Frank Turner got so drunk he “ruined” the reunion show of one of his favourite bands.
The 44-year-old folk punk singer – who will be heading out on tour across Australia and the UK with Girl All The Bad Guys Want legends Bowling For Soup this year – has reflected on one of his most awkward drunken nights on the road when The Van Pelt reunited in 2009.
He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “This wasn’t really playing a show. I was at South by Southwest in 2008, I believe it was. And I had this sort of classic experience.
“I had great showcases, and I just signed a deal with Epitaph Records, and everything was great.
“I woke up the following day, and I had a spare day with nothing to do other than to get hammered with my friends.
“And by the end of that day, I had ruined the one off reunion show of one of my favourite bands, Van Pelt were playing.”
Frank laughed as he remembered a series of awkward decisions that day, as The Van Pelt reunited for the first time since 1997.
He added: “I got completely hammered and stood in the front row and sang along the wrong words and cried.
“I shaved myself moustache, and I ended up with a tattoo of Texas, and the day after that was pretty bad that! That wasn’t great.”
Frank pointed out that nowadays he doesn’t really “drink before I play”, but there is one older show in Manchester, UK where things took a turn.
He said: “I do remember playing a show in Manchester one time where I was they had I arrived too early, and they had a deal where they were serving doubles for the price of singles, and I didn’t notice.
“I was drinking Jack and Coke at the time, that was my drink.
“And during the gig, which I don’t really remember, I dropped my pick onto the carpeted stage, and apparently spent an actual four minutes attempting to pick it up again, which is longer than you think it is.”
Frank was under the merch table after the gig, “just kind of waving an arm out”.
He quipped: “I’m not sure it was the best show I ever played, let’s just say that!”
There’ll be no such issues when he hits the road for a co-headline tour with Bowling For Soup, first in May across Australia, and then in June and July for an outdoor UK run – but they are already planning matching tattoos.
BFS frontman Jaret Reddick already has Frank’s FTHC logo on his hand, and the singer-songwriter wants to join in by adding to his own huge collection of inkings.
He revealed: “I’ve asked Jaret to design me a tattoo so that I can join the club for this next tour.
“They will do that in Australia, and then we’ll do matching buddy tats when we get to the UK!”
Full dates for Bowling For Soup x Frank Turner – Bowl My Bones UK Tour 2026
June 25 – Margate, Dreamland
June 26 – Southampton, TK Maxx Presents Southampton Summer Sessions
June 27 – Lincoln, TK Maxx Presents Live at Lincoln Castle
June 29 – Glasgow, O2 Academy Glasgow
June 30 – Halifax, TK Maxx Presents Live at The Piece Hall
July 2 – Scarborough, TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre
July 3 – Llangollen, TK Maxx Presents Live at Llangollen Pavillion
July 4 – Cardiff, TK Maxx Presents Depot Live at Cardiff Castle
July 5 – St. Austell, Eden Sessions