Sisters Lauren and Melissa Butler write piratey jigs and indie ballads about wild seas, and Whiskey Boat is what happened when that idea got a band around it. Fiddle, flute and tin whistle soar over three-part harmonies, with acoustic guitar, bass and the chug of a washboard keeping it shipshape. Their originals sit alongside the covers, songs like Fire Down Below, Ship Hit The Reef and Kick Up The Dirt. They're regulars at Far North Queensland festivals, markets, pubs and community events, and can lead a traditional bush dance if you want the room on its feet rather than watching. Trio or full band, one to three 45 minute sets. They bring their own PA and lighting, and hold public liability insurance.
See Whiskey Boat play
Watch Whiskey Boat perform and get a feel for their sound, style and fit for your wedding.
What it costs
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Songs Whiskey Boat can play
Search their repertoire or browse the list below. Ask us about a first dance or another song that matters to you.
Fire down Below (Whiskey Boat)Ship hit the reef (Whiskey Boat)Down by the sea (Whiskey Boat)Morning Noon and Night (Whiskey Boat)After this day (Odeena)Tide (Whiskey Boat)Ship of broken hearts (Whiskey Boat)Drink up (Whiskey Boat)After this day (Whiskey Boat)Dancing in the mirror (Whiskey Boat)Good ol fashioned (Whiskey Boat)Kick up the dirt (Whiskey Boat)Shirley from the North (Whiskey Boat)Whiskey in a jar (dubliners)Good fortune (PJ Harvey)Skyeboat song (Outlander Netflix Series soundtrack)California dreaming (Mummas and the Pappas)Bad moon rising (Credence)Dreaming my dreams (The Cranberries)Drunken Sailor (Trad)White flag (Dido)Final countdown (Europe)Wolf (First Aid Kit)So cold in Ireland (The Cranberries)Lighthouse (The Waifs)John Kanaka (Skinny Lister)Under a violet moon (Blackmores Night)The Wellerman (Nathan Evans)Johnny Jump up (Christy Moore)Cruel sister (Pentangle)Wayfaring stranger (Emmylou Harris)House of the rising sun (the Animals)I've been working on the railroad (Trad )Rye Whiskey (The Pirate Charles)Click go the Shears (Slim Dusty)Home among the gum trees (John Williamson)South Australia (Fishermans Friend)Ballad of Cobb and Co (Lionel Long)Belle of Belfast (The Irish Rovers)Nutbush (Tina Turner)
No songs match your search.
Good to know
What to expect
Country-folk with a sea shanty streak, sung in harmony over lively acoustic playing. The band swings between heartfelt ballads, old-timey tunes and rowdy singalongs, sometimes within a single set. Their instruments shift too, fiddle, acoustic guitar, flute, bass and percussion in various combinations, and the result is warm and busy enough to fill a festival paddock or a pub. Festivals, markets, pubs, weddings, community events and family days all suit. They'll also call a traditional bush dance if you want the room on its feet: the Heel and Toe Polka, the Queensland Backstep, the Pride of Erin, with calling simple enough that beginners keep up alongside people who've been doing it for years.
On the day
One table, and a performance space of three metres square or bigger. Standard power outlets nearby. Outdoors they'll need shade or shelter. Stage lighting and PA are theirs, so that part is covered. Allow an hour and a half to two hours for bump in and sound check, and check there's parking or loading access close by, because there are a lot of instruments to carry.
Performance options
The trio is the stripped-back version: harmonies, acoustic guitar, washboard and fiddle. The full band adds bass, drums, violin and flute, with three-part harmonies over the top, and that's the high-energy folk shanty show at full strength. Either format runs one to three 45 minute sets, up to three hours in total. Tell them the size of your event and they'll shape it from there.
