Albany International Folk ‘n’ Shanty Festival gears up for tartan takeover with Scottish-themed weekend

Albany’s musical community and local venues are gearing up for the much-anticipated Albany International Folk ‘n’ Shanty Festival this weekend, with more than a dozen local and interstate acts in the line-up. The theme of this year’s festival is Albany’s Tartan Takeover, with the festival bringing the folk and shanty heritage of Scotland to WA from July 11 to 13. With the program packed with all things tartan from pipe bands to highland dancers, poetry evenings and expert talks, and musical acts from across Australia, the festival promises a weekend of raucous winter fun. Bands including Tasmanian troupes The Stranded Wailers and Barefoot Nellie, the Witchy Djypsies, Sign of Four, Emily Barker, and hometown heroes the Albany Shantymen, are top of the line-up of performers across Albany this weekend. Beloved annual events including shanty singalongs at the Premier Hotel and the tug of war at the Albany Boatshed are also on the books, giving the community plenty of opportunities to join in on the weekend’s activities. The festival’s artistic director Rod Vervest said the Scottish theme had captured the enthusiasm and imagination of the annual festival’s devoted crowd of followers. “The Scots are without doubt one of the great fun-loving, musical cultures of the world and the public response we’ve had is overwhelming,” he said. “Almost every ticket has sold and there is an army of followers heading to Albany for the festival”. In the traditional Scottish tongue of Gaelic, Albany contains the name for Scotland, which is Alba. Streets and buildings around the city reference Scotland and Scottish names including Aberdeen Street in the middle of the CBD, and the iconic Scots Church on York Street, and Albany produced its own tartan when the wool mills were in operation. Mr Vervest said it felt fitting to celebrate the culture with this year’s festival. “The Scottish diaspora is immense in Australia, and you can guarantee whenever there is a Scottish theme, people will gather to celebrate,” he said. “In a sense, the fusion of Scottish folk music and shanty singing is a powerful assertion of Albany’s more recent history.” The festival has gained itself a cult local following, establishing as a highlight of Albany’s winter calendar. The City of Albany committed earlier this year to a three-year funding agreement to support the festival’s prospects into the future. “We have been in close discussion with the city for a few years, working collaboratively to build the case and earlier this year council unanimously voted to support the festival,” Mr Vervest said. “It was a watershed moment for us, and it gives us some genuine bedrock to build on. “For a small band of volunteers tackling what is a massive exercise involving thousands of visitors, hundreds of artists, funding partners, local businesses and venues, the support comes at a critical time.”