Dreaming of a time when there was no global pandemic? Flashmob musical Old Time Sailors will transport audiences to an unforgettable trip to the 19th century.
Playing unplugged to ensure as authentic an experience as possible, the 17-member band will perform songs including What Did the Deep Sea Say, Show Reel and Nobody’s Business on August 13 at Elgin Town Hall.
“We can play for hours and hours,” said the band’s “captain” Nicholas Moffat.
“We have more than 120 songs – from our songs and even Gogol Bordello to traditional Irish music. We’ve got things from The Dubliners and The High Kings.”
Sensation of being inside 19th century vessel
Nicholas said that since there’s always more than 15 people performing at the same time, audiences really feel like they’re on a ship.
“People say they haven’t seen anything like it, but once they do, they want more of it.”
The captain thinks everyone can enjoy the show – even children.
He said: “We also do children’s songs and we performed at children’s festivals too.
“We like to play Under the Sea, so absolutely everyone can enjoy our show.”
And with every member of the audience receiving a copy of the Sunday Sailor – the band’s newspaper-shaped programme which includes the lyrics to all their songs – everyone can join in and sing-along.
Old Time Sailors costumes inspired by Hollywood film
If you think the band’s costumes – based on the 1830’s whalemen – look a bit familiar, you’d be right.
“Our costumes are exact replicas of what Cillian Murphy’s character (Matthew Joy) was wearing in the film called In the Heart of the Sea,” said Nicholas.
“It’s really cool. It took us a while to get those done properly, but the costumes really make a difference.”
First time performing in Elgin
Based in North Wales, this will be the first time Old Time Sailors will perform in Elgin.
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Since they weren’t allowed to perform live during lockdown, Old Time Sailors used that time to record their songs and will soon release their three-hour-long album.
Nicholas said: “We actually recorded the whole show – which is a lot of hours of music.
“Since we couldn’t get together, we did it separately in our homes and we’re finalising the album now.”