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HomeAnchors Aweigh
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Anchors Aweigh

Posted by: Tara Kroes , September 7, 2013

A band that captures your heart… hook, line and sinker. 

The Anchor Room Bar is packed with people, every seat is taken. The waitress’ twist and weave around tables like a snake through the jungle grass, serving cocktails to the patrons who wait with excited anticipation. Being told the show is a “must see” while visiting Gros Morne, National Park they are ready to experience it for themselves. The band members gather together behind the crowd to do their ritual shot before taking to the stage. They smile at each other, this is what they love to do. The smiles grow bigger as they walk on stage and pick up their instruments, the crowd can’t help but smile too. You can see their passion for music as they play. The audience can feel it.

Anchors Aweigh - Tara Kroes 2013

The audience becomes the sixth band member. Anchors Aweigh gets people singing, clapping, dancing and laughing. You are not just watching the performance; you become part of the performance. That is something that people do not forget.

“People are always coming up to me to shake my hand or throw their arms around me saying how much they loved the show last year, or even two years ago, that it was one of the highlights of their trip and that they still tell people about it,” Mike Mc Donald, the drummer, explained.

“I have seen the show three times and it gets better every time,” explained Jeff Organ an audience member from Norris Point.

Anchors Aweigh is so much more than just a band, it is an experience. They teach you about Newfoundland culture through music, jokes and stories.

The members of the band: Paul Barry ~ bass guitar, Reg Williams ~ accordion/harmonica, Wade Jones ~ guitar/keyboard/ugly stick, Wayne Parsons ~ lead vocals/guitar, Mike McDonald ~ drums. The band has the talent to be much bigger than they are. They could tour, they could fill a bigger venue, they could have an ego. But they don’t.

“We have turned down some major major offers, but during the summer we are so busy; many of the band members work 7 days a week,” Mike explained.

You will see them in town extending their hand to help you aboard the water taxi and captaining the boat tour. They have “day jobs” and are the first to offer a smile or share a great tip about the place they are so proud to call home. No rock star complex here. With all of the band members working around the clock, it is a wonder they don’t just do one show a week and actually have a night off.

“It is a stress relief. Look at Reg, he has so many businesses and is so busy the guy doesn’t stop. But one thing about him, no matter how contrary he is or how tired he is, when on stage he comes alive and is happy again,” Mike explained.

The band members actually do this for the love of performing. They enjoy entertaining people and truly want them to have an amazing experience.

“We want everyone to leave happy and entertained… you’re guaranteed some laughs. It is not just great music. We relate to the people, we interact with them, we make them a part of our show,” Paul told me.

It is not just the talent of the band that is amazing, but also the soul. Wayne used nearly all of his very short and much deserved lunch break talking to fans dining in the same restaurant he was. After he left, the two couples were so excited that a member of the band took time to speak to them and thank them! They didn’t stop talking about it for the rest of their lunch.

Talent and heart, a deadly combination. Add that to the fact that each member is a self-taught musician yet play with such skill and passion, and I was thoroughly impressed.

“We are all self-taught. Wade has a degree in music but was self-taught first,” Paul told me.

To be able to jump from playing a traditional Newfoundland song like Sonny’s Dream into Ozzy Ozborn and Led Zeplin without a music lesson is astonishing.

“There is a difference between learning the theory of how to read notes and actually being able to play,” Mike explained.

There is a certain talent that cannot be bought or learned but is inherent within an artist. Each member of Anchors Aweigh possesses this talent.

“I can’t read a chart, but I can play (guitar and bass). I only have to listen to the song and I got it. You have to feel it. If I can’t play without looking at piece of paper I don’t want to do it,” Paul explained.

It is this type of talent that continues to blow people away, show after show.

“Being from Toronto, I have seen a lot of bands and have been to tons of performances and I can honeslty say Anchors Aweigh is one of the best shows I have ever seen,” explained audience member Dianne Fee from Toronto Ontario.

