Fish & Ships Company

Fish & Ships started out in the spring of 2004, and their music gradually evolved into a mixture of shanty, Norwegian and Irish folk music. The lineup is Per Ludvig Gusfre – ukulele, Lars Hermansen – guitar, Trond Gausnes – bass, Harald Hansen – accordion, Geir Holen – mouth harp/harmonica, Frank Robert Thomsen – banjo/mandolin, Rune Arctander – washboard/percussion. The seven members all contribute to the singing. They have played in a wide range of settings, from single gigs on stages in Norway, to festivals in Europe and the US, as well as more intimate settings where the connection between the band and the audience creates unique moments. This is their tenth time at the Bie Daip festival in Appingedam.

When Janneke asked us to come to Appingedam one last time, we simply could not say no, although in 2024, after 20 years as a band, we decided to retire. The Bie Daip festival has been special to us, and we have made many friends in the Netherlands over the years since our first visit back in 2009. There are so many special moments we remember, too many to mention them all here, but we think this sums up what Fish and Ships was all about: In 2015 we had our last gig for the afternoon at Bar Meneer Jansen, at we had some time off before the evening programme. We had a great vibe, and after the official gig, we just kept going, playing for five straight hours, and then running off to the concert in the Nicolaikerk to finish off the evening with our signature encore “Where were You When the Ship Hit the Sand”. We are going to try and bring the same energy this year – one last time – to show what Fish and Ships Company was all about – pure Norwegian rock’n’roll shanty! — Band Profile for the 2026 Bie Daip Folk & Seasongs Festival Appingedam.

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