Its been a tough year for every singer and band due to corona virus, lost gigs, no real live audiences and endless frustration. However, one group from the Isle of Ely, the sea shanty crew, Isle ‘ave a Shanty found a way to keep the adrenaline going by entering the 2021 North Nortamptonshire Music Festival.
Again, due to the virus, this year it was an online event, with acts invited to send in videos of a performance filmed during or in between the lockdowns. The group decided to share their video of a relatively recent shanty called ‘A Sailor Aint a Sailor (or The Last Shanty). Crew member ‘Sea Sick’ Stu explains why, “well we had a choice of a few songs that we have recorded this year but we went with this because it contains actions!! When you see and hear it its difficult not to join in, it’s a real feel-good song and one that goes down really well when we perform it live!”
The contest was shared on facebook and went to a public vote throughout February. It included a variety of acts including choirs, rock bands and solo performers of all ages. In the end. Isle ‘ave a Shanty won comprehensively, totting up more votes than the second and third acts combined. “We are delighted” added ‘Sea Sick’ Stu, “we are so grateful to everybody who voted, its been a real community effort – we did it for the Isle of Ely, for the shanty crews and the folk music world, and we were also grateful for this opportunity in what’s been a very difficult year for everybody”. They will now go on to be the closing act at next years North Northamptonshire Festival Gala Concert, as well as winning a large trophy for the Captain’s Cabin.
So with an award safely tucked under their belt, what’s next for Isle ‘ave a Shanty? “We are so looking forward to performing live again very soon, we have lots in the diary for 2021 and hope they will all go ahead, including Ely Aquafest and Ely Folk Club, and to cap it all we are making plans to record our first album in the Autumn.”
Isle ‘ave a Shanty are Elliott C. Spray, Able Seaman Andrew Newton, Lee ‘Kiss Me’ Harvey, ‘Sea Sick’ Stuart Green, ‘Long John’ Tony Calladine & Captain Kevin King. You can find out all about them at: isleaveashanty.com
Press release from Isle ‘ave a Shanty
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