Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls - O2 Leeds Academy 02.04.2025
- Sean Friswell
- Apr 18
- 2 min read
Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls
Amigo the Devil
Harrison Rimmer
Show 3013
There's something special about a Frank Turner show, whether it's the fans, the setlist or the energy on stage. This time, it was all 3.
Opening the show was Harrison Rimmer, specifically chosen by Frank following an open invitation for people wanting to be first support. As someone who has been on the fringes of my musical knowledge for a while, it was great to finally see a live set. Brief, but a perfect warm up for the show ahead. Harrison is definitely someone to keep an eye on, he's got the potential to be huge!
Next up was Amigo the Devil. Again, a band I've heard of but never seen. This has proven to be a mistake, because as soon as they come on stage, you're hooked. The blend between American folk and rock 'n roll works perfectly, with the vocals of Danny Kiranos being ideal to top it off. The stand out track for me was 'I Hope Your Husband Dies', being humourous as well as one of the most catchy tunes I've heard in ages.
Then, it's the moment we've all been waiting for. Frank and the Sleeping Souls burst on the stage opening with 'No Thank You For The Music' from 'Undefeated', their most recent output. Absolutely blowing through classics, with a healthy mix of newer tracks, you can both see and feel the passion coming from the band as a whole, but the pure emotion from Frank himself takes the songs to another level.
Storming in to '1933' and 'Thatcher Fucked the Kids', Frank shows exactly where his political opinions lie without it being 'shoved down your throat' as it can feel at some other more political type shows (by other bands), and it seems like the whole venue is in agreement with him. Crowd sing-alongs are aplenty, including a wonderfully adapted 'Do One', where the chorus is changed to 'yorkshire, Yorkshire...' eagerly fed back by the crowd.
I don't think I've ever seen a performance with as much emotion as Frank puts into a solo performance of 'Somewhere Inbetween'; a song written about his feelings of not fitting in and of Imposter Syndrome. It physically sent shivers down my spine, and I haven't felt that in a long time. Closing with the usual 'Four Simple Words' and Frank crowd surfing, the show closes leaving us all wanting more, as usual, but content with the fact we've just witnessed another historic Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls show. Now to count down to the next one!
Photos - Neil Vary Gig Photography
Review - Vikki Holding
Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls will be taking to the stage at O2 Leeds Academy on 02.04.2025. The event is a fusion of folk and punk music that will create a unique experience. When doing Law of torts research paper topics, you will realize that learning about personal injury law or the principles of negligence is crucial for good academic work.