Skinny Lister / Beans on Toast @ Norwich Waterfront - November 30, 2017

This show was part of the Double Trouble Tour: Beans on Toast and then Skinny Lister. Beans on Toast served up a big chunk of his almost stream-of-consciousness rap/sung folk songs. I get the feeling he is extremely prolific and just dumps his stuff on the audience. I couldn't help feeling that he might instead slow down and more carefully craft what he does, but maybe I'm missing the point of his output. It was certainly entertaining though, and he is engaging and fun, as he veers between the political and the personal. He had 4 musicians backing him up, which I understand isn't normal for him. I enjoyed his introduction of the violin player: she used to play with Lord of the Dance but quit when they wouldn't let her skip their performance for Donald Trump. Many cheers for that story.

Skinny Lister is a new discovery for me. They are about to release their fourth album (springtime?) and tour unrelentingly. It shows. Their set is tight and crazy fun. All the band members are natural entertainers and provide a great night of jumping around and singing along. But I have to single out the indefatigable Lorna Thomas, singer and whirling ball of energy. She is flanked by her husband on guitar and sharing singing duties, and her brother, on accordian, who along with the rest of the band all have spotlight moments that richochet between band members. They share their energy and essence, and delight the crowd as one cohesive, and churning engine delivering (what they call) Shanty Punk. I'd love to see them live again, and will wait impatiently for the next album.

Setlist:
Tragedy in A Minor
Christmas Calls
Cathy
My Life, My Architecture
Geordie Lad
The Devil in Me
John Kanaka
Rollin' Over
Trouble on Oxford Street
Bonny Away
Wanted
This is War
Hamburg Drunk
Encore:
Beat It From the Chest
This Christmas (with Beans on Toast)

-Setlist is approximate. They might have played Thing Like That and George's Glass among others.