Frank Turner's Lost Evenings VII at The Theatre at The Great Canadian Resort Casino - A Compendium of Posts - Concert Photos

I had just returned from a very, very special long weekend when I enthusiastically started editing and writing my photos and thoughts from this amazing festival weekend. Then I got sick, which put a stop to all that creativity and delayed these posts. Better late than never, am I right? 

I would call myself a Frank Turner fan. I love his music, I've been to a handful of shows, and I've covered them with photos and a few thoughts on my site here. 

When I requested to cover Frank Turner's Lost Evenings VII, I had no idea what a special event it was.

It was four days at Toronto's Great Canadian Casino Resort, with four headlining Frank Turner shows, each with it's own theme, opening acts and a second stage with its own lineup. There were panel discussions during the day on a variety of topics including a talk between Frank and Henry Rollins, an AMA with Frank, and sessions on the Canadian Music Scene, Women in Music and Media, the Economics of Being an Independent Artist, and How Lost Evenings Comes Together. They also had the Cowboy Chords open-mic stage and Needles Flickering pop-up tattoo event by the So Far So Good Tattoo Studio. And all this including fund raising opportunities for some very special charities and social services.

And then there was the whole mood and vibe of the event. Frank Turner fans are a dedicated bunch, and friendly, community-minded people with good hearts and open souls. It was uplifting to be in the company of this community for the weekend.

Links to my pics of each artist that I witnessed at the event are below. Hope you enjoy the pics and that they either bring back great memories of the event, or that they give you a feel for what it was like to witness these shows. As for me, I'm thinking very hard about heading to next year's Lost Evenings in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Night 1: September 19

Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls

Henry Rollins

Martha Wainwright

Chuck Coles

The Sleeping Souls

Delyn Grey

Night 2: September 20

Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls

NOBRO

Northcote

The Honest Heart Collective

The Wilderness

Redfox

Night 3: September 21

Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls

The Dirty Nil

The OBGMs

Thunder Queens

Guilhem

Night 4: September 22

Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls

Bedouin Soundclash

Murder by Death

The Shackletons

Hannah Rose Platt

Tom Jenkins

Northcote at Lost Evenings VII - Concert Photos

I caught my first Northcote performance a decade ago in 2014 and I've been hooked on his tunes ever since. 

Northcote put on a great main stage set at Day 2 of Frank Turner's Lost Evenings VII in Toronto. His earnest, passionate and powerfully-delivered tunes are a gift to the ears.

Check out my previous coverage of Northcote from his 2016 performance at The Danforth Music Hall, 2017's set at Lee's Palace and that 2014 performance at Sound Academy.

And please take a listen to a couple of tunes below.

All of my Lost Evenings VII coverage is consolidated into one post that you can find here, containing links to my coverage of each artist I photographed at the festival.

"Can't Stay the Same"

"Bitter End"

Northcote at The Danforth Music Hall - Concert Pictures

I've loved Northcote's music since I first heard Matt Goud performing solo before Against Me! and The Gaslight Anthem at Sound Academy. I caught Northcote with the full band at a TURF Preview Concert and now I've just seen their show as they opened for Frank Turner last Friday, March 11 at The Danforth Music Hall.

Northcote has such a friendly and earnest demeanour. He seems like he'd be a great guy to hang out with and talk music. He seems to absolutely love what he's doing. His music carries that positive and welcoming vibe and I thoroughly recommend giving Northcote a listen and getting out to see a live show. As Matt says, you're always welcome at a Northcote show. He's a bright light on the Canadian musical landscape.

Highlights from their setlist included powerful tunes like "Bitter End", "Hope Is Made of Steel", "A Thousand Nights", "How Can You Turn Around", "Worry" which Matt dedicated to old friends, "Find Our Own Way" and "You Could Never Let Me Down". They brought out opener Mo Kenney to play a rendition of Tom Petty's "Yer So Bad". Nice.

"Bitter End" from Northcote's latest, Hope Is Made of Steel

"Hope Is Made of Steel" from the album of the same name

"A Thousand Nights"from 2013's Northcote

"How Can You Turn Around" from Northcote

"Worry" from the 2009 album Borrowed Chords, Tired Eyes

"Find Our Own Way" from Northcote

"You Could Never Let Me Down" from Hope Is Made of Steel

TURF 2015: Day 1, Club Bonus Series and Preview Series Compendium - Concert Pictures

Day 1 of the 2015 of TURF, The Toronto Urban Roots Festival, was fantastic. The weather was great, the crowd, as always, was fantastic and, of course, the music was sublime.

Prior to the big festival at Fort York, the TURF team put on a Club Bonus Series the coincided with the main festival, as well as a Preview Series. I didn't make it out to all those extra shows, but for the ones that I did, my posts are linked below.

If you missed my individual posts, here's all of day one in one place, plus links to my Club Bonus Series and Preview Series posts.

Main Festival

Fishbone

Of Monsters and Men

The Sadies

The Avett Brothers

Murder by Death

Built to Spill

Desaparecidos

Restorations

Shakey Graves

Cold Specks

Catl

Club Bonus Series

Fishbone

Sate

Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire

Royal Canoe

Highs

Preview Series

Northcote

Click through for pics of each performance, my thoughts, and some music from each of these amazing artists.

Keep watching this space for individual posts on each act that I caught on Day 2 and Day 3 of TURF.

