Frank Turner reveals plans to break unique world record
Ahead of his new album, Undefeated, which is set for release on May 3rd, Frank Turner is heading out on tour, although this time, he will be doing things a bit differently.
In a bid to break a unique world record, Turner will try to play the most gigs ever played in different cities in the span of a 24-hour period. The attempt will see him ferried from show to show across England in taxis, performing sets no shorter than 20 minutes at each destination.
Starting on May 4th at the Jacaranda in Liverpool at 12:30pm, Turner will play his first gig; after that, it’s on to Huddersfield, Leeds, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Nottingham and Birmingham. As the night rolls in and Turner’s mission creeps into the early hours of May 5th, the singer-songwriter will play a midnight show at Temperance in Leamington Spa.
Throughout the rest of the morning until noon, Turner hopes to take on Leighton Buzzard, London, Aldershot, Portsmouth and Winchester. If all shows are played and there aren’t any hiccups, the chaotic 24 hours will welcome a new world record holder.
The current record holder is Hunter Hayes, who played ten shows in 24 hours. Before him, it was The Flaming Lips who held the title, playing eight shows in a day.
“With nearly 3000 shows under my belt, I’ve never been one to do things by halves or shrink a challenge,” said Turner, “I once played all 50 American states in 50 days, for goodness sake.”
The haphazard and chaotic 24-hour tour isn’t just a bid to promote his new album, though. Turner is also specifically playing grassroots music venues to support the Music Venue Trust, a charity close to his heart. The Music Venue Trust are adamant that small venues need to be protected, as they are an inherent part of the UK music industry.
“We’re working with 13 independent record shops and 15 independent grassroots music venues for the shows, highlighting two bits of the infrastructure of the underground that I care about most,” he remarked.
Mark Davyd, the CEO of Music Venue Trust, added, “We are delighted to support Frank Turner’s attempt to set the official Music Venue Trust world record for the most gigs played in 24 hours.”
Davyd continued: “Frank will be crisscrossing the nation hitting some of the country’s finest grassroots music venues for an action-packed day which promises to set the global standard for dedication to live music.”
Most records currently held by musicians pertain to album and ticket sales, but few deliberately set out to break a record. Some other unique titles held by artists, however, include the most words in a hit single by Eminem, the most swear words in a song by Psychostick and the world’s shortest song by Napalm Death.
Whether or not Turner will join their ranks as a record-breaking musician is yet to be seen, but there is no doubt all eyes will be on him as of May 4th.
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