We were invited to perform for a few afternoons at the Prawn and Seafood Festival this summer (May 17-June 16). We’d not heard of that event before, but Steveston is a great little corner of the mainland and seafood deserves its own festival, so we said yes, without knowing much about what to expect.
Our first afternoon was Saturday, May 18. There was an awning set up for us, and banners waving all along the boardwalk. We sang three sets while trying not to be distracted by the scent of fish and chips, or the sight of fishing boats, or people on the boardwalk with their cute dogs and kids, tantalizing ice cream cones, or bags of sea urchins and spot prawns fresh from the fishing boats!
We came with our favourite shanties and just passed the songs around and around, repeating some in the next set, or running through our lists for more options. It was fun to take a looser approach to the presentation and it kept us on our toes, musically, as we weren’t sure exactly which tune the next singer might choose.
Singing outdoors is always a challenge, but the location made it worthwhile. We get to do it all again on June 8, the official Spot Prawn day.
Lazy Jacks Shanty Crew 