The history of Wellington Sea Shanty Society and Croche Dedans are as intertwined as a heaving line knot. After learning the way of the chant marin from Croche in Nantes, circa 2012, Lake Davineer returned to Aotearoa NZ to found a shanty group of his own. Vorn Dont Pere Etait Marin was the only squeeze box player in town, and over a few drops of Nelson’s Blood the Wellington Sea Shanty Society was born!
In 2014 Croche Dedans made their way down to the South Pacific for the first joint shanty tour. In 2015 they joined forces again for a tour of the rocky coast of Bretagne. Here they played one of the largest shanty festivals in the world, Paimpol Festival du Chant de Marin.
Over the years Croche & WSSS have created what has come to be known as the infamous ‘troisième set’. After playing a set each, they crowd onto the stage and engage in a shanty battle: French verse vs English verse, Kiwi squeezebox vs Breton banjo.
At a studio in Vannes last April, they recorded a selection of these classics. Reworked versions of your favourite shanties are on the album, as well a newly-surfaced original from Vorn. All the relevant information about AHOY! can be found here.
Tack starboard to 2018 and they can finally share our travail with the world.
AHOY!