Having risen to prominence in the British folk scene, James McAllister, otherwise known as Beans on Toast, is one of the most respected artists around - known for his lyricism centring around drugs, politics and love. But now the singer is taking on a role as event organiser of the Foolhardy Folk Festival, coming to Nottingham Arboretum in August. Before it gets going, we catch up with the singer about summer vibes, going back to simplicity, and his love for festivals…
For the second year running, the stage is set for the Nottingham Arboretum to host the Foolhardy Folk Festival as Nottingham looks forward to boasting another day of great live music and good vibes. And if there’s one person who is more excited than anyone else, it’s organiser Jay McAllister aka Beans on Toast, who comments that, “It was so much fun last year. On stage, off stage, it was just a whole collection of photos of people smiling, and I think that’s the mission.”
This year’s festival is already hotting up, with the Essex-based artist describing it as “a beautiful day of music, trees and revelry” with “music from a bandstand in the middle of the Arboretum, including some bands that are used to being acoustic and some rock and roll bands playing a calmer, more folky set.”
Pitched as an afternoon of good company, nice music and a beautiful setting (all for an affordable price), McAllister asserts that Nottingham’s the perfect place for it. “Obviously, I’m not from there,” he says, “but I have a slight sort of spiritual connection with the place and it’s central, isn’t it?” Expanding on his ‘spiritual connection’ with the area, Beans explains, “My parents both grew up in London in the sixties and then moved to Essex, but my mum’s best friend moved to Nottingham and they're as close as family. We used to come up a lot, spend a lot of time in Sherwood Forest, at the Major Oak and stuff like that, so I knew the city really well.”
At the moment my general rule of thumb for gigs is, it’s all my positive songs
Going on to talk about the festival musically, Beans says, “I’ll sort of open up proceedings with a solo set of Beans on Toast classics from throughout the ages, then I’ll also be playing a set with my new band, playing songs that’ll lead more towards the new album. At the moment my general rule of thumb for gigs is, it’s all my positive songs,” he says. “Look, I know the world is a difficult place, I’m not an idiot, but I think you hear enough about that left, right and centre, so I find it really refreshing to stand on stage and say, I think life’s beautiful and I think we’re really lucky to be here, let’s not be defeatist about the problems that face us. This doesn’t have to be the end of humanity, it could be the beginning!”
It’s been a big summer for Beans; leading up to this festival, he has had performances at Glastonbury and Y-Not, to name just a couple. “I love festivals. I really, really do. I’ve been going to them since I was a kid, so it really is in my blood, and I think at all of the gigs I’ve done so far this year there’s been a real magic in the air,” he says. “Just getting up on stage, everybody wants that relief. It’s just been an absolute dream to be standing up and to be conducting those sorts of emotions, and I’ll be doing that every weekend right up until the Foolhardy Folk Festival - so I’ll have even more practise by then! I’d like to think that from doing it for years I’ll be able to use that and spin it into my own event, but my main trick for the festival is to not over-complicate it. There’ll be some nice food options, some drinks, and what I’m trying to do with Foolhardy is almost take things back to the core of a gathering - and that, I think, is what made it so beautiful last year, and that’s what we’re going to try and conjure up again.”
I know people go to festivals for different reasons but I go for the music, and so I’ve pulled in a bunch of favours to get that right
Giving us an insight into what to expect, he divulges that “I’ve invited some of my favourite bands on the planet to come and play and I’m lucky enough to call them friends. I mean, Will Varley’s one of my all-time favourites, he’s a real timeless songwriter. She Drew the Gun, they’re like anarchist, political, almost indie/pop/soul, so they’re really excited about doing a bit of a different show for people as well. As is very similar with Holy Moly & The Crackers, who are from Newcastle - they’re kind of foot stomping, dancing folk.
“So, I’ve got music from around the country, which is nice, as well as some local acts in Georgie who’s from Nottingham. So that’s really the core. I know people go to festivals for different reasons but I go for the music, and so I’ve pulled in a bunch of favours to get that right and host it all in a beautiful setting.”
The Foolhardy Folk Festival is taking place on Sunday 28 August at the Arboretum
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