Sea Shanty Crew boozy seaside sing-along during stunning sunset at RNLI station

Watch (click to play above) as a sea shanty crew entertains an outdoor crowd with old drinking songs, during a stunning sunset by the coast. The gang of ten sea-faring musicians can be seen, in the clip above, playing an ‘open rehearsal’ outside an RNLI station, where they entertain a crowd with shanty tunes from the ‘age of sail’.

Stick made from beer bottle tops

Approaching their ten-year anniversary, the Lytham St Annes Shanty Crew entertain locals and holiday-makers with humorous folk songs that were originally sung by sailors to co-ordinate physical labour and keep up morale on the sea.

The clip above is a short excerpt from episode 44 of Unconventional Brits. In a folk music special, video journalist Lucinda Herbert meets some of the crew members to learn more about the sea shanty revival.

The full show, available on Shots! TV, includes musical snippets of some of the amusing beer-themed shanties, filmed during a recent performance. In the episode, ‘Monkey Stick’ player, Mike Brown, explains the history of this traditional and quirky instrument.

Old drinking songs

The long stick is made out of lager bottle tops, and has a toy monkey and an old boot on the end, which the shantyman would have banged on the deck to keep time, while leading the shanties. It is also called a Lagerphone.

Mike, who joined the crew in 2016, explains: “I am sad to say I wasn’t the one who made it. Our Cajon player, Mike Leach made it. He also drank all of the lagers to make the Lagerphone, and he kept drinking after that.”

Mexico Disaster remembered

And the crew raise funds for the RNLI at their weekly events. Clive Marquis-Carr explains: It’s poignant here in Lytham St Annes because in 1886 there was the greatest disaster that befell the RNLI when 27 lifeboat crewmen from Southport and St. Anne's crews, they lost their lives saving 12 of the crew of the Mexico. The Lytham crew saved them and it really sparked the public appeal for the RNLI. “

The group’s third album, Kilgrimol Bells, is available online and also raises funds for the RNLI. Follow the Lytham St Annes Shanty Crew on Facebook for a full list of their free open rehearsals.

Watch Unconventional Brits

For the full video, including musical snippets watch https://www.shotstv.com/watch/vod/52925007

Watch a new episode of Unconventional Brits every Friday at 7:15pm on Shots! TV. Find us on Freeview 262 and Freely 565.