The Fishermans Friends
Not surprising to find a packed theatre greeting the headline act of opening night at this year’s Festival. Nine proud Cornishmen and a bloke from England have become overnight sensations – well, perhaps not overnight, more like almost 20 years! The Fisherman’s Friends gave a superb show, dominating the stage and filling the marquee with shanties and comedy.
This self-effacing, talented lot are typically Cornish in recognising that they’ve done very nicely over the last couple of years; enjoying the moment, but knowing where their roots are. Making comedy of the ironic fact that they live by the sea, but have freezers full of a certain make of fish fingers; they are delighted to share the open secret of a seemingly endless supply of free beer from a local brewery.
With three albums under their belts, the boys have a raft of work to choose from and the blend of songs performed on the night was perfect – from Pay Me My Money Down to Mingulay Boat Song, from Bully In The Alley to South Australia, the boys took their fans on a landlubber’s sea voyage. There were songs of fun, love and laughter, but their heart breaking rendition of The Last Leviathan cast a spell that silenced the auditorium to the dying note.
The Fisherman’s Friends have played Glasters, the Royal Albert Hall and Europe, they’ve been feted with folk awards and a blockbuster movie is in the pipeline, but I reckon these boys are at their happiest when they perform to a home crowd, enjoy a proper pasty supper and a local pint to wash it down.