Frank Turner may have a smallish Irish following, but they’re an extremely dedicated bunch. There’s a lengthy queue snaking from the door of Cyprus Avenue onto Oliver Plunkett Street ahead of the show, which includes several punters who’ve followed him from his Kilkenny gig the previous night. In between the boisterous punches of folk-punk, the former Million Dead frontman Turner greets his audience like long-lost brothers and sisters, while expressing both his amusement and paternal concern at the hordes of teenagers celebrating (or drowning out) their Junior Cert results.
Turner tears through a set-list of over 20 songs, with ‘Peggy Sang The Blues’ and covers of Loudon Wainwright’s ‘Motel Blues’ and Queen’s ‘I Want To Break Free’ standing out as highlights in a performance that captivates the faithful but sometimes leaves the more casual observer cold. While the tempo is consistently rousing, and the man himself is engaging and charming, many of the tunes lack a killer hook. Turner gets top marks for his infectious stage presence and sweat-dripping effort, but ultimately there is little here that will turn those previously unmoved by his material into diehard fans.