(Supported by The Wood Burning Savages, Trapper Schoepp)
Over the years, The Electric Ballroom has hosted many of the great and good from Rock and Roll’s hall of Fame. Artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, U2, Prince and the Clash have graced the Iconic, 1,500 head capacity, venue in the past and tonight it was the turn of surely an Iconic band of the future, if not now, Skinny Lister.
Folk-punk 6-piece band Skinny Lister formed in London in 2009; originally as a five-piece before adding a drummer to the line-up in 2013. The band are:
Dan Heptinstall – lead vocals, guitar, and stomp box
Max Thomas – melodeon, mandolin and vocals
Lorna Thomas – vocals
Thom Mills – drums
Sam “Mule” Brace – guitar, concertina, vocals, and mandolin
Scott Milsom – double bass, Bass guitar and vocals
Over the years they have played SXSW (South by South-West, Texas USA) and Coachella (California, USA) as well as extensive tours and festivals in UK and Europe, earning themselves in 2011 the accolade of “The hardest working band in the UK” from PRS. Their live shows have been described as “…a deafening and visceral experience.” By the Independent in a 5/5 review.
They released their fourth album “The Story is…” on Xtra Mile records on March 1st this year and this show catches them at the end of the UK/European leg of their current world tour. Supporting them on UK/Europe leg of the tour are Singer/Songwriter Trapper Schoepp and for UK Gigs The Wood Burning Savages.
Milwaukee-born Trapper Schoepp opens the show and entertains the early-arrivers with a short set featuring songs from his albums, recently released “Primetime Illusion” and 2016’s “Rangers and Valentines. Singing solo with acoustic guitar, his opening song “Ballad of Olof Johnson” a tale of his Grandpa’s travels around South Dakota, is an immediately catchy tune with a story in the lyrics that a fair few in the crowd were familiar with, judging by reactions. The Harmonica comes out for “What you do to Her” referring to those men that don’t respect Women, eliciting a rousing cheer from the crowd.
With “On Wisconsin” Schoepp shares the credits with Bob Dylan. Based on an old Dylan manuscript, never recorded, Schoepp added a melody and some lyrics and got approval from Dylan himself to record it.
Set-closer “Freight Train” sees Schoepp joined on stage by members of the next band The Wood Burning Savages” (Daniel Acheson – Bass and Elliot Finlay – Drums) along with David Vine, Skinny Lister’s tour Manager on Guitar to mix things up a bit and deliver a rocking finale to Schoepps set. It is clear from the chemistry and stage antics that these guys have been on the tour bus together for a while, and rumour has it that the Northern Irish lads have been teaching American Schoepp a wee bit about the craic.
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The stage, shrouded in smoke is cleared and reset and The Wood Burning Savages (Paul Connolly – Guitar, Vocals, Daniel Acheson – Bass, BV, Michael Woods – Guitar, BV, Elliot Finlay – Drums) appear through the murk. The Wood Burning Savages are a provocative, fast-paced Punk band from Derry City Northern Ireland and released their debut album ”Stability in late 2018, a series of songs with a strong political edge about the empty factories, the empty promises and the disillusion of the working classes let down time and again by fat cat politicians .
Opening number “Stability” clearly shows the band’s intent with the pounding drum and bass opening and Connolly’s snarling vocal and raging guitars delivering a two-minute scorcher of a track, demanding the audience to pay attention. “We Love You”, “Rat Race” and “I don’t know why I do it to myself” all follow in quick succession, the latter a song about life on the dole while the politicians get richer and fatter evokes memories of the Northern Ireland scene of old that produced such legends as Stiff Little Fingers and their Ilk.
The pace eases a bit for “Lusitania” a more melodic and introspective song about the rumours and mystery of the sinking of that great ship. Taking the groove back up again with “Sisters of Mercy” , “Living Hell” , “Lather, Rinse, Repeat” before finishing with the Doors’esque “Thoughts of You”, Finlay’s drums and Acheson’s bass a rolling thunder behind Connolly’s pleading impassioned Vocal and swirling, howling guitars of Connolly and Woods wrapping the whole thing in a wild seething mass of energy. The audience have been with the band throughout the set, arms and fists raised aloft and the band leave the stage to thunderous applause and cries for more. If you like your music hard, fast and straight from the heart, this is a band to keep a close eye on.
