The innovative and amusing folk troubadour Beans on Toast passed through Nottingham on Saturday night with a fun, quirky set that involved and thoroughly entertained the crowd. Jay McAllister (Beans on Toast) started the night by addressing the many concerning issues that have been so ubiquitous the news recently before dismissing negativity by opening on ‘Whole Lotta Love’. This set the tone for the evening as there was a positive singalong vibe throughout the proceedings.
Beans On Toast reeled off many of his past fan favourites from his previous albums such as ‘Things’ and ‘The Chicken Song’ accompanied by hilarious anecdotes and observations. His break in ‘The Chicken Song’ to describe the inaccuracies of the song was a particular amusing moment.
Joined by the talented two piece Truckstop Honey and Billy Banjo on stage, the act became more expansive than it has been before and allowed Jay more time to involve himself with the crowd. The audience involvement peaked during the middle of the set when Jay ventured into the middle of the crowd to sing with his fans. This welcoming feeling encapsulated the whole set and showed how talented a performer McAllister is in his ability to involve himself with the crowd. This was followed by his child friendly ‘Camp Bestival’ song where he the audience where sat down in a story time-esque daze throughout.
“There was a positive singalong vibe throughout the proceedings”
Possibly the standout point of the gig that showed the skill of McAllister is his successful attempt at a Meta song. He paused his classic hit ‘MDMAmazing’ midway through and by the means of a spoken interlude managed to transition into another song by ending on his signature song. This inventive and unusual method of performance is what really has come to define Beans on Toast as one of the most interesting and engaging acts currently touring.
The set also brought forwards some of the new material that McAllister will be releasing next week along with his new Christmas song which as you may expect puts a twist on traditional festive music. After this point of the set there was several heartfelt love songs aimed at his partner Lizzie B who he announced was in the building. This emotive section of the gig was followed by a special treat for the Nottingham fans with a rendition of the Bryan Adams classic ‘Everything I do (I do it for you)’ which fans may be aware of as a regular staple of his set when he hits this city. The meaning of this song rang true though as the audience were given a feeling that McAllister is really in this business for the fans and that makes for a memorable experience for the crowd.
Jack Smiddy
Image: Mark Holmes via Flickr
