Everyone’s Favourite Hippie Dad: Beans On Toast Live Review
Written by Maddie Nash Edited by Millie Cain
To celebrate the mammoth achievement of releasing his sixteenth album, ‘The Toothpaste and the Tube’; cult folk figure Beans on Toast embarked on his new UK tour doing what he does best: playing intimate, community-led venues to spread his message of positivity and hope. With a new album released every year since 2009, it is a testament to the success of his beloved hippie-uncle image that his shows constantly generate a raucous, feel-good energy.
What characterised the venue room of Brudenell Social Club that night was the sloshing of beer and dad laughter, rhythmically rising and falling together; the room that has seen so many different acts was transformed into the cosy familiarity of a small-town pub. As Beans on Toast steps out, his run-of-the-mill-hippie-dad persona was greeted with a warm and particularly rousing welcome, the majority older crowd hailing him with applause.
Debuting songs from his new album took the crowd by storm, less acoustic focused than his more popular work; it was these songs which had everyone dancing. In keeping his signature homely, honest vocals, lead singer Jay McAllister mixed the funky backing of his band with some incredibly catchy choruses such as ‘Back out on the Road’, which leave you singing along, even if you’ve never heard it before. It seems impossible that the band were formed especially for this tour and met on the way to their first gig. The instrumental meshed together seamlessly, with tracks such as ‘What would Willie do?’ defying genre categorisation. It is apparent to me that Beans on Toast is an icon of cult folk due to his ability to lace his music with rock, country western, and jazz so successfully.
Part of what made this gig so successful was the intimate feel of it. It was obvious that he loved the crowd with a genuine earnestness, and they adored him back for it. From counting in a rousing chorus of ‘Yorkshire!’ to singing happy birthday to audience members, every interaction felt deliberate. One of the most important elements of folk music is in grassroots tradition and community; it’s the music of the people by the people, from historical working-class national songs to the folk of today. Beans on Toast is such a successful folk figure as he understands this perfectly. Such a strong sense of community banded around the room, linking us all together. The support acts were internal, various members of the Beans on Toast band getting an opportunity to solo, from the silky keys of pianist King Killership to the spoken word poetry of Bassie Gracie – a set that started off humorous and ended with some surprisingly striking and powerful images, capturing the trippy, disorientating feeling of Beans on Toast’s music by shrinking the line between song, poetry, and art.
The acoustic set still works just as well though, and the softer melodies don’t fall flat due to the crowd singing along making it sound almost like a lullaby or a hearty campfire retreat depending on the song. This simple storytelling works as the writing is so personal, a particular standout being ‘The Album of the Day’, his adoration for his daughter shines through this beacon of fatherhood fantasy. The positivity and sentiments of the songs are reflected in the crowd, displays of friendly affection and love are everywhere I turn my head. The simplicity of his hippie protest songs is balanced out by how well they land – maybe easy protest songs are exactly what is needed right now. ‘Life won’t be wasted on me’ and ‘I believe in a world worth saving’ are his battle cries. The focus is on seeking music that makes you feel good in this lively and loving celebration of positivity and the small things in life.
