Each venue has a captain, every night.
The Captain is usually the person who points at people to lead a song – if you want to sing a song you need to speak with them. Be aware that captaining a night is like a live DJ event. They may look like they’re just singing but they are also working out what comes next for the flow of the night, who has asked to sing, tricky things like gender balance and mix of new and established song leaders, and much more. If you want to sing an upbeat song in the first half talk to them before the set starts. If you want to sing in the second half be sure to find them at break. If you’re in doubt ask someone you’ve seen lead a song tonight. Or the captain.
So who are they?
- Harbour Dan
- Redfern Clay
- Surry Hills Sarah
- Relief Captains: Tall Henry, Sexy Dan, Tom, Fergus, Emma
Photos and bios to come (bear with me).
Harbour Dan (Schneider) monthly and at special times
Dan is the Captain of the Harbour Shanty Club and is our Festival Captain. He has gone by many names such as CamperDan, Harmony Dan, and once upon a time, Marrickville Dan. His job has almost always remained the same: get people singing together. As with each Shanty Captain he leads communal singalongs built on inclusion, shared voices, and a healthy disregard for perfection.
Here are some of his original songs.
Check out Harbourshantyclub on Instagram.
Redfern Clay or Bod – every Monday night 8:30 at Arcadia Liquors, Cope St Redfern
Check out Redfernshantyclub on Instagram.
Bod is a prolific song writer. Find most of the shanty-related ones here.
Sexy Dan Relief Captain
Sexy Dan also called Perth Dan. Dan has written fabulous songs which we sing regularly. Image to come
Tom Relief Captain
Tom fills in occasionally as captain. Image to come
Fergus Relief Captain
Fergus stands in as Captain whenever there’s a need. Image to come.
Here are Fergus’ original songs.
If you just can’t find a captain
Most people at a Shanties event will be able to point you towards a captain (or to someone who knows who the captain is). If you have a need to find one, please just ask around. Shanties people are renowned for their community feel. It’s who we are!!
If you are uncomfortable at a Shanties event, talk to the Captain or Talk to Fergus
Fergus is also the person you talk to if you feel unsafe or threatened in any shanty environment.
If you feel unsafe, talk to any captain and they’ll connect you.
We do not tolerate any kind of bad behaviour, and even if you’re not sure it’s an issue, please let Fergus (or a captain) know: we also look at patterns of behaviours.
As a side thing, it’s always ok to stop a song if something is happening which isn’t OK for you.
This is a supportive and loving community and we care more about your welfare than any single song!
Find out more about Shanty Club
Go to:
- Randy Dandy Shanties main page
- Shanty Club Top 20
- Original Shanties by shanty club members
- Shanties by genre (want to sing a She Shant? An Irish, Scottish or English one? this is the page).
Here is the official Shanties site. Please do not contact me about Shanty business – I’m a fan, not a captain. Talk to them on [email protected], Instagram, or their web page.
