The Longest Johns

On 8 May 2026 at The Academy in Dublin, The Longest Johns bring their Bristol-forged take on maritime folk to the stage. First known as a cappella voices around a single mic, the group has grown a sound built on tight harmonies, simple percussion and acoustic arrangements that keep the pulse of work songs intact. Their set blends traditional sea shanties and coastal ballads with original writing, from the choral drift of Bones in the Ocean to their now-familiar take on Wellerman. Expect call-and-response refrains, narrative storytelling and those communal choruses that turn a room into a crew. Across albums like Written in Salt, Between Wind and Water, Cures What Ails Ya and Smoke & Oakum, they’ve shaped a repertoire where dockside laments sit next to contemporary folk sketches, always anchored by clear voices and unfussy instrumentation. Live, it’s less about nostalgia than about the shared rhythm of singing together, the swing of the melody, and the small details of life at sea that their songs carry to shore.