Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, live at Limelight, Belfast

“I was in Dublin last night and I’ve got a titanic hangover, so let’s play a drinking song!” announces former Million Dead frontman turned well-regarded folk-punk singer Frank Turner from the stage of a packed Limelight. But for the next hour and a bit, Turner and his band, the Sleeping Souls, refuse to let that get in the way of ending their gargantuan tour in style.

Seven albums into a career (two with Million Dead, five solo LPs) which has thus far seen Turner’s sheer bloody-mindedness and self-belief take him to heights none of us saw coming – that Olympics performance to billions really did happen.
Granted, he’s certainly not the first punk/post-hardcore type to dust down a flat cap and turn all folky. However, his down to earth lyrics and every-man attitude has definitely touched a nerve with people and sometimes that’s enough. Signing off with live favourite ‘I Still Believe’, his lyric “Who’ve thought that after all/ Something as simple as rock ‘n’ roll would save us all” has never sounded more apt. And it warms the heart to see his old school fans continue to keep the faith.