Review: Skinny Lister, Thekla – ‘The shanty punk flies thick and fast’

Shanty punk on a boat? Yes please!

I can’t think of a more fitting place in Bristol to see Skinny Lister smash open the first show of their UK tour than the iconic Thekla. Fresh from their European dates they were back, ready to rock the boat in front of a sold-out crowd.

First up and very early to the stage was Ben Brown, walking through the crowd, guitar in hand, to hop up and announce, “I drove here!” with much excitement.

Brown’s excitement is infectious, as is his constant smile, even when singing. He’s full of laughter and chats effortlessly on stage, making us feel welcome by handing out ice cubes and passing around his sweaty hat for people to try on.

Uplifting acoustic folk from Ben Brown kicked off the night

Brown plays sweet uplifting acoustic folk with a grin. He is a one-man band: who needs a trumpet player when you can make the noise with your mouth? Kathmandu is a soft and sparkling number giving Vampire Weekend vibes, as he moves away from the mic to create softer tones and greater sensitivity to his vocals.

It’s s a short and bright set including most of Brown’s debut EP. He will be back in Bristol soon with new music as well as talk of a debut album to look out for. He gives out his dad’s mobile number as well as his address, and he’s off back through the crowd, leaving his guitar on one bemused crowd member.

The fun continues with the second support act. “Good Evening Yeovil!!” cry Skimmity Hitchers to a packed Thekla crowd. This band is here for a good time, and nothing makes that clearer than the appearance of a double bass.

They play cider-themed adaptations of popular songs, opening with A Pint of Cider to the tune of Johnny Cash’s Ring Of Fire.

“We are going to be serious for a moment,” they announce, before launching into Prodigy’s Firestarter with new lyrics: “I’m a Cider maker, a proper cider maker /You’re no cider maker, you’re a distributor!”

And a cover of Blink 182’s hit I Miss You – “Don’t waste your time on me, I’m already smashed right out my mind”- is now about having one too many ciders when you should have stopped.

The crowd is in on the joke, the front row lined with smiles and pints held aloft in salute. Skimmity Hitchers are the perfect Saturday night band, whipping up the crowd with singalongs and pints. So Much Fun.

With the pit stretching as far as the bar, it’s clear that the crowd is hyped, with many Skinny Lister t-shirts on display. The band erupt on stage. They are buzzing, we are buzzing and the boat is rocking.

Tragedy in Minor is a punch in the face of an opener and sets us up for a galloping punk show. Often in a band, one member has all the energy. In Skinny Lister, it’s all of them. They produce enough energy that, if they harnessed it, they could power the boat, set sail and tour the country. They never stop.

Skinny Lister are a high energy bunch, with dancing and crowd surfing galore

Singer Lorna dances her way around the boat, even posing for a selfie whilst crowd surfing. Her brother Max cranes over the crowd, grabbing hands while playing in fans’ ecstatic faces. This is a family band that blurs the lines between artists and fans.

Skinny Lister clearly loves our city as well: “We asked to start our tour in Bristol!” they say, before playing Bristol Bound. The punk flies thick and fast with Hamburg Drunk and Arm Wrestling In Dresden making for a ferociously punchy pairing in a set that travels at a relentless pace fuelled by passion and adoring fans who sing every single word with equal zeal.

Launching into the anthem that is Trouble on Oxford Street, friends and family are invited up onto a stage overflowing with happiness. They close the show with a good old sing-along, Lorna jumping over our heads to crowd surf the night away. High hopes have been surpassed. Skinny Lister do not disappoint.

All images: Matt Barnes

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