It’s May 5th, and it feels like the kick-off of summer. The sun is finally shining after days of grey, and after a quiet few weeks of shows (at least for me), I’m suddenly hit with some stellar options all on the same night. Coheed And Cambria at Corona? Metronomy at MTelus? How can you do this to me Montreal?! In the end, it’s neither of these, but a third option: Frank Turner and The Interrupters co-headlining at a sold-out Olympia. Tough call to make, but by the time I leave, there’s no doubt it’s the right one!
What’s even better is the fact that the show is opened by a solo set from Chuck Ragan, frontman of Hot Water Music, and his long-time touring pal Todd Beene. Chuck’s unmistakable gravelly voice, typically associated with the raw rock of his regular band, is a perfect foil to Todd’s slide guitar, somehow melding bluegrass to punk rock in one fell swoop. Songs such as Revved and For Broken Ears are warmly received, and Chuck’s straining voice, powerful, thunderous, and yet somehow delicate and fragile at the same time, rings around Olympia, which is already full to the brim by 7:30. A perfect, mellow start to the evening.
There’s nothing mellow whatsoever about the arrival of Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls onto the stage. Strobes flash around the stage, and the band blast right into Punches; Frank immediately summoning a circle pit to open up; the bouncing crowd duly obliges. 1933 and Get Better keep up the frenetic pace, eliciting huge singalongs around the room.
Frank has kept meticulous track of every show he has ever done, and we are thanked for being part of show 2,760. I think I’ve probably been to around 13-15 of them over the years, dating back to my days addicted to his first band, Million Dead, way back in 2002. It’s been incredible to see the evolution of “one of the greatest songwriters of our generation” (Kevin Bivona of The Interrupters’ words, not mine). I can’t help but crack a smile as they blaze out Non Serviam midway through the set, a blazing hardcore rock-out that could have been pulled straight from a Million Dead record. The way Frank prowls the stage encumbered by any instruments on set closer Four Simple Words bears more than a passing resemblance to those heady days too.
Alas, I digress; back to the set. Nine studio albums into his solo career, tonight’s set is a timely reminder of how many fantastic songs are in his armoury at this point. Breakthrough record Tape Deck Heart is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year and gets representation in the form of the timeless Polaroid Picture, Recovery, and the afore-mentioned Four Simple Words. It feels like an almost religious experience at times. On The Next Storm, the declarations of “Rejoice! Rebuild!” sound almost hymnal, as does the “Hear Ye! Hear Ye!” opening refrain of I Still Believe. Still, the mood changes pretty quickly on the latter, with Chuck Ragan bursting onto the stage to blaze out the harmonica solo, making the place feel more like a hoe-down than a church!
Impressive, too, is Frank’s French! We’ve all been to shows here and heard the usual “Bonjour! Ca va? Sorry, that’s all the French I know!” spiel on many occasions, but Frank goes so far as to address the crowd in French multiple times, relating anecdotes, and even going so far as to sing Eulogy all in French, much to the delight of the crowd. It really is a fantastic hour, and I could quite easily go home satisfied after it ends.
Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls Setlist
- Punches
- 1933
- Get Better
- Recovery
- Try This at Home
- The Next Storm
- Non Serviam
- Haven’t Been Doing So Well
- Polaroid Picture
- Eulogy
- Long Live the Queen
- If Ever I Stray
- Photosynthesis
- Out of Breath
- I Still Believe
- Four Simple Words
But I don’t have to! As if Olympia wasn’t spoiled enough already tonight, we get The Interrupters to close out the night, touring their newest record, In The Wild. This marks my fourth time seeing them, and every time is an absolute blast; tonight is no exception. Arriving on stage to Ghost Town by The Specials, the band are a bundle of energy from start to finish, fronted by one of the most likeable frontwomen you could imagine. As soon as she arrives on stage, Aimee has the widest, beaming smile you can imagine, as if it’s their first-ever show, and she’s shocked at the turnout.
Again, the 65-minute set is a timely reminder of just how many great songs the band have already, only four albums in. Indeed, Take Back The Power, which was the late-set highlight back when I first saw the band, can now be rattled off as the set opener; such is the wealth of song options at their disposal now! New songs like In The Mirror and Raised By Wolves sit comfortably in the set as bona fide classics already, such is the fervour with which the rabid crowd sings along.
There’s always been a sense of community and family at Interrupters shows, and this is more evident tonight than ever before. Honestly, I lose track of the number of tiny kids on their parent’s shoulders, venturing towards the front for a better view before Security reminds them that they probably don’t want their kid being wiped out by a crowd surfer (of which there are many tonight). It’s not lost on Aimee either, as she grins and waves at the little ones while they are there. One gentleman in a wheelchair comes into the pit with his caregiver too, though this is ill-advised, as one of many crowd surges knocks him horizontal pretty quickly. Still, the punk-rock ethos of looking after each other and picking one another up kicks in immediately, as five guys right him and his wheelchair in a matter of seconds. The band appropriately tears through Family towards the end of the set, and Aimee proudly declares, “This is my family! My one crazy family!” It’s never felt truer than tonight!
The set is choc-full of anthemic singalong moments. I will never surely get tired of the “Woahhh woahhh woahhh” outro of On A Turntable, or “I’d do it again!” on She Got Arrested. Things take a pretty unexpected diversion after Gave You Everything, as everyone leaves the stage, except for Amy, Kevin, and his acoustic guitar, who remain under a single spotlight amongst the smoke for Alien, for what feels like a total stadium anthem moment. Leading into an excerpt of Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley makes it sound even better. It’s also a great opportunity for Security to pass out water bottles to the dehydrated pit; 10/10 for that (though points are deducted for confiscating my Sharpie on the way in; since when was that contraband?!
Confetti cannons blast their ammunition over the crowd to accompany timeless set closer She’s Kerosene to close out the 65-minute set, and the crowd slowly filters out of Olympia singing along to Bedouin Soundclash over the PA at the top of their lungs. At least, those of us who still have voices do; I must admit, mine took a beating tonight! Clear evidence of a fantastic night and one that heralds that Summer 2023 is officially up and running.
The Interrupters Setlist
- Take Back the Power
- Title Holder
- Judge Not
- On a Turntable
- In The Mirror
- Raised By Wolves
- Anything Was Better
- White Noise
- She Got Arrested
- By My Side
- Afterthought
- Gave You Everything
- Alien
- Family
- She’s Kerosene
Review – Simon Williams
Photos – Kieron Yates
