From Chicago to Norwich: Frank Turner fans fly over 3,000 miles to meet singer in music store

Fans have flown in from as far as Chicago to witness their hero in action as he played a live set in a Norwich music store.

Singer-songwriter Frank Turner has been a firm favourite amongst Norwich fans since his first show in the city in 1998, and has returned many times since.

But the crowds who gathered at HMV in the city centre's Chapelfield shopping centre yesterday were not made up of locals alone.

In the queue were Jiovani Heard, from Portland, Oregon, and Hannah Clarke, from Chicago, who had both flown in to see Frank performing at HMV, and his evening show at the University of East Anglia's LCR.

'I've seen him once before today,' said 19-year-old Jiovani. 'But I'm travelling to Australia next year where I'm hoping to see him.'

Ms Clark, 30, said: 'I've seen him twice before. We're all friends via the Frank Turner Army group on Facebook and when I saw Jiovani was going I knew I just had to come. We landed yesterday and realised we could catch the show, so here we are.'

Also in the crowd waiting for his copy of Frank's new album Be More Kind to be signed was Carl Nelson.

Mr Nelson has seen the musician over 50 times in the past four years.

The Essex 23-year-old said: 'There's something about Frank's fans that is different - they're so friendly. It was my birthday the other week when I was at a show and I was in a room full of people I hardly knew and I had an amazing time.'

Vanessa Aldred lives in Norwich and has seen the singer around 20 times. She said: 'It's great he comes back to places like this. He can sell out anywhere and keeps coming back where other bands don't.'

'I think he comes back to Norwich because he can interact with the audience more,' said Great Yarmouth resident Andy Parker.

'He can sell out arenas but he comes back to the places like this time and time again, where other big artists forget about Norwich and choose the bigger cities. It's great to see him here.'