Flogging Molly, Frank Turner make punk fun again at rollicking N.J. concert (PHOTOS)

British folk-punk and Irish jams spurred a huge dance party in Asbury Park

ASBURY PARK -- Frank Turner instructed the crowd to separate -- it was time for the wall of death, he shouted. 

Fans were leery; the chaotic event, where the audience splits in two before sprinting full force at one another like a "Braveheart" battle scene, is usually reserved for heavier shows -- not for the self-described troubadour of "campfire punk-rock," who minutes earlier had prompted the Stone Pony crowd to flutter their "jazz hands." 

After reluctantly preparing to slam into each other, fans Saturday were relieved when the sweat-soaked Brit added a caveat: "we are not going to do a wall of death, we are going to do a wall of hugs!" 

Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls rock The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, Aug. 20, 2016. (Matt Smith | For NJ.com) 

The beer-happy crowd, in attendance for both Turner and rollicking pub-punk co-headliners Flogging Molly, were more apt for this challenge, and soon a field of newsboy caps and Irish t-shirts embraced on the Asbury Park floor. 

Sure, both Turner and Molly are members of a community that draws an ostensibly menacing crowd -- plenty of mohawks, facial tattoos, and denim vests peppered the congregation -- but in the live setting, neither act searched for a fight. The show more closely mimicked a rambunctious bar party, where around 3,000 fans at the beachfront Summer Stage were simply on board for a night of jigs and jams. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES

Flogging Molly:

- Like raucous contemporary Dropkick Murphys, Molly's musicianship surely doesn't receive its due credit. Yes, Dave King's seven-piece is often rambling about pirate sieges and drunken lullabies, but between sips of Guinness -- of course it's Guinness on stage -- the band is a wholly wrapped unit, one that's terrifically polished in its meld of traditional Irish exuberance and Cock Sparrer-tinged punk. 

The Los Angeles-based band's more novel aspects -- Matt Hensley's furious accordion, Bridget Regan's light-fingered fiddle -- earned more cheers, but new drummer Mike Alonso was the night's unspoken hero, keeping pace through a relentless speeding set. At center, King's manic strumming and screams held the crowd. 

Flogging Molly rocks The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, Aug. 20, 2016. (Matt Smith | For NJ.com) 

- Fans who have followed the group closely since its 2000 debut were gifted several deeper cuts in the discography, including riling takes on "The Worst Day Since Yesterday" and "Life in a Tenement Square," both off the first LP. "Tobacco Island," a forgotten song off 2006's "Within a Mile of Home," evoked one of the night's most fervent dance-offs, with King strutting on stage and fans bouncing and kicking down below. 

- King, 54, dedicated "Requiem for a Dying Song," to his late mother, who died "over Christmas," but the singer accepted no sympathy.

"Wherever she is, up there or down there, it's all about this," he said, raising his middle finger to the crowd. "Satan has his work cut out for him."

- King said the band plans to record a new album later this year, its first since 2011's strong "Speed of Darkness." 

Frank Turner:

- "Welcome to show No. 1,954!" Turner yelled -- but who's counting? The tireless singer-songwriter was fully cranked Saturday, as he and his backers The Sleeping Souls hurtled through his list of bright-eyed jams, from the eager "I Still Believe" and "Ballad of Me and My Friends," to the more wistful -- if not still frenetic -- "Long Live The Queen."

The crowd, which packed in early to see the 34-year-old, was in corner each round, wailing along to the better-known bangers "Recovery" and "Get Better," and boosting "Glorious You" with a gospel-like "lift up!" refrain.  

Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls rock The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, Aug. 20, 2016. (Matt Smith | For NJ.com) 

- For how often he plays, and how much music he's released over the last decade -- six LPs, five EPs and four compilations -- Turner never veered toward autopilot. He reached for every belt in his impressive register, and through bops and jogs across the stage, he'd soaked through his "Book of Mormon"-esque white dress shirt and black tie by the third song. 

- Entirely affable through his 70 minutes, Turner told stories of past times in Asbury Park, getting so severely sloshed at the now-defunct Asbury Lanes that he and his pals coined the phrase "getting Asburied." 

"R.I.P. The Lanes," he yelled, to a big cheer from fans who frequented the wily punk venue and bowling alley. 

FLOGGING MOLLY'S SET LIST

• "The Hand of John L. Sullivan"
• "Drunken Lullabies"
• "(No More) Paddy's Lament"
• "Man With No Country"
• "The Worst Day Since Yesterday"
• "Life in a Tenement Square"
• "Saints & Sinners"
• "Requiem for a Dying Song"
• "Revolution"
• "Float"
• "Tobacco Island"
• "Salty Dog"
• "What's Left of the Flag"
• "If I Ever Leave This World Alive"
• Encore:
• "The Seven Deadly Sins"

FRANK TURNER'S SET LIST

• "I Still Believe"
• "The Next Storm"
• "Try This at Home"
• "Recovery"
• "Long Live the Queen"
• "Glorious You"
• "I Am Disappeared"
• "The Opening Act of Spring" 
• "The Ballad of Me and My Friends"
• "St. Christopher is Coming Home"
• "The Way I Tend to Be"
• "If Ever I Stray"
• "Out of Breath"
• "Photosynthesis"
• "Get Better"
• "Four Simple Words" 

#floggingmolly #whatsleftoftheflag #drunkenlullabies #livemusic #lovelife #musicforthesoul #concert #positivevibes #doubletap #ireland #irish

A video posted by Justin Bellew (@jbellew32) on Aug 21, 2016 at 6:07am PDT

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.