Spending his early years in rural Hampshire, Frank Turner wasted no time chasing his love of punk rock to its spiritual home in Camden Town. You might expect if you were to ask him what his favourite venue is, he would choose The Nambucca, where the ambitions of his solo project began, or the legendary Camden Underworld, which he has graced under his own name and with the once defunct, now returning Hardcore band, Million Dead.
Frank Turner – Show 3016
Rock City, Nottingham – 6 April 2025
Words And Photography: Matt Pratt
Whilst these incredible venues undoubtedly rank incredibly highly in Turner’s encyclopedic record of historic gigs, there is only one venue that the tireless troubadour claims to be the best in the world: Rock City.
The iconic Nottingham landmark is the only music venue that has been indelibly etched into the singer’s tattoo-covered body and forms the location for Turner’s 3016th show this evening.
For an artist who seems hell-bent on playing every venue, in each town, throughout all the countries on the planet, it is a credit to our humble east midlands city that Turner visits so frequently.
The singer-songwriter was keen to highlight that 1% of all of his shows have taken place in Nottingham, two of which came within the last year, one next door at Rescue Rooms and the other at Saltbox, contributing to his world record of the most concerts headlined in 24 hours.
Frank Turner even hand-picked Rock City as the destination of his celebratory 2000th show on 15 December 2016, so the raucous adoration which the artist received upon entering the familiar stage tonight would have come as no surprise. 
Though his solo project began as just one man and an acoustic guitar, Turner has developed and fine-tuned his live performances with absolute mastery over the last 20 years. His longtime touring companions, The Sleeping Souls, have allowed the artist to expand upon his acoustic offering and indulge in the more energetic rock music that inspired his musical career.
Energy was immediately thrown on display as the musicians launched into their performance with bouncing renditions of No Thank You For The Music, Girl From The Record Shop and 1933. The tunes from some of Turner’s more recent albums immediately set the tone for the uplifting evening of entertainment with grins beaming from wall to wall of the famous venue.
The set was not simply an advertisement for the recent and already hugely popular work of the artist. It was sure to pay respect to each and every era of the singer’s extensive solo career. Songs such as Recovery, Photosynthesis, If Ever I Stray, and The Road took us on a nostalgic tour of the performer’s back catalogue, and there were no questions as to whether the crowd knew the words.
The older songs were not the only elements that harked back to shows of yesteryear. Ever the entertainer, Turner has assembled a box of tricks over his long career which are sure to keep the audience on their toes.
There is seldom a performance of Photosynthesis that does not feature the age-old crouch-down and jump-up segment. However, modern renditions feature a far shorter crouching section as the singer admitted he had to look out for our ageing knees.
Frank Turner also broke down another strategy where he would typically insist a neighbouring town performed a sing-along better to encourage greater participation, which, while working with perfection in the confines of the British Isles, has had to be approached with greater caution in countries with a more fiery approach to rivalries.
Around the midpoint of the show, The Sleeping Souls departed the stage, leaving Turner alone with an acoustic guitar, just as he began his solo career. After a jovial performance of Tattoos, the show reached an emotional peak as the singer expressed his outlook on the grim current political climate through the song Be More Kind, urging us not to sink to the levels of those who look to spread hatred.
Despite the wider societal conflict, the general feeling within the room was one of a safe space where individuals of similar worldviews have come together for a few hours of shared joy. This was recognised as Turner performed The Ballad Of Me And My Friends.
With the return of The Sleeping Souls, the music ran back with full force into a rendition of I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous from the album Love Ire & Song, which celebrated its 17th anniversary earlier this week. This was followed by more popular songs, Peggy Sang The Blues and Do One to which the crowd “do-do-do-ed” at Turner’s command.
After the faux-finish of the show, Turner returned to encore with Somewhere Inbetween from his latest album and namesake for the tour, Undefeated. The emotional song details the relatable feelings of imposter syndrome and struggles with one’s identity.
Soaring into its final beats with defiance, the song had an overwhelming and empowering impact, sending chills down the body.
Finishing on a high, Turner delivered his endless reserves of energy through Polaroid Picture, Get Better and Four Simple Words, with the singer taking to the crowd for the final song, coming up close and personal with the revering fans whom he has created a lasting memory for.
Some may argue that, as someone who had been to 14 Frank Turner shows prior to tonight, I may not have been the unbiased opinion best suited to write a balanced review of this evening’s entertainment.
I would argue that my repeated attendance is the perfect assessment of what Turner offers in his performance, an addictive live show with heartfelt lyrics and boundless energy.
Turner will, without doubt, continue to evolve his sound and release more relatable punk rock poetry which I will proudly continue to follow with each and every tour that accompanies it, as should you. 