I managed to ask the entire band one final question: How long would you like to continue doing this for? Their eyes lit up as they answered without a moment’s hesitation:

Paul: “Until I can’t do it no more.”

Wayne: “As long as people keep coming to the show I don’t see any reason to stop.”

Wade: “Until we drop.”

Reg: “Until I can’ do it anymore, until they are shovelling the dirt.”

It was Mike’s answer to the question that sums up the heart, passion and soul of Anchors Aweigh: “If we have to come out in wheelchairs we will come out in wheelchairs, that’s it.”

Anchors-Aweigh-Tara-Kroes-2013-e1378557565230

Anchors Aweigh play at the Anchor Pub in the Ocean View Hotel in Rocky Harbour. You can catch them every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:00pm through July and August, and every Wednesday and Friday at 8:00pm in June and September. Tickets are $25 and reservations are required as tickets sell out fast. You can book online www.bontours.ca/anchors-aweigh by phone 1-888-458-2016 or in person at BonTours in the Ocean View Hotel.

Tags: Anchors Aweigh, Music, Rocky Harbour

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Tara Kroes

About the author

I traded the CN Tower for Gros Morne National Park. I went from living and working in downtown Toronto to living and working in rural Newfoundland and I have never been so happy. The celtic sprit, majestic beauty, and kind people of this incredible province have captured my heart. As a travel addict, I have explored more then 21 countries and 100's of cities around this beautiful planet and Newfoundland has turned out to be one of my all time favourite places to investigate. With a passion for dancing, theatre, music, yoga and all things artistic I like to find the art and beauty in everything I experience. I believe that there is no greater feeling then getting to cross something off your bucket list and there is no better place to get to do that then Newfoundland.

5 Responses to “Anchors Aweigh”

  1. Lorie
    August 24, 2015 at 12:29 am

    Enjoyed reading the excellent article. I had the pleasure of being on an escorted tour on the catamaran and listening to Anchors Aweigh. Wow! I was chosen to kiss the cod and to dance the jig with Reg. Laughed, danced and ‘such fun!’

  2. Theresa mabon
    October 29, 2015 at 1:29 am

    Only spent a few hours in rocky harbour,loved the very informative boat ride and your band .
    Will return and spend a few more days next year
    Hope your trip to Ireland and London went well.
    Theresa

  3. Bob Wilson
    November 28, 2016 at 7:50 pm

    Hi Anchors Aweigh guys!

    When my wife and I were in Rocky Harbour just last September, we bought your “When Sailors Sing” CD, and I want to tell you guys in the band how much we really LOVE that CD!

    We were part of a Globus tour, and went on a harbour tour on a boat captained by Reg. It was unforgettable!

    By the way, maybe you can remember me Reg….. you and I were talking in the wheelhouse about your boat’s ZF transmission, and other mechanical stuff! It was great to meet you and talk!

    Best regards,

    Bob Wilson
    Kelowna BC.

  4. Adele & Glen Miller
    August 29, 2017 at 9:59 pm

    We decided to do a tour of the east coast to celebrate Canada’s 150th. We have met a lot of wonderful people, seen beautiful scenery, heard amazing talent; however, travelling NL was an experience that affected our very souls. A very kind lady at a store suggested the “When Sailors Sing” cd as the fellows just played “up the corner” when I asked for something local. We play it over and over. It makes us want to return to NL (we are from BC) and we will. Thanks to Anchors Aweigh, we will have a bit of NL until we do.

  5. andre s hendriks
    October 1, 2017 at 2:22 pm

    My wife and I had the pleasure of seeing one of the Anchors away, in June. We loved it. Bought their CD, gets played a lot. We were fortunate enough to meet Mike the drummer and his family, at our campground. They made us feel so at home, wonderful Newfoundland hospitality including a Lobster fest. Hi-lite of our trip. Thanks Anchours Aweigh for a wonderful experience in beUtiful Rocky Harbour.

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