IT’S set to be a fundraiser with a difference for philanthropic Hampshire artist Frank Turner.
The pop punk star, who hails from Meonstoke near Winchester, is going virtual with his latest gig in a bid to help one of his favourite venues - Southampton’s Joiners Arms. 
The gig, set to be streamed live from Frank’s front room at 8pm tomorrow night, will be the second in a series of musical offerings in association with the Music Venue Trust and Independent Venue Week.
The Wessex Boy singer songwriter hopes to help venues like The Joiners, the iconic venue which has seen the likes of Oasis, Coldplay and Green Day perform on the road to fame, stay afloat amid coronavirus cancellations.
A new fundraiser by the venue’s operator / booker Ricky Bates hopes to raise £10,000 to help towards staff wages and contribute to the future of The Joiners.
A previous crowd funding effort saw generous music lovers raise nearly every penny of the £5,000 target needed to keep The Joiners going for a month in just 24 hours.
Frank Turner is supporting the effort by playing his seminal album Love, Ire & Song in full.
It’s not the first time he’s supported the venue, which he’s played dozens of times over the years, both as a solo artist and previously with post hardcore band Million Dead. 
Now a stadium filler, Frank spent his 31st birthday just after Christmas 2012 playing two intimate gigs to help keep The Joiners in business. 
A matinee show was added after the evening gig became the fastest-selling in the venue’s history with tickets being snapped up by fans in just 90 seconds.
On the subject of small venues, Frank said: “Despite having played at larger places in recent years, the vast majority of my time as a musician has been spent on the stages of small bars, clubs and pubs. They are the lifeblood of any scene and are vitally important to anyone who gives a damn about music.”
The Joiners is a special place for the musician. He saw his first ever gig there in 1995, enjoying Snug with Ed Harcourt on guitar. Million Dead played their last ever gig there in 2005.
See facebook.com/frankturnermusic for details. 
Donate at gofundme.com/raising-money-for-the-joiners-staff