The last time we saw both Bowling For Soup and Frank Turner on our shores at the same time, was for Good Things Festival back in 2024. Separate stages and separate crowds, as we would come to find out, this is where the roots of the Bowl My Bones tour stemmed from.
And now here we are, two years later at Forum Melbourne on a Thursday night for the high octane Bowl My Bones double headline tour with Bowling For Soup and Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, with local Brisbanites Talk Heavy as the evening’s opening act.
Talk Heavy, Brisbane’s fierce Punk-emo talents did an excellent job warming up the Melbourne crowd and preparing them for the onslaught of audience interaction that was to come (which was welcomed by all).
Forum Melbourne was brimming with excitement as it was time for the first of the co-headliners to hit the stage. Admittedly, I have seen Bowling For Soup numerous times now, whilst this was my first foray into a live performance of Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls. And wow, did they make a strong impression! Fronted by singer-songwriter Frank Turner, this folk-punk band formed following the disbandment of Million Dead in the early 00’s, and they have played over a whopping 3000 shows since then! (Turner’s been counting). This show was in fact his 14th show in Melbourne!
From the first notes of ‘I Believe’ until the very end of the set the crowd was singing along to every word of every song, the infectious energy just kept building throughout the night.
Early in the set during ’Photosynthesis’, Turner encouraged a circle pit to form. Starting with a casual slow walk, gaining momentum, he instructs the crowd to move faster and faster, until the final chorus cames in. Circle pits are not new to me, but this iteration was, and it was a lot of fun!
Moving straight into ‘Girl In The Record Shop’ this was very clearly a crowd favourite that had the Melbourne crowd up dancing, even those in the comfortably seated booths of Forum Melbourne. Turner begans the next song by stating “This is an anti-fascist song”, and with a loud eruption of cheers ‘1933’ comes smashing in. There’s nothing I love more than a band that stands up and speaks out for what they believe in, particularly one that can also include a brilliant harmonica solo.
It’s easy to see how much Turner loves his job, and how experienced he is on the stage. Not only was the storytelling in his music incredibly cleanly performed and engaging, but Turner commanded the stage in a way that made it feel like I was singing along to songs with friends at the pub, rather than in a venue of thousands. Turner did take an opportunity to talk about the punk-rock scene, the importance of community and acceptance and how all are welcome at his shows. This is something I saw in full swing amongst the Melbourne crowd with arms wrapped over shoulders, beverage cheers between friends and strangers, and of course, lots of dancing.
Moving into ‘No Thank You For The Music’, Turner encourages the crowd to continue the comradery with a wall-of-hugs. Another new experience for me, and definitely a highlight of the whole night. Bringing the tempo down ever so slightly, an acoustic set was welcomed in with another hearty singalong, this time to ‘The Ballad of Me and My Friends’ and ‘If I Ever Stray’ which blended seamlessly into ‘Recovery’ where the band rejoined the stage. Rob from Bowling For Soup joined periodically for an impromptu harmonica solo (or two in this case), which was a hit with the Melbourne crowd, and Turner.
There were very little breaks in between songs, which meant even though Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls were only playing for an hour, the Melbourne audience was still treated to a hugely jam-packed set. Turner had just enough time to joke around that the band following him were his ‘competition winners’ and we, as the Melbourne crowd, should be sure to give them a chance, or at least a song or two before leaving. All in jest, Turner ensures to continue the hype for Bowling For Soup who were due to play next.
Moving toward the end of Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls‘ set ‘Long Live The Queen’ highlights Turner’s raw vocals and connection with the crowd, with lots of waving and clapping along. Before beginning ‘Do One’, Turner ensured the crowd was practiced and ready for the “dododo” call and response part. With a little bit of help from some jabs to Brisbane being better, the Melbourne crowd were aptly ready to prove him wrong and get involved. Concluding with ‘Polaroid Picture’ and ‘Get Better’ , the band provided a strong finish and once again hosted another new experience for me, with the Melboune crowd directed to raise their arms like a ballerina and twirl together.
