Bristol O2 Academy, 13th October 2022
What you probably wouldn’t expect from a former member of a punk rock band, is a show that can turn from mosh pits into tears in an instant. This gig delivered in droves.
At a sold-out 02 Academy, Frank began by addressing his audience at around 6pm before anyone had expected him to make an appearance, to introduce his three starting acts, who consisted of a real variety of music.
Opener Mash P was found by Frank in Sierra Leone, have gone through a period of homelessness, he now finds himself following Frank round the world showcasing his distinct sound inherited from his nation. Following Mash was Truckstop Honeymoon, a husband-and-wife duo who tell stories of their hometown in the US with a banjo and guitar. The final opening act needed no introduction, the band Pet Needs. Their record was mixed and mastered by Frank himself, and they have been selling out venues ever since; most definitely a band to look out for.
Onto Frank, who I knew would deliver a high-energy set to his sold-out venue. Mosh pits galore and delirious fans, however, also had a surprisingly much softer note added to it towards the end of the set which was the standout for me.
The song A Wave Across A Bay needs to be listened to, quite simply. The song is an ode dedicated to Frank’s friend Scott Hutchison, who was the frontman of the band Frightened Rabbit. The song was written with the blessing of Scott’s family, as, sadly, Scott took his own life on the 9th May, 2018, age 36. Frank has donated the profits of the song to young people’s mental health charity Tiny Changes, and sees it as a celebration of Scott’s life and personality.
Unfortunately, I am able to relate to the very tough, and still taboo, subject area in suicide that Frank covers, and the song really went through me. Luckily, I wasn’t the only one; there were a lot of tissues out by the end of the song.
It felt like everyone left the gig both buzzing from the high energy of the set and melancholic from the ode to Frank’s lost friend, which is a serious testament to any singer-songwriters ability to make a crowd feel his words.
@thetravellingterrier
