Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls – Live In Manchester

Frank Turner is still celebrating the release of 2024’s Undefeated with the Undefeated 2025 UK tour, which tonight rolls into Manchester for a sold out show at the cavernous Academy. Undefeated found Frank Turner finding the sweet spot between youthful outspokenness and surviving the horrors of becoming middle aged, for some reason we at The Punk Site can relate to this! Despite Frank Turner being on the road for most of the last two decades, and relasing a steady stream of albums, splits, EPs and singles, this is the first time either myself or my wingman have encountered Frank Turner live, as the old cliché goes, better late than never.

Frank Turner threw open the opening slot on each date of his tour to a local unsigned act, and tonight’s local hero is Steve Jackson (Atlas Rivers) who gets to play to play to those who aren’t still drinking in the academy adjacent bars. We tear ourselves away from the Manchester institution of the neighbouring Big Hands bar, where a sizeable chunk of the crowd seem to have congregated for an early pint or two, to catch his set. The Academy is already filling up with a good sized crowd who have forsaken the early evening sunshine to catch his early heartfelt acoustic set which is a well chosen and well received warm up for the evening.

Next up is Nashville, TN’s Amigo The Devil who before tonight were a complete unknown to me, although his decision to put cats on his t shirt does endear him to me somewhat. The Academy seems to be approaching capacity ahead of their set, which is always a good sign. Their combination of folk, alt, dark country and stoner influences come the fore early with substance influenced Murder At The Bingo Hall. There’s a fair degree of showmanship and even, dare I say it, cabaret, to their unpredictable set that seeks to embrace influences from across the board.

The set features Country fuelled tales of robbery that come from the school of Johnny Cash and Steve Earle via Joshua Tree. It’s clear that many here are familiar with Amigo The Devil from the crowd volume, engagement and reception. It’s easy to understand their cross border appeal, it’s delivered with self deprecating and informal story telling style that makes you feel as though you’re in an intimate venue rather than a cavernous barn. I always say that you can always trust a man who puts cats on his t shirts! 

What’s clear from a brief wander round the Academy, obviously via the bar, is that Frank Turner seems to have tapped in a cross genre and cross generational appeal, which explains why tonight’s show swiftly sold out, not an accusation that can be made of Frank Turner. The tour shirts on display tonight are truly random, from Dropkicks Murphys to Motörhead and Pizzatramp, and even Elton John, all of which are within my immediate eye-line. This is also reflected in the soundtrack between bands, everything from vintage punk to Motown is in the mix, all of which demonstrates the broad appeal Frank Turner has amassed over the last two decades.

Finally Frank Turner takes the stage, accompanied by his backing band, and a band in their own right, The Sleeping Souls. To say he received a raucous reception would be an understatement. From opener No Thank You For The Music he has about 2000 backing vocalists, Girl From The Record Shop kicks things up a gear and we’re only two songs in, by the third song , a personal favourite of mine, 1933, it’s clear almost everyone here knows every song word for word and there’s a party in full swing.

This is Frank Turner’s 3015th show and his 38th in Manchester, he outlines his rules, don’t be a dick and don’t fuck up anyone else’s fun, which seems like common sense but sometimes it needs saying. Every word and song is greeted with equal fervour, five songs in as Never Mind The Back Problems kicks in there’s an unstoppable momentum to the show. To add to the celebrations today is also guitarist Ben Lloyd‘s birthday and there’s a celebration of this via the medium of jumping. 

This is the last leg of the Undefeated world tour, such is the fervour even the bass solo in Letters is enthusiastically received, a rare thing indeed. If Frank Turner can unite a diverse group of people to this degree then maybe he should consider politics in the future, as a first timer I wasn’t prepared for the celebration and communion of tonight’s show and was swept up in the enthusiasm from the crowd. This felt like a big family for a few brief hours and it’s hard not to be swayed by the atmosphere of tonight’s show. 

A stag and groom are crowd surfed, across the venue and back, road crew are given the credit they deserve ands support bands are celebrated. It’s rare that I’ve gone into a show not not being overly familiar with an artist and been quite this impressed, although it must be said that the fans deserve as much credit as Frank Turner for the atmopshere at tonight’s show. The world’s wrongs are addressed along with an acknowledgment that protest songs don’t always make the difference we wish they would, but there’s also a defiance and determination to stay positive and stay kind. It’s also of note that every ticket for this tour includes a donation to the Music Venue Trust that indicates that Frank Turner hasn’t forgotten his roots.

This might have been the first time we caught Frank Turner but it certainly won’t be the last. We leave to Bon Jovi’s Living On A Prayer thumping out of the PA which also gets an unexpectedly raucous sing along all the way out of the venue. Frank Turner will of course continue to be perpetually on tour with North America next month, followed a slew of Summer festivals and the Lost Evenings Festival in Edinburgh, doubtless there will also be a new recording of some description in the not too distant future. Frank Turner remains Undefeated and, like us, is living proof that constant back ache and the other maladies of middle age doesn’t mean that the fun has to stop.

Undefeated is available via streaming platforms and physical formats via Xtra Mile Recordings

Live photography courtesy of Gary Hough from Shot From Both Sides