IF THERE’S one thing Frank Turner showed at his gig on Tuesday night, it was that he is a fighter.

He arrived for his homecoming gig at Southampton Guildhall suffering an illness which had hit his vocal chords badly.

But with a little help from a very willing crowd, Frank powered through to deliver a truly brilliant performance given the circumstances.

Being Hampshire born and bred, Frank was not going to have to work hard to win the crowd over, but the way he energised the whole room despite his condition was amazing.

Time and time again the noise rose to neardeafening levels as fans joined in with hits like I Knew Prufrock before he got Famous, Reasons not to be an Idiot and The Road.

The crowd certainly had an effect on Frank too, as he emotionally embraced the reaction he received, reflecting on his journey from the Guildhall audience as a boy to the stage as a man.

As the gig continued it became clearer and clearer Frank was losing his voice, but he still managed to belt out songs with great enthusiasm.

Perhaps this was most evident during the encore, where The Ballad of Me and My Friends and Photosynthesis almost brought the house down. Even first time fans could join in as Frank taught the audience the words.

Just imagine how good he would be at full strength.

JOSEPH CURTIS