Tag: frank turner

Braved the storm….

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ Leave a comment

The onset of the biggest storm in the history of the world was not going to stop us making the trip to Leicester. I had taken all precautions. The car was loaded: chainsaw, mop and bucket, various changes of clothes and first aid kit. I had heeded the advice from the media: I would indeed be driving at an appropriate speed with the expectation that around every bend I would find a fallen tree blocking the road.

Suffice to say, we made it one piece. Mainly due to the fact that there wasn't a storm. Shock horror.

Q: Why risk life and limb?

A: The fantastic Beans on Toast playing at the equally fantastic Cookie Jar.

'Beans' was on top form, as usual. What you get when you attend a Beans on Toast gig is entertainment. Whether it be the tunes, the storytelling, the banter, or the fact that you never quite know what you are going to get. It never fails to entertain. Tonight 'Beans' was sandwiched between the fabulous Will Varley (well worth googling) and the rather loud Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun.

In other Beans on Toast news…..

  • He'll be supporting Frank Turner on the up and coming UK tour.
  • New album 'Giving Everything' out on 1st December.

 

Running, albums and idiots…

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 4 Comments

The weather is definitely attempting to thwart Janathon, we've reached day 19, but it is no match for these babies….

Only the third run with my new amazing 'Puma Faas 250' – yes a very strange name for a pair of trainers – but they coped fantastically with the snow and ice this morning. I think they are ready for a longer run in the morning, although not sure I am.

I drove up to the woods this morning and parked on the top road and didn't even consider taking the incredibly icy road down into the car park. However, various people did. It always amazes me how some people can be so stupid. When you stand at the top of the hill and look down the road into the car park it actually looks very dodgy, what makes people think it will be ok? Now I'm not one to say 'I told you so', and actually I didn't tell anyone, but I was quite pleased to see two cars stranded at the bottom of the hill and one in the ditch. Idiots.

I'd imagine that lots of blogs will contain a few snow shots, so why not?

And in other news……

Spring looks to be quite exciting, with the release of new albums from Frank Turner and Billy Bragg. Billy's new album, 'Tooth & Nail' is out March 18, followed by Frank's latest 'Tape Deck Heart' on April 22.

It has been a while since a Billy Bragg album, so I'm really looking forward to it. The few tracks I've heard suggest it's going back to what he does best: great simple melodies and the voice of an angel.

They will, of course, be touring to promote the albums. I've even pre-ordered the Turner CD to allow me to get in the ticket pre-sale for access to tickets 48hrs before general sale. With only a handful of gigs announced it looks I'm off to Birmingham.

Now I will be looking for volunteers to attend the Bragg gig – I struggle to find anyone to go with – can't understand why????! Have a listen…

Today's snow mileage = 6.36

Total Janathon mileage = 79.66

 

Believe….

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 1 Comment

I came across this little baby halfway through the month of #decembeer. A beer specially brewed for Frank Turner by Signature Brew. Apparently Frank likes his beers' “to be refreshing and crisp”. So Signature Brew came up with this….#31…Believe…..

“This modern twist on the traditional wheat beer encompasses subtle citrus and orange flavours to create a crisp refreshing brew. Enjoy cold with great folk”

As much as I love Frank turner, this beer is not particularly good. Rather too much like a lager than a beer. This beer would easily get lost amongst the dozens of really good beers out there.

 

Frank Turner…..again!

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ Leave a comment

My love affair with the fantastic Frank Turner continues……and so a blog post was inevitable….

Last Sunday it was the turn of The Engine Shed in Lincoln to host another great Turner gig. It was another sold out gig which is now the norm for Frank Turner.

Support took the form of Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun, and Tim Barry. Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun are a band from Cheltenham, tipped to be big in the near future. Tim Barry an American singer/songwriter playing a rather depressing set that kicked off with a song about a fella who ended up serving time for shooting his sister's husband.

Frank Turner yet again showed why he is becoming so popular, an audience featuring young and old danced and sang the night away in an attempt to knock Wolverhampton off the dance-off top step. Frank played tunes from all four studio albums and a couple from the new album due in 2013. It was also great to see a favourite track of mine, 'Romantic Fatigue', seen played live.

The evening ended with the usual rendition of 'Photosynthesis', complete with a packed Engine Shed sitting down before jumping up and singing and dancing, in what has become a trademark finish to the night.

Overall another brilliant night, and thanks to Twitter I even shifted a spare ticket I had, at face value of course!

Next gig: Frank Hamilton at The Barfly in Camden on the 20th December.