On Wednesday last week, Cuba Streets San Fran was transported to the high seas when British folk outfit The Longest Johns (TLJ) took the stage. A long line prevailed outside the door, many clad in pirate garb and “sea-adjacent” clothing. The crowd already knew what was coming, breaking into rounds of South Australia and Leave Her, Johnny—classic folk songs of which The Longest Johns are renowned for.
It was TLJ’s first time performing in New Zealand and the second-to-last show of their tour. The group has been sailing steadily since their founding in 2012, but it was in 2021 that they rose to global fame when their rendition of the traditional New Zealand sea shanty Wellerman went viral on TikTok, launching them into international tours. Ending their voyage in Aotearoa feels nothing short of poetic.
Wellington’s own Wellington Sea Shanty Society opened the night with a performance that felt like a distinctly Kiwi counterpart to TLJ. Blending traditional shanties with a touch of comedic flair, they delivered a set that was both entertaining and endearing. They were the perfect opening act for the evening.
Andy Yates, Robbie Sattin and Jonathan ‘JD’ Darley make up the crew of TLJ and are multi-instrumentalists who switch between Mandolins, banjos and “broken tambourines” the entire night. Beginning the night with The Llandoger, Choruses of “Good evening, aren’t we lucky to be here tonight?” rang out as the crowd sang along with gusto and beer glasses were raised high in celebration.
TLJ pushed onwards with Byker Hill before pausing to speak about their personal heroes of the genre including the late Canadian legend Stan Rogers whom they honoured with a heartfelt rendition of his song The Mary Ellen Carter.
TLJ prevailed in their ability to not only perform with the crowd (actively inviting us to sing, “If you are wondering if you can sing along with us, please do!” – JD cheered us on) but to banter and entertain. Between jokes about how Auckland sucks and asking the crowd to yell out their favourite tree while performing a rousing rendition of Oak and Ash and Thorn, it was clear that TLJ weren’t just putting on a show—they were having an absolute blast doing it.
In particular Yates was a clear standout on the banjo, performing Hog-Eye Man, the crowd all clapped and drove the beat, not a single foot wasn’t tapping along.
What sets TLJ apart in a genre devoted to renditions and reimaginings of traditional songs is their ability to offer powerful original music. As the crowd grew silent, they performed their original acapella ballad Bones In The Ocean about a captain dealing with the loss of his friends and crew at sea. There were few dry eyes at San Fran after that one.
Not ones to shy away from what they called “musical whiplash”, they moved right on into the hilariously upbeat Mutiny which they acted out almost theatrically especially when Robbie leaned into the front rows and yelled at an audience member he was “A bastard to be mutinied!”
Returning to the classical shanties of 300 years ago, they delivered us Randy-Dandy Oh and South Australia (the latter already echoing outside the venue an hour earlier) and it was clear the audience knew every word. With very few phones in sight, everyone had arms slung around shoulders as the crowd sang together in raucous unison. TLJ had very clearly cultivated a strong community around their music.
TLJ looked right at home in Wellington, thanking the audience for “keeping folk and shanties alive” and even wishing aloud, “Can we sing with you at every gig?” Following spirited performances of Beer is Great and The Leaving of Liverpool, it was only fitting that they closed with the Kiwi song that launched them to stardom. When they broke into Wellerman, the crowd reached full voice, singing along with fervour while TLJ delivered their signature tight three-part harmonies.
TLJ finished the night with Ashes and Hoist Up The Thing before leaving the stage – only to stick around as a long line formed to get merchandise signed and photos taken. The celebration didn’t stop there: the Pōneke Shanty Club led an impromptu afterparty of song, with even TLJ jumping in for a few final choruses.
From start to finish, few bands have ever felt so perfectly in tune with their audience. And while it was bittersweet to see The Longest Johns set sail, They made it clear to us that they were eager to lay anchor in New Zealand again someday.
– Ryan Cleland