Ahoy and welcome to Shantycast!
A sea shanty podcast from the Dockyard Dogs – the RNLI City of London Tower Station shanty band – blending maritime music, naval history, and pub banter.
Learn the story behind classic shanties, sing along with the chorus, hear updates from the RNLI’s Tower Station on the Thames, discover salty sayings, sample the Ale of the Podcast, and enjoy a good bashing of Boney.
Join us in keeping sea songs alive – pint in hand and voices loud.
This week we’re joined by special guest singer Melissa, who comes aboard for an episode packed with singing, stories and the usual shanty band banter.
We have an interesting story from Alan about our Ale of the Week, learn a little bit more about Cornwall and its rich maritime heritage, and for some reason you might hear Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Tony Blair and Al Pacino making an appearance.
⚓ Plus:
Dan is our meet the dog
Bashing the Bayeux tapestry
Plenty of shanties, stories and the usual banter
Grab a drink, settle in and join us aboard for another episode of the Shanty Band Podcast.
Fair winds, following seas, and thanks for listening!
4 Jul 2026
Ep 12: Falmouth debrief and Santiana
This week we're bringing you a special episode as we look back on an unforgettable trip to the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival.
We chat about our time at one of the world's biggest celebrations of sea shanties, share some of the stories from the weekend, and reflect on the atmosphere, the performances, and the fantastic people we met along the way.
⚓ In this episode:
A look back at the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival
More nautical sayings and seafaring chat
Plenty of laughs and the usual banter
A performance of "Santiana"
Fair winds, following seas, and thanks for listening!
10 Jun 2026
Ep.11: The Shanty World Cup 2026
The greatest tournament in football history meets the greatest musical genre in history.
In this special World Cup edition of the Shanty Band Podcast, the crew gather for the inaugural Shanty World Cup, pitting football nations, terrace anthems and sea shanties against each other in a tournament nobody asked for or wanted.
In the absence of the calming influence of the Scottish Skipper this may be the worst Shantycast! you ever listen to - as the crew run riot with their hopeless dreams of World Cup Victory.
(guess who writes the descriptions?)
4 May 2026
Ep 10: Noodles, Naval Songs & Points of Order!
Episode 10 sails into turbulent waters as we turn our attention to George Washington. We raise several highly questionable “points of order,” attempt to maintain some dignity, and inevitably fail.
Fuelled by noodles , we blend maritime tradition with complete nonsense.
We’re back on familiar ground this week after our brief detour—normal service has resumed.
That means all the usual features, plenty of questionable banter, and a proper dive into a new shanty as we take on “Good Morning Ladies.” .
If you enjoyed the classic episodes, this one’s very much in that spirit—loose, lively, and full of shanty goodness.
Grab a drink, join in where you can, and as always… sing along.
8 Mar 2026
Ep. 9 – The Medieval Church Recording Session
This episode is a little different from the usual format. No regular features this time—just three special recordings captured during a unique session.
We recently had the chance to record a single for the Falmouth Festival, and the setting couldn’t have been more atmospheric: a beautiful medieval Norman church with incredible acoustics. The space gave the music a character of its own, and we thought it was worth sharing the recordings just as they happened.
So for Episode 9, we’re letting the music speak for itself.
Three tracks, recorded live in that remarkable church, as we worked on the festival single.
Sit back, turn it up, and enjoy the sound of the band in a very special place.
16 Jan 2026
BONUS Shout Out!
Matt decided to do some SHOUT OUTS and things got out of hand so Peter had to edit them out... enjoy!
16 Jan 2026
Ep 8: Fish in the Sea – Guinness Zero, salty sayings & meet the Dog
Ahoy and welcome to another episode of Shantycast!
This week the Dockyard Dogs sing the powerful traditional shanty “Fish in the sea”, exploring its history, teaching the chorus, and finishing with a full-blooded performance.
We raise a glass of Guinness Zero for this episode’s Ale of the Podcast, proving you can keep the shanty spirit without losing your sea legs. Our salty saying this week is “turn a blind eye” — with its origins firmly tied to Nelson and naval history. Grant gets the story wrong and adds some French ships but we'll all just ignore that historical error won't we?
We also meet one of the Dogs, Peter.
🎶 Hosted by the Dockyard Dogs – the RNLI shanty band keeping sea songs alive, pint in hand and voices loud.📸 Follow us: @dockyarddogs
22 Dec 2025
Ep 7: Shanty Claus – Live Christmas Special from The Crown
Ahoy and Merry Shantymas!
For our seventh voyage, the Dockyard Dogs take over The Crown for a very special Shanty Claus Christmas episode — recorded live in the pub, surrounded by friends, laughter, crackling fires and more than one festive pint.
