My Name is Nick Tann and I run the Steam Town Shanty Crew.
Join us every Monday in the brewery room at The Steam Town Brew Co 1 Bishopstoke Road Eastleigh SO50 6AD
The Sessions run between 8 – 9.pm and cost £5 which you can pay by cash or card. You don’t have to sign up or commit to come every week, just drop in, see if you enjoy it and come when you want on a pay – as – you – go basis.
Every month at least one of our sessions is held in the main bar, otherwise the sessions are help in the brewery. It’s a great atmosphere!
I supply lyric sheets for you to to keep and you can also download and print your own from the Crew Shanty Lyric page here which also has Spotify links to each specific shanty so you know which version we sing.
We perform at a few choice events and festivals throughout year our next one being The Gosport Sea Shanty Festival
These are some of our latest recordings
Bully in the Alley
Mingulay
John Kanaka
Wellerman
This is the Spotify playlist that includes all the shanties.
We also have a lively Facebook Group
The sessions are held in the brewery part of Steam Town but on the 1st and 3rd session of each month, the last 30 minutes of our 60 minute session are performed in the bar.
The Steam Town Shanty Crew is an all inclusive crew and open to anyone over 18 regardless of gender, ethnicity or ability. It is a very friendly and welcoming crew who simply want to enjoy singing sea shanties.
Traditional sea shanties originated centuries ago as work songs to help motivate and coordinate groups of sailors doing physical tasks such as hauling anchors and raising sails on board ship. Sea shanties are typically ‘call and response’ songs with a ‘shantyman’ leading the song and everyone else replying with the chorus.
In keeping with tradition, most of the shanties are lead by a different shantyman, chosen from the group. They take the lead part in the shanty, with the rest of the crew joining in in certain points. Whether male or female, they are referred to as the shantyman.
Alongside the shantyman there is usually at least one ‘apprentice’. This is to encourage more folk to lead as well as to ensure that we can perform as many shanties as possible if the shantyman is not present or available. Also it’s good to have a range of voices leading the crew. Apprentices initially learn from the shantymen but can put their own mark on the shanty parts they sing.
The group is led overall by me, the shanty captain. I suggest harmonies and develop various arrangements to fit the group, picking the shantymen and apprentices accordingly. The crew are also encouraged to suggest performance ideas.
There is no pressure on anyone to perform so if you want to enjoy singing shanties then I look forward to seeing you in the very near future. You can simply turn up at a session and, once you have paid, join in or just stand and watch if you don’t feel confident enough. There is no pressure on you to sing. Free lyric sheets are available for you to keep at each session or you can download or print them yourself.
I am always open to suggestions so if you want to discuss anything with me then please either have a chat after a session or message me.
Nick
