Photo: WENN.com
Billed as a secret gig, these seemingly impromptu events are often unorthodox and random. This - Frank Turner's contribution to 'Movember' - was especially strange though, given his pre-gig shave.
In The Best a Mo Can Get, a charitable pop-up barber shop off Carnaby Street open all month to assist men with the maintenance of their increasingly dense facial hair, a group was huddled together to observe the removal of Turner's trademark beard, helping raise awareness of prostate and testicular cancer.
Disappointing corporate afilliations aside (the name above the door is a giveaway as to the shop's preferred razor blade), the faux-vintage location neatly accomodated the ensuing sing-along. Indeed, Turner seemed to relish the atmosphere, encouraging crowd participation and working up a considerable sweat as he elongated his set.
Now devoid of his fuzz, it's hard to believe Turner is approaching 31. Certainly his songs are no indication of a third decade's maturity either; he sings of underwhelming relationships, drinking to alleviate tedium and scrapping for success in the city. He began in familiar territory with 'Peggy Sang the Blues' and moved on to 2009's 'Try This at Home'. The nature of the performance required some interaction, and though this mainly consisted of him discussing his music, he did oblige. He spoke of finishing recording his latest album in New York, and the one new song he did play, 'Time Machine', was consistent with the sound and themes of his set.
On the odd occasion when Frank appeared to forget his lines, the crowd, a surprisingly cooperative and knowledgable bunch, were able to assist him. It was probably this sense of cameraderie that encouraged him to play on beyond what was required of him. Or perhaps he was just bouyed by his new youthful visage.
Visit www.uk.movember.com for more information on Movember.
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