Have you heard of the Redfern Shanty Club? It’s a vibrant community devoted to weekly meetings, with members who sing Australian folk music and sea shanty songs at The Dock on Redfern Street. When the pandemic restrictions got stricter, the group was forced to go on a hiatus. Zoom meetings and Tiktok never quite brought the same vibe but now they’re back at the old haunt!
On Monday, 29 March 2021, Redfern Shanty Club reunited for their first shanty night since the 2020 lockdown as Sydney’s restrictions eased. Needless to say, there were a lot of singing and joyful noises as the members touch-based with each other in person and resumed singing, clapping and playing the bongo. There was a line of curious on-lookers outside The Dock as well.
Redfern Shanty Club was established by Sydney comedian Carlo Ritchie in Berlin, after meeting a sailor from Canada and an architect from Australia. Over lamb steaks and booze, the trio talked and sang folk songs they’ve loved from back home. When the night was done, they agreed to meet up again and bond over more songs, booze and food, and this became their weekly get-together.
When Mr Ritchie moved back home in 2014, he continued the tradition at The Dock, which quickly appealed to university students and Redfern locals. Monday nights became shanty nights, with Mr Ritchie leading the crowd in singing songs like “The Shores of Botany Bay,” “Seven Drunken Nights” and other folk classics or hits. Some might call sea shanty songs as “pirate music” but this was created as a working song for seafarers to make manual labour easier aboard a ship.
The other guests at The Dock are usually advised beforehand that shanty singing is about to take place when they hear the leader shout, “Ahoy!” a few times. However, non-club members could also join in the singing as someone usually shouts the lyrics, raising everyone’s energy and enthusiasm.
Sarah Willing, one of the organisers of the reunion, said that the feeling of having their very first post-lockdown was hard to put in words so they sang and banged on the bongos as loud as they could to express their happiness.
Redfern Shanty Club has a broad membership. Ms Willing said that they have anyone from the young Tiktok crowd and the shanty “elders” who have shared stories of the complex and intricate history of sea shanty songs.
Meanwhile, to make up for lost time, the group has decided to do two shanting nights a week (Monday and Tuesday) for a limited time. Monday is still reserved for The Dock but the Tuesday meets will take place during the YCK Laneways Block Party at The Duke of Clarence in Sydney CBD from 6 April to 18 May 2021 at 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
