‘This Is My Culture, Man, This Is My Home’: The Many Ways Frank Turner Moves His Fans

This was the final paper I wrote for a class at Queens College on a musical subculture in December 2015. I chose to analyze Frank Turner's fanbase, of course, and was fortunate enough to be in a position where not only could I interview Frank himself about the topic but also a number of his …

Navigating No Man’s Land: The Graveyard of the Outcast Dead

The Cross Bones Graveyard resides in London SE1, and dates back to medieval times. It is believed that up to 15,000 people are buried in the unconsecrated ground. Originally used as a graveyard for "single women" which was coded language for sex workers. They were known locally as "Winchester Geese," as they were licensed by …

Navigating No Man’s Land: Dora Hand

Dora Hand was an American vaudevillian dance hall performer. It is believed that she was born in 1844 on the east coast of United States, and was a descendant of a wealthy Boston family - though none of this is confirmed, sadly. She apparently studied music in Europe, and performed opera in New York City. …

Navigating No Man’s Land: Sister Rosetta

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was born March 20, 1915 in Arkansas, USA. Rosetta was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Originally gaining popularity in the 1930s for her gospel recordings that combined spiritual lyrics with a rhythmic accompaniment via electric guitar, she was what many consider the god-mother of rock and roll. In this role, she …

Embodying “God Damn – It’s Great To Be Alive”

It was November 26th, 2015. A Thursday. Thanksgiving, if you were in America. But I wasn’t. I had taken a red-eye flight the night before to London and found myself in a sleep-deprived haze standing inside the cavernous, and famous, Alexandra Palace. I was there hours before doors opened for the night to work a …

Thinking About Albums

According to the Grove Music Online the term “album” “was first applied to a collection of 78 RPM discs used to record a long work, such as a symphony, that would not fit onto a single disc; these collections were presented in a format resembling a family album, although containing sleeves for discs rather than …

I collect records. I am obsessed with them.

I never thought I would be a vinyl person. Growing up, they were things we had in the house that we never used. Our record player cabinet was a shelf for other things, and I'm pretty sure the player inside it was broken anyway. As an adult I didn't really have particular interest in vinyl, …

God damn, it nearly killed us.

I worked Frank Turner's Lost Evenings Festival in Camden last week. Despite chronic pain, chronic fatigue, jet lag, and seasonal allergies from hell - I somehow survived. There's too much to process still. Too much to smile about, and remember. I can't believe this is my life, and this is my job. I can't believe I …

It’s All Happening

I often try to stop and reflect on my life - where I am, what I'm doing, etc. I think part of the reason I do this is because I'm frequently ill, so it's a way to remind myself of all the progress I've made and see the work I've done. I also do this, …

Reflecting on “…The Many Ways Frank Turner Moves His Fans”

In the fall of 2015, I took a course at my university about musical subcultures. I adore fandom and am active in many. I went for the obvious topic of study: Frank Turner.