SKINNY LISTER are a band that you HAVE to see in order to appreciate what all the hoo-har is about. Their live shows are raucous affairs, they dance, they sing, they play instruments and they engage with the audience, often passing around a flagon which is filled with something alcoholic at the start of the show (to this day I have never been on the receiving end of it so cannot speculate what the contents may be!)

Riding high off the release of their 5th studio album A Matter of Life & Love (available NOW on Xtra Mile Recordings) the band are currently making their way around the country, playing to packed houses and putting huge smiles on fan’s faces. Tonight saw the Skinny Lister bus arrive at The Fleece in Bristol where they were supported by label mates BERRIES, read on to see how the evening unfolded.

Berries got the party started with their mix of rock, indie and grunge. This three piece, all female outfit from London have a great sound, mixing some nice melodies and intricate guitar work with some thumping bass lines. There were some catchy tunes and infectious smile from Holly (guitar and vocals) spread around the room. Joining the Xtra Mile Recording stable this year, they have released a handful of singles with rumours of an album being worked on. Things are looks very exciting for this trio.

Then the lights dimmed and Skinny Lister took the stage to a raucous welcome from the full house. They jumped straight into ‘Wanted’ and it signposted the night to what was going to be a high energy, shanty-punk-fest that demonstrated however good their albums are, Skinny Lister have to be seen live to ‘get it’. The early part of the set saw 3 or 4 of the new tracks from ‘A Matter of Life and Love’ and the crowd responded. ‘Life at a Loose end’, ‘Bavaria Area’ and the title track  were mixed with mainstays from the back catalogue and from the first track the place started to bounce. Lorna called it early, “Is this the best Bristol gig we have had, I think so”. It took Dan a few more songs to come around but he couldn’t deny it by the time the new drinking anthem “Breakfast at Heathrow” echoed around the Fleece.

The Longest Johns have been supporting Skinny on most of the tour but were given the night off in their home town, well, most of them were. However, half of them came along for a night out and they were called up on stage to help out on the recent single ‘Damn the Amsterdam’ on which they featured.  The energy was relentless and when ‘the Mule’ dropped, Sam Brace stepped up to start ‘John Kanaka’ to a man, and woman, voices joined together. Max, putting down the melodeon for a moment, swung from the pillars as he hung off the stage bating the crowd for more. This is what we have missed for the last 18 months. This is what live music is all about. Skinny Lister brought the lot tonight, minus that flagon of rum to pass around (not covid safe!) and it was wonderful.

Lorna slowed things down momentarily with her lullaby ‘Bonnys Eyes’ to her and Dan’s daughter, Bonny, with her all tucked up in bed with Grandma and Grandad in a hotel down the road. The respite was short lived as the set thumped to an end with ‘Trouble on Oxford Street’ and an encore with ‘Raise a wreck’ and ‘Hamburg Drunk’. For the final number, ‘Six whiskys’ , Berries and the only present half of the Longest Johns were encouraged back on stage as everyone in the room sung and swayed to a finish.

Skinny Lister gave it their all and then some, and  in their own words, ‘the gaff didn’t let them down’. A must see live band and a guaranteed fantastic evening of high energy shanty punk.

Words and Pictures by GM Gig Photography