85ers, The

The 85ers are a shanty group made ups of 6 active sea going lifeboat crew from RNLI Portishead.

Fully accapella, we sing a wide range of shanties. We formed during a lock down in 2021 and have been performing at various shanty festivals and pubs across the south west ever since. Last year we were honoured and proud to represent sea shanty singers and the RNLI on a national stage, singing for the King in the Coronation Choir at the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.

“When Paul Weston joined the Portishead crew 15 years ago, he thought it would be a great way to get out on the water and meet some new people. But he never imagined that it would lead to representing the RNLI at the Coronation Concert.

During lockdown, six sea-going Portishead volunteers separately sang and recorded a sea shanty in hope of lifting their spirits. When they edited their parts together, and realised they sounded rather good, The 85ers was born.

Named after the station’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat, the shanty band went from recording songs in their own homes to performing at various events. . .”

(Per Podcast:  rnli200voices.podbean.com Episode No. 94, Paul Weston )