Jay McAllister, known to most as the bearded, politically charged singer-songwriter Beans on Toast, is far detached from the traditional rock and roll paradigm. But does this not make him the most rock and roll of them all?
Beans on Toast’s sold-out show at Leeds’ Brudenell Social Club exemplified the wonder that is glorious amateurism. That is not to say that Jay is an amateur himself, nor that his band are anything but flawlessly rehearsed. But watching Jay and his band cruise through their ninety-minute set is like watching a mate who’s brought their guitar to the local open-mic-night, only to discover they’ve been practising. There’s no pretence with Jay; he doesn’t exhibit the regular cliches that infest many a live show with their bilious odour. He just plays his songs and plays them well.
But every Beans on Toast show is different. When performing a requested song, Jay failed to complete his own track when faced with lyrics he’d forgotten. Not to worry, onto the next one, hopefully that mistake is ironed out for the following night’s performance. But it’s all part of the deal with Jay. The squeaky-clean exterior associated with much popular music is abandoned for a rawer feel. And it suits Jay perfectly. Sincerity is the central theme behind much of Jay’s music. Songs like ‘The Chicken Song’ and ‘I’m Home When You Hold Me’ are the endearing touches that act as constant reminders that Jay is grounded within his fame.
And, for better or worse, this everyman quality manifests in both music and speech. Yes, his politically minded speeches, while seldom glib, are at times monotonous and predictable. But Jay’s performances are the people’s performances. And who doesn’t have a friend whose political ramblings aren’t completely coherent?
Having said this, Jay handled some recent events with a touch less sensitivity than would be ideal. His humorous jibes directed polemically towards Conservative Britain translate poorly when applied to the terrifying realities of Russia’s involvement in Ukraine. The topic should be addressed, and Jay’s articulate manner would suit, but only with a little more care applied to his words. Ultimately, he and the crowd are on the same page, but his speeches lacked poignancy.
However, musically the show remained consistently and pleasingly fast-paced. And Jay really can write about anything. Trees, trespassing rivers, as well as archetypal hippie peace mantras make up some of the night’s lyrics in a way that only a true folk musician can achieve. And with the show being so gloriously malleable to the audience’s needs, Jay’s return to the stage for any encores is at the crowd’s requests. With this in-form crowd begging for more, the show nears two-hours in total, an impressive achievement for a three-person (and at times one-person) performance.
So, it was endearing, politically enraged, and musically sharp. Beans on Toast in a nutshell, what more could we ask of Jay?