Whilst there were demands for more from the Melbourne audience, as the hour felt like it had flown by far too quickly, it was time for the second co-headliner of the night, Bowling For Soup. As crowds rearranged and shuffled for the changeover of acts, the Bowling For Soup theme song played over the speakers welcoming the band as they blasted onto the stage for ‘Almost’ and a ‘Fight For Your Right/Mickey/High School Never Ends‘ mash up. Jaret Reddick (vocals and guitar) joked about the strangeness of a guy in his 50’s, another almost in his 50’s and one in his 40’s all still singing about high school. However much like the band, I think the fans also enjoyed the nostalgia trip that these songs bring.
Bowling For Soup‘s set was banter galore with any and all innuendos found, referenced and delivered, at one stage, lighting up the room to talk about how beautiful Forum Melbourne is as a venue (one of my all time favourites of the city), and how many naked statues there were around. When not cracking jokes at or with the crowd, Bowling For Soup utilised their hour long set well, cramming in many long standing crowd favourite songs.
Bowling For Soup played ‘Trucker Hat’ and ‘Ohio (Come Back to Texas)’, encouraging the Melbourne crowd to get involved and sing as loud as they could, with Reddick reassuring everyone “Don’t worry if you’re not as good as me. I’m a professional!”. And the singing along passionately continued for the rest of the night.
Two fans, Stephanie and Raymond, were brought up on stage for a brief moment for what I assumed was going to be a proposal, not entirely uncommon at live music shows. What ended up occurring was a gender reveal with assistance from the band! The couple, and the Melbourne crowd, were all given a chance to make their guesses before it was revealed via a Build A Bear blind box. Congratulations to the happy couple who are having a baby girl!! It was such a beautiful moment to witness before Bowling For Soup expertly utilised the heart and humour to segue into ‘The Bitch Song’.
Bowling For Soup are not super polished, but that’s not what matters here, they are here for good songs and a good time, and it’s once again so great to witness a band on stage that just truly loves what they do. It was hard to tell who was having the better time, the band or the audience. With a slick guitar spin and some epic guitar playing behind Reddick’s head, Bowling For Soup continued with ‘Punk Rock 101’, where they actually paused mid song to allow for a crowd photo opportunity. This saw the band running to each corner of the stage allowing everyone to take some funny posed happy snaps, encouraging less phone use throughout the rest of the show. In what could have been a stagnant mood killer, turns out to be an amusing event for all.
One last breather for the night, the Melbourne crowd stilled for a performance of ‘Turbulence’ where the most sincere conversation of the night by Reddick occurred. Taking a moment to discuss Mental Health Awareness Month and a personal story, Reddick showed a moment of vulnerability that is not often seen from him on stage. It was a touching moment for both himself and the crowd, as everyone waved their phones and lighters in the air.
The energy amped right back up for ‘Today Is Gonna Be a Great Day’ (the Phineas and Ferb theme song) a once again hugely loved nostalgia trip for many in the Melbourne audience. Moving into ‘Girl All The Bad Guys Want’ and finishing with a ‘1985/Stacey’s Mom‘ mash-up, Bowling For Soup really know how to end strong!
A statement and a party, somewhat humble, somewhat trashy, it’s was fun night filled with punk tunes that were not to be missed. For some this co-headliner may have seemed like a bit of a left field partnership, however they were honestly a match made in punk-rock heaven.
Bowling For Soup and Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls performed on Thursday May 7th at Forum Melbourne in Melbourne as part of their Bowl My Bones Tour, proudly presented by Destroy All Lines. You can catch them along with Talk Heavy on the rest of their tour, stopping next in Frankston on the 8th of May at the Pier Bandroom, then 9th of May in Adelaide at Hindley Street Music Hall, before concluding their run on Monday the 11th May at Fremantle’s Metropolis.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.destroyalllines.com/tours/bowl-my-bones