrically pertinent across all 3 as all assembled company threw their hearts out through their mouths all singing / shouting at the top of their voice. in 13 years of gig going I’ve seen some special crowd moments - that triplet joins that illustrious list. the gig then ended with the traditional, battering rendition of Photosynthesis - always a lot of fun!