A row is raging online after Frank Turner broke the record for most shows played in 24 hours over the weekend, but Crywank claim that they beat him to it.
Turner played 15 gigs in 15 different towns kicking off at Liverpool’s Jacaranda Baltic at 12.30pm on Saturday (May 4) before finally completing his mission at Southampton’s The Brook at midday on Sunday (May 5) – all in aid of the Music Venue Trust and supported by sponsor FreeNow, who provided e-taxis for him to complete the almost 500-mile journey.
At the start of the journey, Turner posted an image of himself holding a sign saying “BEFORE”, writing: “Here we go friends. 15 shows, 15 town, 24 hours. This is a terrible idea. Thanks to the venues, my crew, the record shops and @musicvenuetrust – let’s do this.”
That was later followed up by a post from the final leg of the attempt, holding an equivalent “AFTER” sign. “Proud. Tired. Grateful. Long live independent music,” he wrote.
Wishing our patron @FrankTurner safe travels across his Music Venue Trust world record setting mission this weekend: The most gigs in 24 hours. To keep everything above board we’ve set out some stipulations to ensure every gig counts.#GrassrootsMusicVenues #FrankTurner pic.twitter.com/ZFhcwOxqKm
— Music Venue Trust (@musicvenuetrust) May 3, 2024
But Crywank said that they played 16 gigs in 24 hours from May 3 to May 4 and didn’t get the record due to the rules set out by the Music Venue Trust – stating Turner’s concerts and stated that “each performance must be given ahead of a paying audience” and made a point about gig length.
In response, the Manchester band replied: “Awwww my gigs don’t count. Should’ve got a big corporate sponsor and charged all my fans for twenty minute shows, oh well.”
I did it
16 shows in 16 cities in 24 hours
I don’t care if some people don’t think this record is official or not
So so so grateful to everyone who helped this happen
X
— Crywank (@CrywankBand) May 4, 2024
The band also wrote: “I did it 16 shows in 16 cities in 24 hours I don’t care if some people don’t think this record is official or not so so so grateful to everyone who helped this happen.”
The accolade awarded to Turner was criticised by some fans with one writing in response to MVT’s post: “booooooo crywank deserves that win,” while another added: “crywank did it better.”
During his gig stint, Turner played 15 solo shows, with each set running for a minimum of 20 minutes, and every performance was held at an independent venue, ticketed by an independent record shop.
It is reported that the previous record was held by Hunter Hayes with 10 shows, and before that it was The Flaming Lips with eight.
“I’m extremely proud — and yet more exhausted — after completing the challenge to get the world record,” said Turner afterwards. “The main drive for me was to highlight the work of independent venues and record shops and the Music Venue Trust, as well as bringing over 3000 people together in 24 hours for a good time. I did 24 shows in 24 hours in London in 2009, but this was arguably a bigger challenge, and a more official one. Time for some sleep!”
Meanwhile, Turner has been a prominent advocate for the need for extra support for grassroots music venues, at a time when the MVT recently called for a £1 ticket levy on large scale concerts to help save smaller live music spaces.
Music Venue Trust CEO and Founder Mark Davyd added: “If there was a knighthood for supporting the grassroots live music community, he would already be Sir Frank Turner. With this latest effort, Frank has once again demonstrated how central to everything he is as an artist that the live music experience is.
“We will be submitting all the details of these shows, the evidence required to verify each event, over to Guinness World Records and we believe they will recognise that Frank is the new world record holder.”
Earlier this year, he told NME about the need for the industry to pull together to help the grassroots and independent sector. “We’re trying to remind people that going to independent gigs is fun, and teaching the kids who came of age in 2020 or 2021 that this is a cool thing to do,” he said. “My role in this is twofold – to shout about it whenever I can and be positive and say it’s a really fucking cool thing to go to indie gigs. Don’t fucking go to an arena gig where you get charged nine quid for a beer!”
Turner’s latest album ‘Undefeated’ was released on Friday (May 3) via Xtra Mile, his first record as an independent artist. He also recently announced details of his 3000th gig, set to take place at Alexandra Palace.
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