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from contemporary issues to the Napoleonic batlefield. Troughout their music, the seafaring past of Britain prevails strongly, despite the bands roots in the Pennines. “Nowadays, people oſten forget about our rich maritime heritage, and if you go back a few generations, chances are you’ll find a connection with the sea”, says Joe. “I find the imagery very powerful and try to reflect it in our design”. Te Sail Patern go further, reworking sea shanties with a modern, energetic twist, as well as taking inspiration from these traditional songs for tracks such as Hold Fast. It is the repeated hooks and driving rhythms of shanties that have carried them down through the years, and it is this quality that makes their live show so compelling. Te Sail Patern like to open their set with the capstan shanty, Santianno, partly because it sets the scene, but mainly because it catches people unawares. Few expect four young lads to get up and launch into such a traditional song, although it’s not so long ago that the band themselves might have been equally surprised. However, James remembers belting out a rousing rendition of Drunken Sailor in primary school, around the same time that Joe and Bob first heard Te Seekers’ version of South Australia, along with Donkey Riding by Great Big Sea. In the same vein, Alex joins in: “I remember driving around the Lake District with my parents in the early 90’s and hearing a tape of Irish folk reels and really liking it”. Over the following years, through tens of thousands of songs and diversifying musical tastes, the feeling this music evokes carries the same weight for the boys as it did when they were young. It is this infectious energy that spills over when the band plays live. Joe confirms: “Whether it’s standing around doing the washing up or whether it’s up on stage, I love singing harmonies, and it’s prety rare that an aſternoon at my house won’t involve spontaneously belting out something like Barret’s Privateers! Singing together as a group goes right to the core of what we do and when everyone gets involved on an equal level it’s really enjoyable”.
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iting around a condenser mic in the middle of Joe’s bedroom, Te Sail Patern are racking their brains trying to think of their first gig. Alex remembers: “It was Collingwood Day” (A college at Durham University). “It was supposed to be” says Joe, “though we ended up playing in the
kitchen of my flat to my unsuspecting housemates and a few other friends”. It’s hardly surprising that this event has almost faded from memory considering that almost an entire botle of Stroh 80 was polished off during the set. Despite the band not having a name at the time, the few songs that were played were a roaring success, and for the first time there was an inkling that there was more to the band than just a drunken jam session to keep them out of the rain. With an upbeat and energetic approach to folk music, Te Sail Patern have come a long way since that wet summers evening. Countless open mic nights have honed the band and their powerful live show, be it in a dingy, ale soaked pub, or a bigger, ale soaked venue.
t is with this atitude that Te Sail Patern approach every gig; as James says: “Our main aim is ultimately a simple one: to play music that liſts peoples’ spirits and gets them involved”. However, their repertoire extends beyond table thumping drinking songs, encompassing themes
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