The Longest Johns

On 17 September 2026 The Longest Johns will perform at Melkweg in Amsterdam. The quartet from Bristol delves into maritime folk: sea shanties, coastal ballads and original compositions that rely on tight harmonies, simple percussion and acoustic arrangements. They began a cappella and build their live sound layer by layer, from call-and-response to choruses that the audience naturally sings along to.

Their set moves smoothly between traditionals and original songs like "Bones in the Ocean." With Written in Salt (2016), Between Wind and Water (2018) and Cures What Ails Ya (2020) they drew a clear line of development, further explored on Smoke & Oakum (2022), where work songs and contemporary folk intersect. In 2021 their version of "Wellerman" reached a large online audience, opening doors to new collaborations and to a presence in the Sea of Thieves game world. On stage the focus is on group vocals, rhythm and stories of the sea: direct, rhythmic and unadorned, with the choir at the heart of the performance.