By Spring Wise.
I arrived at The Joiners very shortly after doors, and the place was already buzzing and glowing (25/3/25). The crowd brought a summertime festival vibe to a Tuesday night in March and love was in the air.
William Crighton, all the way from Australia has the most incredible voice. Rattling, rolling grunge-inflected folk-blues with a gentle pathos, he closed out the set with an acapella performance unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, with absolute confidence but not a drop of arrogance: he believed in his art and he knew we were listening. He told us his name and asked that we all shout our own names back to him, it was quite lovely.
I feel lucky to have caught him performing so far from home, and I’ll definitely check him out again next time he’s this side of the earth. He is a great choice for a Beans On Toast support act, though a couple of his songs were properly devastating… which, I suppose, made Beans’ energy all the more welcome.
Beans’ set began with a beautiful piano intro from Matt Millership, the pianist from last year’s Wild Goose Chasers album, on an incongruously old piano, and so began an epic adventure.
No really, it was the longest set I think I’ve ever seen from any artist, ever. But not a second too long… and with a back catalogue of SEVENTEEN albums, there’s plenty to choose from, and punters beg for their favourites.
Beans (I could call him by his government name but I think Beans is more fun) is earnest and wistful and acerbic without ever stepping into wanky* territory, which is difficult for a longstanding popular folk hero in 2025. He’s changed his mind about a few things over the years and tells us so, but most of his material feels as relevant today as it ever was. Perhaps a little more and uncomfortably on the nose here and there.
I had the pleasure of sharing the experience with a dear friend who was overcome with emotion at the beauty of it all… actually, just in my immediate vicinity at least three people were in tears at various points (and me, during The Chicken Song because I’m a bleeding heart vegan).
Artists and audience shared a moment of appreciation and raucous applause for the legendary institution that is The Joiners, Beans apparently having played here many years ago with his teenage band (he has no memory of this, but a sticker says he was here). “You don’t find many places like this anymore”.
I like to think at least a couple of people fell in love among the throng, and nourishing friendships were begun: the vibes were transcendentally euphoric and every person I encountered was kind and shining. No, I wasn’t high, in fact I wasn’t even drunk! I guess you just had to be there.
*although there’s an enjoyable classic about the government banning masturbation.
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