🎅 Hosted by the Dockyard Dogs – the RNLI shanty band keeping sea songs alive, pint in hand and voices loud.
📸 Follow us: @dockyarddogs
🍻 Recorded live at The Crown, Old Oxted
28 Oct 2025
Ep 6: Tommy by Rudyard Kipling – Plus Ale and shanties live from the Eden in Kent
This time the Dockyard Dogs cross the border to come live from Kent!
Edenbridge to be exact. Where we roll out the barrel and roll out some poetry!
Feature a guest ale.
And we subject the regulars to a very long intro to Dead Horse.
🎶 Hosted by the Dockyard Dogs – the RNLI shanty band keeping sea songs alive, pint in hand and voices loud.
📸 Follow us: @dockyarddogs
3 Oct 2025
Ep 5: Live at We Have Ways Fest – Shanties, Spitfires and Rifle Drills
Ahoy and welcome to Episode 5 of Shantycast!
This time the Dockyard Dogs set sail for We Have Ways Fest (https://wehavewaysfest.co.uk/), bringing sea shanties to the frontline of history. In this special episode, you’ll hear live performances from the festival, plenty of pub-style banter, and the joy of singing together with a crowd.
Thank you to We Have Ways of Making You Talk (https://open.spotify.com/show/34VlAepHmeloDD76RX4jtc?si=6937ebf8f8644be1) from Goalhanger for having us - and letting us record.
Plus - we warm up the crowd for a SPITFIRE
🎶 Hosted by the Dockyard Dogs – the RNLI shanty band keeping sea songs alive, pint in hand and voices loud.
📸 Follow us: @dockyarddogs
31 Aug 2025
Ep 4: Leave Her Johnny – this episode, we've tried jingles!
Ahoy and welcome to Episode 4 of Shantycast!
This week’s shanty is the timeless “Leave Her Johnny” – the traditional song sailors sang at the end of a long voyage. We’ll teach you the chorus, share the story behind it, and finish with a rousing version from the Dogs.
All served up with the usual pub banter, laughs, and plenty of chorus lines you can join in with.
🎶 Hosted by the Dockyard Dogs – the RNLI shanty band keeping sea songs alive, pint in hand and voices loud.
19 Aug 2025
Ep 3: Drunken Sailor – Live from Wilderness Gathering, ale of the podcast & festival tales
Ahoy and welcome to Episode 3 of Shantycast!
This week we’re recording from the Wilderness Gathering Festival, where the Dockyard Dogs performed the classic “Drunken Sailor” and kept the shanty spirit rolling off-stage too.
We bring you a festival edition of the Ale of the Podcast, swap stories from the field, and share the joy of meeting so many wonderful people who stopped by for a chat (and a chorus!).
Hosted by the Dockyard Dogs – the RNLI shanty band keeping sea songs alive, pint in hand and voices loud.
Follow us: @dockyarddogs
24 Jul 2025
Ep 2: South Australia – Tower Run, ale of the week, salty sayings & bashing Boney
Ahoy and welcome to Episode 2 of Shantycast!
This week, we tackle the capstan classic “South Australia” – learn the chorus, sing along, and find out why it’s a favourite opener for the Dockyard Dogs.
We raise a glass of this episode’s Ale of the Podcast, decode a few more salty sailor sayings, and bring you updates from the RNLI’s Tower Station – including gigs we’ve just played, what’s coming up, and our team’s upcoming run up London’s tallest tower (yes, really).
Plus: we meet another of the Dogs, and of course, we end with a rousing bash of Bonaparte.
🎶 Hosted by the Dockyard Dogs – the RNLI shanty band keeping sea songs alive, pint in hand and voices loud.
⚓ Support the RNLI: https://rnli.org/donate
📸 Follow us: @dockyarddogs
🐕 Fancy starting your own RNLI shanty band? Get in touch!
6 Jul 2025
Ep 1: Nelson’s Blood – Learn our first shanty, RNLI Tower intro & salty sayings
Ahoy! Welcome aboard the very first episode of Shantycast!
We kick things off with our signature shanty “Nelson’s Blood” – discover its history, learn the chorus, and sing along with us.
We have an RNLI Tower Station update (live from the pub, naturally), we share a round of Ale of the Podcast, reveal some salty sailor sayings, and take our first swing at bashing Boney (Napoleon, that is).
Hosted by the Dockyard Dogs – the RNLI shanty band keeping sea songs alive, pint in hand and voices loud.
⚓ Follow, rate & share to join the chorus. And if you fancy starting your own RNLI shanty band – get in touch!
Follow us: @dockyarddogs
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5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
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