Skinny Lister / Rescue Rooms / Nottingham

Nov 28

Nov 28 Skinny Lister / Rescue Rooms / Nottingham

First time back at Rescue Rooms for a while (first since Goodbye Mr MacKenzie I believe), and there’s been a few changes, particularly in a new, strict security crew. It’s almost a year to the day since I was here last to see Skinny Lister. That was my gig of 2021 and I had high hopes again for tonight !

First up we had Welshman Tom Jenkins, solo singer / songwriter on his deep red Gibson SG. Tom had a great interaction with the crowd, talking about his songs and connecting with them particularly handling the sensitivities around current World Cup football fortunes ! They audience soon warmed to his heartfelt lyrics and melodies. The set had a real folky feel to it, despite the heavier Gibson SG, which for me worked really well. A great taster for what’s to come. Well worth a listen, and only yesterday, his new album “It Comes In The Morning, It Hangs In The Evening Sky” hit the shelves and is fantastic, and a worthy follow up to 2019’s “Misery In Comfort”. You can stream the new album HERE

Next up is the duo Deux Furieuses. A very low key walk onto the stage beaming with smiles, they soon hit the crowd with a surprising high real energy and passionate performance. This was the final of their four nights with Skinny Lister and they were certainly warmed up and ready for tonight. Instruments were minimal behind the vocals, just Ros on Telecaster guitar and Vas on drums, but boy could they produce a depth of sound. The drum rhythms were fantastic and held the sound together so efficiently, with great use of the toms giving the sound that depth.

A great punk feel to it, and by the end of thew set we were all rocking. A great set and well worth getting there early for, a band I’ll definitely want to see again. Their excellent third album “seismic third album “Songs From Planet Earth” was only released on 18 November and is available to stream /order here: https://orcd.co/songsfromplanetearth .

The Rescue Rooms were buzzing now and packed to the rafters. Skinny Lister bounced onto the stage. This was the last night of this leg of the tour and boy were they going to make it a party ! The Skinny’s energy levels are always 100% and tonight was no exception. Right from the off we hit it off with their punk anthem Shout it Out which had the audience rocking and the rafters bursting lol. Everyone shouting along to the raucous lyrics.

It's not just their energy, they really bring a sense of fun to their shows, larking about. Daniel Heptinstall’s, and Lorna Thomas’s (vocals) were right on form tonight as they blasted through hit after hit. A brief pause in the madness to dedicate a song to a lady on the balcony, six months pregnant was a lovely touch. The livewire in chief though is Maxwell Thomas on accordion and mandolin, screaming out the lyrics, lurching out into the crowd and encouraging them to never ever stop clapping, shouting and bouncing. Just brilliant. Mention as well for Scott Milson on standing bass, who threw the thing around and over his head with ease !

What can I say about the songs ? Just cracking hit after hit. The highlights were George’s Glass, the delicate and beautiful Bonny Away (that Lorna uses to get her 2 year old daughter to sleep) and a feisty rendition of John Konaka led as ever by Maxwell.

Half way through the set, we had a very special guest join the band on stage, Party Pete, aka Lorna and Maxwell’s Dad (and Dan’s father in law) ! He joined for a couple of songs, and you can clearly see where they get their musicianship, energy and sense of fun from. He was absolutely brilliant, and the crowd loved Maxwell and him bouncing off each other repeatedly, laughing their heads off.

As the set came to an end we had perhaps their most well know tracks in Six Whiskey’s, a brilliant campfire singalong, telling the story of wandering the streets of a dark London night singing at the top of your voice, declaring your love for someone, until you get arrested ! Then to the encore, and being the last night, Dan calls up Ben from the Merch stand, Tom Jenkins, Party Pete and Deux Furieuses to the stage before the shout went out This… Is… War !!! I love this track, it has a real Pogues feel to it, in it’s crazy power, but with an anthemic chorus that everyone chants along to. Finally, what else could we end on but Trouble on Oxford Street the tale of getting drunk and ruffling a couple of punks hair, the ensuing fight and the inevitable drunk trip to A&E.

And everyone drew breath, for the first time in some time. The Shanty Punks are truly kings and queens) of their craft. The musicianship is superb and not one fan went home disappointed. Was it as good as last year ? No….. it was far better ! If I was allowed to only recommend one band to you all to see, ever…..? Then this is it !

And the great news ? Work on album #6 is well under way !

Simply stunning.

Set List (incomplete)

Shout it Out (A Matter of Life & Love 2021)

George’s Glass (Down on Deptford Broadway 2015)

If the Gaff Don’t Let Us Down (Forge and Flagon 2013)

What Can I Say (Down on Deptford Broadway 2015)

Colours (Forge and Flagon 2013)

Georgie Lad (The Devil, The Heart & The Fight 2016)

Damn the Amsterdam (A Matter of Life & Love 2021)

38 Minutes (The Story Is… 2019)

Bonny Away (Down on Deptford Broadway 2015)