One of the UK’s most successful artists is set to return to the Cheese and Grain this month for what has become one of the fastest-selling events in the venue’s history.
Singer-songwriter Frank Turner will perform on Wednesday 19th February with his band, The Sleeping Souls, as part of Frank Turner’s Road to Show 3,000, which culminates in a sold-out gig at London’s Alexandra Palace on Saturday 22nd February.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome back Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls to Frome, especially on the eve of such a monumental milestone—his 3,000th show,” explained the venue’s programme, production and marketing manager, Rob Dahl.
Frank Turner has released 10 studio albums; his most recent, Undefeated, released last year, reached number three in the UK charts and number one in the independent charts.
“The upcoming gig marks Frank’s fifth performance at the Cheese and Grain since his first visit in 2012, making up a small but incredibly special 0.1667% of his total shows. Each time he’s played here, it has been an unforgettable experience,” says Rob.
Frank Turner is a strong advocate for independent music venues such as the Cheese and Grain, playing a crucial role in their survival—most notably raising around £300,000 during Covid to support at-risk venues.
In May last year, he also broke a Guinness World Record for playing the most live shows in 24 hours.
A portion of the ticket sales went to the Music Venue Trust, a charity dedicated to protecting, securing, and improving grassroots music venues.
“Despite his ever-growing success and ability to sell out venues far larger than ours, it’s truly remarkable that he continues to support grassroots music spaces like ours with events like this,” says Rob. “Few chart-topping artists show such dedication to smaller towns and independent venues, and for that, we are deeply grateful to Frank and his team.”
“Unsurprisingly, this show sold out in record time, joining the ranks of legendary performances by Fatboy Slim and Paul McCartney as one of the fastest-selling events in our history,” adds Rob. “We know that many fans were disappointed to miss out due to the overwhelming demand, and we truly wish we could accommodate everyone. We can’t wait to celebrate this special night with Frank and all of you lucky enough to have secured a ticket!”
Frank said, “We have our big show at Alexandra Palace for my 3,000th solo show, which is a big deal, so of course I wanted to play some warm-up shows. It’s been a minute since I was at the Cheese and Grain, but I’ve always loved the place, and the promoter, Kieran, and I go back to the earliest days of my solo career. To top it all, I haven’t played there since my new drummer, Callum, joined the band—and he’s a Frome local—so it all came together seamlessly.”
Frank Turner tours extensively around the world and, in 2022, became only the third artist to tour all 50 states of America in 50 days with his band and crew. He was also the first non-American to complete the challenge. The tour was documented in a series called The Work: 50 States in 50 Days.
Despite performing at countless venues, Frank Turner says the Cheese and Grain “stands out from the crowd.”
“The Cheese and Grain is a great room to play. First and foremost, it’s got good sound, sightlines—everything a performer wants from a gig,” explained Frank. “But I also love the culture around the place—the people who run it, promote the shows there, the staff—it feels like home to me. I’ve toured around the world and played more venues than I can count, but some of them stand out, and the Cheese and Grain is certainly one of them.”
The Road to Show 3,000 will see Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls perform in Dublin, Belfast, and Wolverhampton, before playing in Frome on 19th February and Alexandra Palace on 22nd February.
Pictured: Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls
Photo credit: Matthias Rauch
