Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls (w/ Jimmy Eat World) @ First Direct Arena (Leeds, UK) on January 27, 2019 [Photos]

Last time Frank Turner came to Leeds, he was playing to about a thousand or so people on gig number 1,700ish. Tonight, he’s playing to probably five or six times the crowd that he played to on that night in the University just up the road and is playing a gig that is nearing number 2,100 of his career.

That being said, the energy and the vibe is still the same although it’s a bit unusual hearing him inform the crowd “this is a punk rock show so don’t be an asshole to people around you, be nice to them while you’re having a good time!”. When all is said and done though, regardless of the size, whether it’s a thousand pissed students at the Uni or a good few thousand of his fans in the much larger arena, gig number one or gig number two thousand, Turner still looks like he’s loving every minute of it. He bounces about the stage with as much energy as the crowd in front of him and you can see why punk rock fans still have a love affair with Turner and his music.

Apart from the odd pyro, you wouldn’t call this an arena show. There was no big production, no massive stage props, nothing but Turner, his band and a bagful of his infectious folk punk rock. Sure, he’s got a bigger stage to rock out on and he uses every inch of it but, watching him joke about “Manchester being the best show on the tour so far” or seeing him almost tumble off an unsecured stage platform, he’s right, this is still a punk rock show at heart and, given the amount of fun everyone had tonight, we’re surely not the only ones hoping for a good few thousand more to come!

It might be a punk rock show but Frank Turner still wants us all to “Be More Kind”: