Tales of an English Folk Hero
Life is a Festival #46: Jay McAllister (Beans on Toast)
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“Beans on Toast… it’s cheap, it’s easy, it’s English, does what it says on the tin.”
Jay McAllister, aka Beans on Toast, is a true English folk hero. You’ll find him at a British festival on a Sunday afternoon, belting out his irreverent songs for worn out ravers. From helping Banksy launch sky lanterns, to extolling the virtues of a bamboo toothbrush, Beans is the paradigm of a festive life that makes a difference.
On the show we talk about the long chain of folk heroes and how Beans became a political songwriter. We chat about festival favorites from Glastonbury to AfrikaBurn. We discuss what it means to bring a child into a festival lifestyle and run the whole show as a family.
We end the podcast with a track from Bean’s new album called “Take Your Shit Home With You,” which was requested by the organizers of Boomtown Fair to combat rampant tent abandonment at the event. You can purchase his new album, “The Inevitable Train Wreck,” all of his prolific catalogue, and his book “Drunk Folk Stories” from his website. Your purchase will be delivered with love from his Mum and Dad who manage the merch.
A huge thank you to all my supporters on Patreon! Thanks to your help, I am over halfway to my goal of covering my monthly expenses for this show: Affinity Mingle, Randy Barnowl, Lea Jinks, Nate Levin, Noah Weston, Quayle Hodek, Tim Chang, Troy Dayton. And a special thank you to my first Medici-level supporter Adam St. Simons. If you have the means and the vibe, consider visiting Life is a Festival on Patreon and popping a quid in the till.
LINKS
TIMESTAMPS
:10 - The Right doesn’t have any songs
:14 - UK Free Parties in the 90s were one of the last places “not for sale.”
:17 - “Glastonbury was the one for me.”
:25 - You’ve got to take your tent home
:33 - The long chain of folk heroes
:36 - So wait… does that mean you know who Banksy is?
:41 - Beans on Toast goes to AfricaBurn
:47 - Jay releases a new album every year on his birthday. How does he do it?
:50 - Bringing a child into the artistic process and getting your parents to help sell merch.
:53 - Cut out the middle man, be prolific and dress like you’re already at a festival
:59 - The Joys of Boomtown Fair
1:03 - Why Beans on Toast?
“TAKE YOUR SHIT HOME WITH YOU” - BY BEANS ON TOAST
Graphics Designed by Andy McErlean
Theme song ““Peculiar Colors” [Manjumasi]“ by dj atish