Frank Turner - Leicester O2 Academy

Dive Dive

With looks similar to Radio head's Thome Yorke, and vocals reminiscent of Billy Talents Ben Kowalewicsz, lead singer Jamie Stuart and band certainly warmed up the growing crowd as first the support band out of the night. Dive Dive's slick tunes and fast beats, including 'Liar' and 'Ape like Me' from their new album 'Potential' got the crowd hot on their feet, ready for the night ahead.

The songs went down a hit, and even though they were mostly unknown by the audience, they made them shut up and listen. The light show to go with the aggressive beats was blinding and they certainly got everybody's attention.

The band spat out their lyrics and gave a great performance which I'm sure left many a crowd member going home to look them up. Just as good recorded as they are live, this punk rock band are certainly ones to watch for more smashing tunes and songs to really get your teeth into!

Ed Harcourt

After being smashed by Dive Dive the crowd had started chatting again, almost ignoring the fact that a bearded man wearing a suit and carrying two different guitars had just walked on stage. The man stood at his microphone and started playing a simple melody with soft vocals that only turned a few heads, leaving the crowd chatting louder that the music.

Ed Harcourt, for it was he, started to play another riff undeterred by the lack of response. As he switched between guitars, and built up his tunes, more of the crowd began to notice this amazing one man band that would go on to be one of the highlights of the night.

As he sat down at his set up of six microphones, a keyboard and a drum, he went on to impress the whole crowd with even more creative juices flowing out his genius mind. By the halfway point of his set, Ed had won over the crowd and had them reponsing to his banter, chanting back their answer to his simple question of "Do you want a song about the devil or about a wolf?"

Ed went on to play a song about "a devil at Christmas time" (The Devil Came down the Chimney). The audience were roaring with cheers by the last song, a world of difference to how the night had started for Ed. He left the comfort of the stage and climbed the barriers to sing with the crowd - walking up and down to please the whole room, high-fiving his new fans and even wearing one of their hats. A great act with an amazing live performance which I'm sure everyone went home remembering. Ed is a new personal favourite of mine and the new album is definitely in the post!

Frank Turner

The venue was now heaving so that from the front row we could hardly turn around to see the back of what was for sure going to turn into a mosh pit. A wide range in audience members, the old rockers towards the back, the young lads in the middle getting ready to throw beers, couples standing arm in arm and naive girls that clearly didn't understand what the words mosh and pit were about to do to them for the rest of the night.

Just after 8:30pm, the man himself walks on stage with the opener of 'Eulogy', an intro and claim to what he is all about, before bursting into 'Poetry of the Deed' with his band mates from Dive Dive thrashing out the drums and spitting lyrics to the amazed crowd.

After a few more songs from his third album Frank mellowed out with the unreleased song 'Bob Dylan/I am to Disappear', the crowd now staring up at their idol who performed without fault through every second of this raw material. The crush of sweating people died down and the few hardcore fans that knew the words to new songs were heard loud and clear.

Frank's band members left the stage for a short while leaving him to chat with the audience and get them ready for some songs from his latest EP 'Rock and Roll'. Tracks like 'Casanova Lament' were swapped for 'Rock and Roll Romance' but still enjoyed by all as the man showed that, either shouting his lyrics or singing them softly on his own, he always had the crowd in the palm of his hand.

After the few new songs and a Bruce Springsteen cover Frank shouted out, "Just one more new one and then the rest are hits!". This might seem cocky to some but oh how he was right - not just crowd pleasing singles but songs that everyone in the room wanted to hear and sing every word to.

Last but not least Frank made his last oath to the buzzing crowd "This is your last chance to dance! And you last chance…to count to four!" he screamed as the crowd knew exactly what song the band where about to explode into. One of Frank's biggest singles from the 2^nd album 'Love, Ire and Song', 'Photosynthesis' was the crowd's final tune, with Jamie of Dive Dive coming back onstage with his guitar to join in, along with Ed Harcourt on his mandolin. This was the first time that Frank had put his guitar down and a great chance to run around on stage with all of his crew.

The crowd screamed their hearts out so that Frank's voice was barely audible and the band seemed to be loving the reaction they'd been waiting for. All night the crowd screamed out and sang, swaying from side to side and grabbing on to strangers was the only way to stay up. A final burst of energy in this last song where everyone came together for all the same reasons and just rocked out, the atmosphere was ecstatic during these great moments.

The band brought the sound down for each member to be introduced with a small solo and an enormous cheer. Working every last word, chant, scream and crush out of the audience Frank Turner and band showed exactly what they're made of in the final chorus leaving every teenager crushed, every throat sore and made every fan's dreams come true.

- Review by Jodie