Live Review

Frank Turner, Strummerville – Hearn Street Car Park, London

• 12th May 2011

If you’ve never been to a Strummerville show before, I can honestly tell you that you’re missing something spectacular. Transforming a car park into a venue can’t be an easy task, but my goodness it looks fantastic in here tonight, with two stages, two bars, a beautifully decorated VW van and some excellent stage lighting. Before tonight, I’d never been to a Strummerville show, but after tonight, I can’t wait for the next one. It’s truly magnificent. Over the two stages tonight are more acts that I can reasonably fit into one review, but I’ve highlighted the three which I think encapsulate tonight’s theme best.

Based on tonights set, The Vagabonds play NY-influenced punk as well as any band currently on the touring circuit, but that compliment does come with a flipside: if you don’t happen to like NY-influenced punk, then you’re probably not going to like them. This doesn’t seem to be a problem for this crowd however, with those who have chosen to watch them getting fairly into the set. A solid, if unspectacular, live band with good tunes for people who like that type of music.

Shooting Star Poets are a rap group from Liverpool who, based on what’s available on the internet, are lyrically skilled with an interesting flow. Tonight however, although the sound is excellent for most acts, the system just doesn’t seem to catch their lyrics quickly enough, making them difficult to follow. For a rock band, this would be a bit of an issue, but for a rap act, it’s the be all and end all. Although further research shows that they are a good group, it’s difficult to hear that tonight.

The Joker & The Thief don’t really fit into any one musical school of thinking, borrowing from seemingly anywhere and everywhere to create interesting music that it’s possible to follow and enjoy without being a musical intellectual. Their debut EP is coming out in June, and it’ll be very interesting to see what people make of it; definitely worth a listen when it’s released if you like music with heart though.

Of course, tonight is primarily about one man: Frank Turner. For a few years now, he’s been plying his trade on his own, and tonight is a celebration of his 1,000th solo show. Suitably, the crowd and the man himself both seem to be in party mood, with the stage completely packed from front to back before the man who should be England’s favourite son takes the stage. Armed with only his acoustic guitar, incredible voice and phenomenal lyrics, Turner whips the crowd into a frenzy, every voice singing the words back to him as loudly as they humanly can.

Utilising his extensive back catalogue to its full potential, the audience is treated to most of his singles, as well as crowd favourites such as “The Ballad Of Me And My Friends”, a bare-bones ode to hopes, dreams and how we live our lives. Frank Turner has an incredible gift for live shows, connecting with every member of the audience on a slightly different level; some people are dancing around madly, others are standing and staring in awestruck hypnosis.

If you’ve not been to Strummerville before, then you need to go. If you’ve not been to a Frank Turner show before, then you need to go. Having them both in one place results in a phenomenal event, but I can’t help but feel that every Strummerville show has this kind of magical atmosphere; with an anything-goes attitude towards musical talent, this line-up would not be repeated anywhere else in England, such is the diversity of genres on display, and it results in a liberating atmosphere that just makes you feel free. Cheesy that may be, but it really is the only way I can think of describing tonight. This is how music should be enjoyed, with anyone and everyone welcome, and anyone and everyone going home happy.

More information about future Strummerville events can be found by following this [link].