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Once more the stage fills with smoke, and you can positively taste the anticipation and the excitement in the air as we wait for the main act to appear. The wait seems unending as the tension builds, the end of every song from the PA getting a hopeful cheer from the audience. By now, the packed Electric Ballroom is buzzing, it might not be a sell-out, but it is certainly not far off. Skinny Lister walk on stage to rapturous and elated cheering, led by Lorna carrying not one but two flagons, (These would be quaffed and sold after the gig) and with little ado, launch into “38 Minutes” from their latest Album “The Story Is….”, a reference to a Ballistic missile alert in Hawaii a few years ago. From the opening notes hands are in the air, the crowd singing along and the mosh pit bouncing, and it stays that way pretty much throughout their 90+ minute set. With a burgeoning back-catalogue Skinny Lister have plenty of songs in their arsenal and every one of them is a crowd pleaser. They have built a rightly deserved reputation as a people’s band and it is clear on this showing that the people are firmly with them. “My Distraction” has Lorna pirouetting around the stage before Dan takes over vocal duties on “” Tragedy in A minor”. “If the Gaff don’t let us down” is the first of the folk-themed songs in tonight’s set with Max’s Melodeon very much to the fore. “Geordie Lad” sees Lorna down in the crowd for the first time tonight, being carried through the crowd on people’s shoulders. “Forty Pound Wedding” is a foot-stomping hand-clapping joy, raucous and bawdy as any good folk tune should be. Inevitably Mr Trump gets a mention and is the inspiration behind “2nd Amendment”. The opening lines and the reggae guitar chops and Dan’s voice evoke memories of The Clash and or The Jam.
“John Kanaka” another foot-stomper, has guitarist Sam “Mule” Brace down in the pit leading the community singing. “Thing like that “is a great punk inspired song that asks the question /Why do you want to go and do a thing like that? / a question that is asked so often these days. “Bonny Away” has Lorna back on vocals for a quite traditional love song that once again has people’s hands waving in the air. Showing no intention of slowing down the band launch into “This is War” and its tag line /We’ve all got something that we are fighting for/. Dan invites label-mate Frank Turner on-stage for the last song of the set “Trouble on Oxford Street”. This was never going to be the end of the evening. The last night of a long tour ending with a home-town show is all the reason needed for a bit of a party and so Skinny Lister returned to the Stage, inviting Trapper Schoepp, The Wood Burning Savages and Frank Turner back on stage for a final send-off featuring “Raise a Wreck”, “Hamburg Drunk” and “Six Whiskies”. As the flagons were passed around the rather crowded stage and shared with the fans at the front, there was crowd-surfing a plenty – Lorna was out there along with The Wild Savages’ Paul Connolly and Sam Brace, guitar in hand and still playing, enjoyed a ride on the heads hands and shoulders of the enthusiastic crowd. Balloons and hands filled the air as the band came to the end of a storming, rambunctious and exuberant final show. Next stop for the Skinnys is the USA for a three-week tour which sees them headlining some shows and supporting Frank Turner for others.
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Trapper Schoepp Set List
Ballad of Olof Johnson/ Ogallala/ What You Do To Her/ Bumper Cars/ Settlin’ or Sleepin’ Around/ On Wisconsin/ Freight Train
The Wood Burning Savages Set List
Stability / We Love You / Rat Race / I Don’t Know Why I Do It To Myself / Lusitania / Sisters of Mercy / Living Hell / Lather, Rinse, Repeat / Thoughts of You
Skinny Lister Set List
38 Minutes /My Distraction / Tragedy in A Minor / If the Gaff Don’t Let Us Down / What Can I Say? / Artist Arsonist / Rattle & Roar / My Life, My Architecture / Geordie Lad / Cathy /Forty Pound Wedding / Colours / George’s Glass / Second Amendment / Bold as Brass / John Kanaka / Rollin’ Over / Wanted /
Thing Like That / Bonny Away / This Is War / Trouble on Oxford Street
Encore:
Raise a Wreck / Hamburg Drunk / Six Whiskies
