Frank Turner / Jonah Matranga / Jacob Golden / Joshua English

Tonight's opening act is a relative unknown on a bill full of relative unknowns, yet by the end of Joshua English's short but well received set, there were clearly a few people keen to hear more, judging by the crowd hanging round the merch stall waiting to chat to him and get their brand new purchases signed. The highlight of the set is 'Little Betty', which showcases English's impressive musicianship, and the quality of his voice, which is certainly his selling point, if he ever needs one. If this is the baseline of the standard to come, then the ticket price is far too low.

Up next is Jacob Golden, who takes the bar set by his tourmate, and raises it yet again. Golden's voice is at times breathtaking, and along with some of the most beautiful songwriting I've heard this year, this really is music to get lost in. 'Out Come The Wolves' is outstanding, whilst 'Revenge Song' is a darkly ominous and strangely disturbing piece dealing with lost love and the subsequent feelings of betrayal. Jacob Golden's star is surely rising, and he is someone we will be almost certainly be hearing a whole lot more from in the future.



Jonah Matranga clearly has a few fans in the audience tonight, and this makes it all the more enjoyable, as the atmosphere noticeably lifts when he takes to the stage. Having been on the scene for years, Matranga has quietly built up a hard core of devoted followers who are drawn by his irrepressible humanity, and his devotion to ensuring that the music is what matters, not the money paid for it. The fact that all of his merchandise has '(ish)' scrawled next to the price, and a hand written sign reads 'Pay what you can afford' shows that he truly believes in what he is doing, and thus, so do the fans.



'So Long' is sublime tonight, as is 'Not About a Girl or a Place', both of which are taken from his new album 'And'. There are several songs which hark back to a previous Matranga incarnation, and they all go down a storm with those who know his material better than I do. At the end of his set Matranga leaves the stage having gained at least one new fan, but I would guess that the actual number is many, many more.

Almost immediately, Matranga is replaced on stage by Frank Turner in what may just be the quickest changeover ever. Turner doesn't believe in messing around, and is known for his genuine love of playing live, so it is understandable that he doesn't want to hang about in the interests of increasing the bar profits.

The folk-punk troubadour opens his set with 'I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous', from his soon to be recorded new album. Opening with a new track is always risky, but Turner manages it superbly, and no-one minds that they don't know the words. It is a fantastically placed missive on the many false elements of the music industry, and the many false people within it. A selection of new songs punctuate the set, and if the live versions are anything to go by, Turner's second album may be even better than his first.



Of course, the best receptions tonight were saved for the older material, as always. Ode to over-indulgence 'The Real Damage', and a beautifully delivered 'Father's Day' stand out, but in truth the set is excellent from start to finish.

Closing the show with 'The Ballad of Me and My Friends', which is touchingly dedicated to a recently deceased acquaintance, Turner manages to draw the entire crowd together is a communal singalong, and the sense of being part of something special is tangible. Few artists can make a crowd feel this way, and this is why people like Frank Turner is so vitally important to the music scene today.

FUTURE GIGS