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Bois Y Bryn is a Sea Shanty Band based in Cwmbran, South Wales formed by singers from local choirs and bands. They enjoy performing a foot-tapping, audience-engaging yet harmonious range of primarily shanty sounds, but with a spattering of folk creating a unique Welsh nautical sound. They bring together two great heritages “… the world renown male voice band singing of the Welsh valleys with the shanties of our great sea-faring nation.”
Friggitt are a shanty trio from Swindon who perform all sorts of songs connected with the sea and sailors. As well as traditional and contemporary songs they also have some written by the band members, by contemporary composers and by friends of the band. A good half of their songs feature guitar, ukulele, bass and harmonica. Although Swindon is about as far from the sea as you can get in the South of England we still walk with a nautical roll – especially when coming home from the pub!
Hay Shantymen
The Hay Shantymen are a rollicking bunch of landlubbers from the east coast of Wales. Their roots might be on the banks of the River Wye, but they travel countrywide, singing traditional shanties and other foot-stomping seafaring songs in seaside pubs and at summer festivals. Their recent highlights include Hay Festival, Falmouth and Bristol Shanty Festivals, and Latitude. Founded in 2016, they are united by strong friendships, a love of singing, the sea and good beer - not necessarily in that order.
High and Dry Shanty Group
This Mendips-based crew were formed over a decade ago, when half a dozen guys, inspired by the success of The Fisherman’s Friends, and enjoying a round of shanties, decided it might be possible to entertain the locals. They have been singing together for several years now and have performed at most of the shanty festivals across the South-West, delivering a wide repertoire of shanties and nautical ballads ranging from traditional and melancholic through to comedic and sometimes bawdy.
The Port of Bristol Shanty Crew
This Bristol crew are the stuff of legend, renowned as having done for shanty singing what Long John Silver did for tap dancing. Join crewmates Rev, Nobby, Skipper, Art, Fish, Paddles, Chuffer, Doc, Ol’Bill and Ash for some rollicking entertainment, shipshape and Bristol fashion. Fun and friendship, melody and mirth. Guaranteed. They don’t claim to be the best or brightest shanty crew in Bristol. We just know that they “Arrrrgh!”
This North Bristol based shanty and sea song group perform predominantly in the area along the banks of the river Severn. They love to entertain audiences, keeping the tales of old Bristol’s seafaring alive. They are often seen at Shanty Festivals across the Southwest, from Bristol down to Penzance. In the last year they have recorded their first CD; sung on the main stage at Falmouth International Shanty Festival; and had their first trip to the Festival du Chant de Marin in Painpol, France.
The Beach’d Buoys were reformed several times from jetsam and flotsam found lurking in and around the side alleys and darkest recesses of the Weston-super-Mare area. They are (currently) an all-male shanty and folk band whose main aim is to raise money for the Wraxall Childrens Hospice, and to enjoy themselves in their twilight years. Many of them have been performing for a number of years, some with other bands. Think of them as the Travelling Wilburys of the Shanty scene!!
The Lower Deckers
The Lower Deckers are a fun, contemporary shanty group from Shropshire and Herefordshire. Established in 2017, they perform regularly in festivals, pubs and cafes. They’ve sung at the Hereford Fisherman’s Friends movie premier, toured Northumberland and shanty-rocked Hereford’s River Carnival. Festival appearances include Falmouth, Mevagissey, Weston, Teignmouth & Gloucester. Their repertoire embraces traditional Shanties, songs of the sea and sailing, folk songs and more!
Them Bristow Girls
Them Bristow Girls are the first all-female Bristol/South Gloucestershire based shanty crew. Having started their existence as a group just over a year ago, they are a mixed bag of women from the most diverse walks of life who share the love for singing traditional sea shanties, forebitters and all sorts of other nautically themed songs.
The Merchant Men are a group of young strapping lads in their early 20s who can confidently say that they are (probably) the youngest sea shanty group in Somerset and have no right calling themselves “Men”.
The Rusty Tubs
The Rusty Tubs are a mongrel Gloucester band of a cappella, sea shanty singing Jack Tars. They sing traditional sea shanties, songs of the sea, military songs, drinking songs and folk songs. All on traditional themes: being at sea, drinking, shagging, not shagging, working and getting mistreated, fighting, tragedy, poverty and general skulduggery. They’re loud, rough and ready, with a punk attitude, but a certain style. "Drunken revelry is a certainty!",l.k.l;,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The Barnacle Buoys are a local band from Clevedon and have been singing together since 2013. They have their own unique style, pleasing audiences and raising large sums of money for charities across the South West, primarily Children’s Hospice South West and the RNLI. We also regularly support our wonderful pier in Clevedon and have organised shanty events on board the cherished MV Balmoral.