Welcome on board!
And with The Lost Quays, prepare for the calm and the storm, with shanties and other songs of the sea! The sea shanty was the work song from the days of sail, telling of life on board, and the thoughts and desires of the men who sang them.
Singing both a cappella, and with a sprinkling of guitar, mandolin and concertina, we perform with energy and good humour, and relish a strong audience connection. As well as traditional material, and nautical folk material from around the world, there’s many an original song.
Formed in 2015, the group are regulars at festivals around WA. In 2018, the Quays toured the UK and Europe, and performed at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart in 2019 and 2023. In 2024, The Lost Quays were at Canberra’s National Folk Festival and had a couple of a special WA Heritage Festival/National Trust shows at Samson House in Fremantle. We performed two very special shows “Under The Whale” at the WA Museum (Boola Bardip) as part of Perth’s Fringe Festival in early 2025. Our new album ‘Tall Tales and Tall Ships’, was released in 2024.
Based in the port of Fremantle, The Lost Quays also host an informal monthly ‘Shanty Club’ at Clancy’s Fish Pub.
“The wind blew up, her bow dipped down
O blow, my bully boys, blow!”
From “The Wellerman”
Shanty Club
Clancy’s Fish Pub, Fremantle, WA
Second Monday of each month, 7:30pm start. Free entry.
Discography
Raucous live and studio recordings and lyrical tales from above and below the sea…The Lost Quays music will have you dreaming of salt spray and swigs of rum.
Live at the Whalers Tunnel
The Lost Quays took over the historic Whalers’ Tunnel in May 2016 for a performance of songs of the sea as part of the Fremantle Heritage Festival: from barrel-thumping traditional sea shanties to quiet contemplation of longing.
All at Sea
The Lost Quays breathe new life into old sea shanties like ‘Blood Red Roses’ and ‘Sally Brown’. An album that will have you stomping along and ‘yo ho ho-ing’ with gusto!
Beneath The Ocean Deep
A range of traditional and original shanties and sea songs, including the haunting and poignant title track by Lost Quays member Bill Jones
Tall Tales and Tall Ships
The Lost Quays’ latest album, released in 2024, features a wide range of traditional and original songs, of life at sea, of wrecks and pearling, and the return of the fishing fleet back to the wives waiting on the quayside.