New song from Northcote Hope Is Made Of Steel from forthcoming album Hope Is Made Of Steel

I just saw Northcote and his band last month. He played a bunch of new music so it was no secret that a new album was on the way.

Here's the title track from the new album Hope Is Made Of Steel. It's a straight-up rocker of a tune that put a big smile on my face. I heard it for the first time at the Lee's Palace show. It sounded great then and it sounds great now.

Catch Northcote whenever you can, but especially during the Toronto Urban Roots Festival this September. The new album comes out on September 25.

TURF Preview Series: Northcote at Lee's Palace - Concert Pictures

Happy one week after Canada Day! Like any day, it's a perfect day to celebrate great Canadian talent. Talent like Northcote, who appeared at Lee's Palace for the very first TURF Preview Series show on June 24. Northcote is appearing at the Toronto Urban Roots Festival on Friday, September 18. Other upcoming TURF Preview Shows were announced recently with The Birds of Bellwoods on August 13 at Lee's Palace and Union Duke at The Horseshoe Tavern on August 21.

Ever since I saw Matt take control of the Sound Academy audience I have wanted to see him with a band. I figured his powerful and dynamic songs would be even more so with the addition of drums bass and another guitar. I was right. Oh so right. Now I can't wait to see Matt play outside at TURF.

Matt and his fellow facial hair farmers took to the stage at Lee's Palace and treated us to a powerhouse set. I'm never quite perfect at keeping track of a set list, but here's a somewhat scattered summary. He opened with a personal favourite, "How Can You Turn Around", followed by "I Hope The Good Things Never Die", "Find Our Own Way", "Never Let Me Down", "Counting Down The Days" "When You Cry". "Burn Right Past Them All", "A Thousand Nights", "Wheels" from 2009's Borrowed Chords, Tired Eyes and they closed the set "Drive Me Home". Matt then returned to the stage for a solo electric version of "Only One Who Knows My Name". Outstanding. This is timeless uplifting feel good rock music.

They varied the band format, too. After a bunch of full-band tunes, the drummer and bassist got a break for the tune "Free Tonight". Then Matt played solo with his guitar and harmonica on "Worry" and "Wild Card". The band then re-emerged to provide some backing vocals on "Invisible Diamonds" before getting back to the full-band fun.

The set was sprinkled with new tunes. They played five new songs in total from the band's forthcoming album. I caught titles like "Bracelet and "Bitter End" along with an energetic rocker about small town dreams. I'm definitely looking forward to this new release.

Listen to some of my favourite Northcote tunes.

"How Can You Turn Around"

"Hope The Good Things Never Die"

"Find Our Own Way"

"Counting Down The Days"

"Burn Right Past Them All"

"Drive Me Home"

TURF Club Preview Series: Northcote

I was impressed with Northcote when I caught his solo acoustic show opening for Against Me! and Gaslight Anthem at Sound Academy last year. I quickly snatched up all his albums and put him on the virtual "see this artist again" list. Looks like I'm going to have two chances in the coming months.

TURF 2015 is coming to Fort York on the weekend of September 18-20. I posted about their initial line-up announcement. Since then, they announced the second round of artists including Northcote, Ron Sexsmith, Royal Canoe, Grand Analog, The River & The Road, and Union Duke. More announcements are coming May 25 and June 11, which are sure to include some big names. Northcote is on the TURF 2015 bill for Friday, September 18.

And being the over-achieving types that they are, the team at TURF is doing something new this year - a Club Preview Series - showcasing great Canadian artists leading up to TURF 2015. This series gets started with Northcote, along with guests Tim Barry and Allison Weiss on June 24 at Lee's Palace. If you've got a Three-Day VIP Pass already, you get into that show (and presumably the other preview shows) for free. Details here.

Northcote is Matt Goud, a Victoria-based singer-songwriter with three studio albums so far. His music is full of passion, intensity, sensitivity and soul. It was magical to enjoy solo and I believe this upcoming show is with a full band. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Listen to some of his tunes:

"How Can You Turn Around"

"Hope The Good Things Never Die"

"Burn Right Past Them All"

"Counting Down The Days"

"Find Our Own Way"

"Drive Me Home"

Northcote at Sound Academy

I think I first heard of Northcote during 2013's inaugural TURF. I picked up his 2009 release Borrowed Chords, Tired Eyes and I got to see Northcote at Sound Academy opening up for Against Me and Gaslight Anthem on September 19.

Northcote is Matt Goud, originally from Saskatchewan and now based in Victoria. He writes and performs songs full of passion, conviction and soul. If you get the chance to see Northcote live, you owe it to yourself to do so.

Northcote proved to be an amazing solo opener for such a hard and heavy show. The first thing you notice about Matt, besides his imposing appearance, are the passion in his voice and the great songs. He is a rare talent that can draw an audience in right from the first listen.

It takes tons of guts to get up on stage, period. Getting up solo with only a guitar is even harder. And to do so as the first act in a cavernous venue with fans ready for a heavy show filing in, grabbing a drink and chatting is just beyond. But Northcote owned it.

Here are some tunes for your listening pleasure:

"How Can You Turn Around"

"Wild Card"

"Worry" I love the lyric I don't know where we're going but I like where we are


"When You Cry"

"Only One Who Knows My Name"

Northcote is opening for Twin Forks at Lee's on November 7. I saw Twin Forks at TURF and this show by Northcote so I know that night at Lee's is going to be amazing!