Frank Turner / The Small Screen Light Show

Decent gigs in Durham tend to be few and far between, with the scene being propped up by the valiant efforts of a number of small scale promoters doing their best with a limited budget and amount of time. Things might, however, change with the arrival of Sumo, a weekly clubnight which has been running down the road in Middlesbrough for a while, who have now taken the Friday residency in Studio. The Middlesbrough leg has always had a habit of drawing great live acts, and this now seems to have spread to Durham.

The Small Screen Light Show (or at least, Matthew Vant playing a solo set) opens proceedings tonight with a set of irate, yet glorious acoustic punk dressed up as indie. Despite the small and largely disinterested crowd, he tore through his set like a man possessed. Reminiscent in parts of Seafood and The Smashing Pumpkins, The Small Screen Light Show could well do big things in the future.

Of course, by the time Frank Turner took to the small stage the crowd had increased significantly. The former Million Dead frontman has, if you don't know, calmed down just a little. The punk ire is still there, but now it is delivered in much more measured doses, with more than a leaf or two ripped straight out of Billy Bragg's book.

In his trademark pork pie hat, and with just an acoustic guitar to keep him company, Turner looked every bit the punk troubadour that he is. You sense that this is what he lives for - travelling, playing gigs, and having a small but dedicated crowd singing every word of his set back to him.

The set itself did not disappoint. Much of it was made up of the highlights from Turner's debut solo album 'Sleep Is For The Week', with 'The Real Damage', with its morality tale of weekend excesses; and the heartbreaking 'Worse Things Happen At Sea' providing highlights. The clear winner on the night, however, was the completely radio-unfriendly 'Thatcher F*cked The Kids', a fantastic piece of songwriting which explains, with no punches pulled, how the former Prime Minister is responsible for for today's chav culture.

Turner may have been preaching to the choir, but it was still bloody brilliant. An unplanned stage invasion during closer 'The Ballad of Me and My Friends' was, refreshingly, welcomed by Turner, and it certainly made the night for one or two people.

Hailing from a hardcore background, Frank Turner has taken many of the facets which make it such an exciting genre, and is mixing them in with the commonly perceived notions of the singer-songwriter medium. It might just be one bloke and a guitar, but the music being made is a world away from James Blunt. Turner is the real deal, and anyone who thinks punk needs to be loud and in you face really needs to check him out.

FUTURE GIGS

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