Frank Turner Lives the Minstrel’s Life

Frank Turner is a man who knows the road. In late 2001, he joined hardcore punk band Million Dead, which he fronted for four years before taking on a solo career. Taking up the mantle of folk-ish singer/songwriter did anything but lessen the quantity of time spent on the road; he began performing solo before the band decided to split. After their breakup, he even said, he “wanted to stay on tour, but [he] didn’t want the hassle of putting a band together.” Since then, Turner’s released 3 albums with the upcoming ‘England Keep My Bones’ due for release in June this year.

The Relentless Energy ‘Short Stories’ series challenges 8 filmmakers to document the work and wisdom of musicians who possess significant focus. Turner shows he almost can’t not perform music, describing the live element as “the base code… the background” for his experiences.

James Henry’s short film shows us a man who embodies a nomadic spirit that doesn’t always belong to a touring musician. Halfway through the video, the narration drops out while Turner plays I Am Disappeared, a ballad about the the strained relationship of a man yearning for the length of an open road as much as he is yearning for his partner. The director lets the musician tell his own story here, with footage of shows in tiny bars and suitcases punctuating a mission statement espousing spiritual truth and the vulnerability and imperfections of live performance. As Turner shares his existential angst and passion for eighty-show tour schedules, Henry shows us a man who is seemingly compelled to a minstrel’s life.

Details

• Directed by

  James Henry

• Band

  Frank Turner