performers

"Albannach Lass" (AKA Flossy from Albany's own "The Shantylillies") is originally from Scotland and regularly sings folk and traditional music from her homeland (and beyond) at the monthly Folk and Shanty Club, at King River Hall in Albany. She has had a passion for this music from a young age,...

Banjo Worm - kids songs to murder ballads, voice of an angelic drunk.

Brian Mooney hails from Belfast in the north of Ireland. He played with several innovative Irish Traditional Bands in the 1980’s playing concerts around Europe. At this time Brian also represented Ireland with the band Tus a Phota at the Interceltique festival at Lorrient in Brittany. Brian plays guitar, tin...

David Rawet grew up in the northern outskirts of Melbourne and discovered guitar and song writing in his mid-teens. After working for a few years in Victoria – writing songs along the way – he moved to Bunbury in Western Australia, where he still lives. His days now see him...

A regular on the live music scene in Perth, West Australia, Gav Brown has performed his soul-fuelled mix of country-rock, folk and pop around Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. A singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Gav uses guitar, banjo, piano, harmonica, mandolin, cigar-box guitar, and ukulele to craft honest uplifting music that...

Combining a rich blend of harmonies with folk, pop and original songs from yesteryear and today. Harmonix are a four part harmony acoustic group. Marty and Simon write original tunes , both fellas play guitar and bass (not at the same time) and sing. Julia and Sandy feature sweet harmonies...

International folk dance is new to Albany but a long history of folk dance exists wherever people thrive. International folk dance grew from the melting pot of cultures in the 20th century and collects together a stunning variety of music and dance for all to join in with - young...

John Matthews Rockingham-based singer-songwriter John Matthews is a talented multi-instrumentalist. John’s melodic style of banjo picking and was honed during the“Bush Band Dance craze of the ’80s. John is unique in his musical ability to improvise and accompany others in the acoustic music scene with performance experience in the Colonial,...

John Ralph (Aus/UK). John’s songs and tunes reflect the diversity of music influences from a lifetime of playing in Folk and Irish Country and Rock, Bands. He has played at Cambridge Folk Festival and Ely Folk Festival UK and Fairbridge, Denmark, Folk in the Forest, Illawarra and the Wintermoon Festivals...

Lee Shore does traditional ballads in the folk style of the 60s and 70s, and more contemporary songs by some of the great singer songwriters.

Interested parties from January 2020. following screening of movie "Fishermens Friends" in Mandurah. Launch of group delayed due to COVID. Shanty workshop conducted by Bunbury Anchormen in October 2020. We meet each Thursday at Three Rivers Brewery at 2/6 Harlem Place, Greenfields 6210 at 6-30 pm. We only have a...

Martin & Coole are a contemporary folk swing blues duo from Beaconsfield in Western Australia featuring the songs of Jonathan Cope and Emma Birkett. Their debut album titled ‘The Roaring Gimlet’ was launched in March 2017 with two sold out shows at the Kidogo Arthouse at Bather’s Beach in Fremantle....

Have played guitar for many years and have recently discovered the songs of John Prine (R.I.P) and I thought some people might like to hear them. I play with a new Band called Midnight Special with a distinct bluesy folk rock feel. My early guitar influences were Chet Atkins and...

Mike and Lesley have been singing and performing together for many years. With a wide repertoire of songs ranging from traditional folk through country and bluegrass, they also pen some of their own material. Their critically acclaimed CD 'Strangers on the Shore' contains a dozen songs ranging across 300 years...

Gaelic songs. Jigs. Reels. Fiddle. Bouzouki.

“As a long stablished and respected member of the Western Australian Folk scene, he is one of that rapidly disappearing, rare breed of performers possessing the ability to make you laugh, laugh louder, and cry, in the space of two songs. Having performed at major festival events around Australia, both...

Rob started playing the fiddle when he was eight years old in Perth, Western Australia, learning to play by ear from Irish fiddle players Sean Doherty (Co Mayo) and Mick Doherty (Co Donegal). Mick came from a long line of travelling fiddle players, storytellers and tinsmiths from Donegal and was...

The name Rum Jungle conjures up visions of a tropical rain forest full of fiesty pirates fighting over the latest treasure haul whilst a nearby rum still bubbles away. However, in Geraldton, Rum Jungle is a sometimes muddy, usually dusty wasteland where local bogans go to drink bundy and coke,...

Russell and Mark (from The Last Five Coins) also play as a duo. Russell plays fiddle and hurdy gurdy and Mark plays piano accordion. We play mainly instrumental music from European cultures, many with a maritime history. International travel greatly enhances their performance material. Think Dalmatia, France, Italy, UK, Ireland,...

A core group of yacht restorers and sailors wrote a shanty while chipping away at the restoration of a beautiful old wooden boat in a Denmark (WA) boat shed. It made work fun and the group grew as weekly gatherings developed into a regular singalong. The Salty Seadogs sing a...

Formed in self defence when the Lost Quays began to spend all their spare time together, She Shants celebrate the sea from a feminine point of view. We sing original and reworked songs about those who sail on her, those who wait ashore and the fantastical creatures living above and...

Madeline Winton and Steven Bergmann entertain with a folktastic sampler of favourite australian and anglo-celtic, songs and tunes, on concertina, folk whilstles, banjolin and banjolele. Join in the 'Shenanigans'

Slap My Thighs and Call Me Barbra share a love of music and perform an eclectic range of songs a Capella style. Singing together for over 20 years at festivals, community events and private functions has consolidated their harmonies and friendships.

TARA ACADEMY OF IRISH DANCE: Our Family orientated dance group, Tara Academy, offers classes for Adults, teens and children in Albany. Home to WIDA award winners, our group gives you opportunity to learn Irish Dancing in a fun & friendly environment. From beginners to advanced, all of our dancers have...

If Australia prides itself on mateship then The Albany Shantymen distils mateship into music. A group of ordinary blokes that meet at their local pub and sing sea shanties, the joy and energy they bring to this traditional music is infectious. The lads have been disguising themselves as proper musicians...

The Lost Quays are a vocal group based in the port of Fremantle, Western Australia. Formed in 2015, our crew sing largely a cappella but with some guitar, ukelele and accordion. We perform with energy and good humour, and relish a strong audience connection. As well as traditional material, and...

The Shantylillies are Albany's all-female shanty group. They started in late 2018. singing shanties and songs of the sea. They perform regularly in downtown Albany and host a monthly Folk and Shanty Club at the historic King River Hall. From crooning lullabies to rousing choruses and a few originals, you...

"We found a few sea shanties by and for women, meddled with others and made up the rest." From Fremantle, WA The She Shants were crowned victorious in the Denmark Festival of Voice Shanty Battle where they vanquished their Fremantle rivals The Lost Quays. This drew ae excellent singers and...

With a passion for the pre-bluegrass folk music of the Appalachian mountains, The Whistling Kites feature toe-tapping guitar rhythms, old-time fiddle tunes and clawhammer banjo.

Trilogy is a versatile vocal trio singing in 3-part harmony with or without ukulele accompaniment, with repertoire encompassing a wide range of music from past to present day, and for this festival our songs have been carefully chosen to reflect aspects of the sea. In selecting repertoire we choose pieces...

Phil Gray has been playing, singing and telling stories about his beloved homeland for more years than he cares to remember…..from sitting on the front fence outside his Uncle Bill’s home in Dugan Street Kalgoorlie, as a 5 year old, waiting for ‘The Wild Colonial Boy’ to ride past. “You...