SHANAKEE
SHANAKEE – THE VESTRY HALL – SATURDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER – 2.15 PM
Shanakee are a four-piece energetic, up tempo and spirited folk-rock band from Kent. The band are: Paul Johnson (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar), Patrick Heron (mandolin, mondol, accordion, 12 string, flute and vocals), Roger Isit (bass and backing vocals) and Brian Whitby (drums).
‘Shanakee’ is an old Gaelic word meaning ‘storyteller’ or ‘travelling storyteller’. So, way back in olden times gone by, when people wanted to be entertained they would go and see ‘the shanakee’. The spelling has changed over the centuries, ‘shanakee’ being the latest spelling, but still very old!
Members of the band Shanakee come from a wide spectrum of musical backgrounds, from punk and post punk in Paul’s case, rock and indie from Patrick and Bryan and folk-rock for Roger. They have come together, by a strange set of circumstances and happenings really, but all with a common goal and ethos; to continue the ‘living tradition’ of folk and roots music with a major injection of high energy, high spirited folk – rock.