The Longest Johns

Bristol’s The Longest Johns bring their tight harmonies and seafaring folk to Exeter Phoenix on 22 May 2026. The quartet started around a kitchen table and now carry shanties and maritime work songs to new ears, mixing tradition, dry humour and original writing. Their set moves from call-and-response work songs to gentler ballads, anchored by voices that lock together and arrangements that keep things raw and close.

Known for the 2021 lift of Wellerman, they’ve since kept the shanty revival moving with steady touring and releases, from the month-by-month Pieces of Eight project—now a 24-track collection—to Voyage, a fan-backed album paired with a book of stories, artwork and lyrics. Digital natives, they bend tradition without breaking it: expect a cappella moments, acoustic textures and a few modern turns. Recent detours include a chiptune take on shanties and Face the World, written for the 2025 Pokémon Europe International Championships. On stage, singalongs are part of the deal; classics meet originals like Bones in the Ocean.