1,121 FRANK TURNER AND THE SLEEPING SOULS, JIMMY EAT WORLD, Grace Petrie, Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Saturday 2 February 2019

Now the 2019 gigging year can really get under way, thanks to this potentially corking double-header... Following Frank Turner's stellar performances last year during his sold-out Academy gigs in support of excellent - and timely - new album "Be More Kind" (gigs which promoted this honest, lyrically incisive punk-folk troubadour, in my eyes, to the ranks of the Very Special Indeed), there was no way I was passing up on more Frank. So I booked tix pretty promptly for the subsequent inevitable arena tour for myself and fellow Frank fan Matt, securing a return to the Motorpoint, scene of my first Frank gig! However, when US alt-rock emo veterans Jimmy Eat World were added as support, we were sure of some company - my dear lady wife and Jimmy uber-fan Rachel jumped in immediately, and, after putting "Bleed American" on constant rotation in the car for awhile, so did my little man Logan!

 

A huge dump of snow Thursday night and Friday threatened to put the kibosh on travelling; however I'd dug the car out and cleared the drive Friday night, and the main roads were clear, so we hatched a plan and tiptoed out of our slippery and compacted drive to drop Kasey off at grandma's for a sleepover. Hit the road at 4, therefore, an easy drive to a clear M5 Gordano Services seeing us meet Matt there for the onward journey to the 'diff. Roads clear there too - did it just snow in Swindon, or what? - so we were easily in the queue for 6.30 doors, grabbing a bit of barrier, house right, for Logan, next to Sarah, a lady who'd travelled from Paris just for this gig! In place therefore in good time for opener Grace Petrie, on at 7. She was great - a self-confessed "masculine" lesbian protest singer ("I've been doing this for 9 years, trying to make the world a better place with my songs... so I've been doing a pretty fucking terrible job so far!") with a wide, almost "Wild Ones" brief ("what are you protesting against?" "What have you got?") and an impassioned, Bragg/Guthrie style delivery, sprinkled with no little humour. So both the parlous state of current world politics and Kasabian ("who the fuck cares about Kasabian," being a lyric couplet from her touching "Ivy") fell victim to the Petrie broadside; however it wasn't all left-wing tubthumping, with the aforementioned "Ivy" a song for her young niece, and closer "Northbound" recalling Gaz' "Let The East Winds Blow" in it's subject matter. A fine start from a talent with plenty to say; I'd certainly pay to hear her say it again!

It got busy but remained friendly down the front, Logan keeping his spot comfortably for Jimmy Eat World's entrance at 7.45; good thing too as from note one they absolutely smashed it, a jagged, breathless "Pain" heralding a huge, anthemic "Futures" opening triple-salvo. Early oldie "Blister" was a seething delight, vocalist Jim Adkins remarking at its conclusion, "we've got some old school fans in! Here's another..." before a splendid if slightly understated "Lucky Denver Mint". Adkins then teased the crowd with, "the Welsh are renowned singers, right? Now's your chance..." before the towering, heart-rending ballad "Hear You Me", then a dark, growling "Cheating Gets It Faster" (thrown in unplanned, instead of "A Praise Chorus"... shame, but it was still great) led a "Bleed American" closing triad, the incredible title track preceding a buoyant, singalong "The Middle" to round off an utterly superb 45 minutes. Having seen them in other prestigious support slots (Green Day, Foo Fighters) we were expecting that; not stupid, these boys, they know what's expected in such circumstances, and delivered in spades. A brilliant support set of utter bangers, at the end of which drummer Zach Lind handed Logan a set of sticks. Nice!

The plan was then to head to the back for Frank, but the front remained remarkably hospitable, Logan was happy there, so there we stayed! Frank and the Sleeping Souls bounded onstage dead at 9, and, as if raising their game to match their exemplary support, they pretty much smashed it from note one too! "Loosen your seatbelts, let's rock'n'roll!" announced Frank as they ploughed into the frantic Irish reel of opener "Out Of Breath", the pyrotechnics spitting out plumes of fire at its conclusion. "Welcome to show 2,308! This is a punk rock show, but there are two rules; one, don't be an asshole, and two, if you know the words, sing!"

Much singing therefore then ensued, from our party down the front (including Logan, hollering along to the likes of "Photosynthesis" and "If Ever I Stray", both early and rousing singalongs) and from the packed and enthusiastic crowd in general. Frank complimented both supports, quipping about 25-year veterans Jimmy Eat World, "I like to have a spot to give a new band a chance!" "Brave Face" saw a charming animated backdrop film illustrating the lyrics in the style of the "Be More Kind" cover, as Frank teasingly berated the audience for a lukewarm singalong ("7 out of 10!"), but then curried favour with this partisan Cardiff crowd by bringing on a roadie to hold "phonetic" lyrics for him to sing "Eulogy" - in Welsh!

"I Am Disappeared" - as ever, a poignant, personal highlight - preceded a solo interlude from Frank, an almost rockabilly obscure oldie "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The One Of Me" (so obscure, Frank had to Google the lyrics beforehand!) the highlight. The rousing singalongs then kept pouring down, none more so than closer "I Still Believe", which rounded off another brilliant, inclusive Frank Turner set, appropriately shaking this 8,000-capacity arena to its foundations. Woah.

At the conclusion of 3rd encore, the ragged, fist-punching "Get Better" ("let's see what you've got left," remarked an equally ragged Frank, who as ever had given his all), we headed toward the back, watching the crunching punk rock of "Four Simple Words" plus the accompanying fireworks and confetti explosion from there, conscious of plummeting temperatures which might make the homeward journey tricky. In truth, after a quick getaway, bidding farewell to Matt at Gordano again, and a careful drive up the M4, the last 10 feet of the journey were the trickiest, seeing me stall then wheelspin getting onto the drive. D'oh! But no such slip-ups from Frank tonight; another stunning show from a true performer now totally at ease in front of such a huge crowd, and backed up ably not only by his stellar and tight band, but also 2 very fine supports. The 2019 gig year is now under way, good and proper!