Peerless Pirates hail from middle England – somewhere between The Cotswolds and The M4 corridor should cover it - but nowhere near the coast surprisingly.
Their sound is a marriage of energetic, up tempo, guitar driven songs with lyrics inspired by the everyday tinged with splashes of history and naughtiness.
They began tentatively in the summer of 2008 and went on to perform many gigs around Oxford and London to much critical acclaim. Several glowing reviews followed of both their live performances and their songs.
The band played live acoustic radio slots for both Recharged Radio in London and for BBC Introducing Radio Berkshire. Their songs were also featured on BBC Introducing Radio Oxford and Wiltshire – Quite a level of success for a band that had only just arrived on the scene.
There then followed a change in personnel in September 2009 which saw the band taking an extended hiatus whilst their house was put back in order.
The all new Pirates were launched back onto the scene at the beginning of 2011 and went on to perform a number of well received gigs along with further slots on BBC Introducing Oxford and extended internet radio coverage. The band also earned further glowing press reviews of both their new material and live performances.
Looking forward to 2012 the band hope to continue to excite audiences whilst also intending to head into the studio to record a debut E.P.
Peerless Pirates were born in 1588 when men were men and monarchs sported green teeth. The shipping lanes were also rather busy which was good news for pirates.
Cliff Adams began his career as a court troubadour pirouetting before the incipient Queen with cymbals strapped to his knees in an attempt to garnish favour and keep his head from adorning the castle gates. Bored of being subjected to Beatles covers he was ordered by her majesty in no uncertain terms to go forth and multiply his band of one into a new fab four and not to return until the task was complete.
Dodging the tit for tat flotillas of Drake’s squabbles with the Spanish, Cliff set forth in his wooden ketch to plunder the crew of many a galleon in search of some bandmates to appease his irascible Queen.
His first unsuspecting target was some English ship or other that was drifting harmlessly off the coast of Portsmouth and as he crept down to the sloop deck in the dead of night word has it that he bashed his leg on a black Fender Telecaster resting up against the guns. Just as he was about to exercise some astute piracy and make off with it he was confronted by its owner, a one Richard Voyce who announced he would keel-haul Adams for his intentions although he might consider parting with it on eBay for a half groat. Adams had a better idea and offered Sir Voyce the opportunity of becoming a guitarist in his new band of merry men. Voyce jumped at the chance – anything to escape the rampaging dysentery.
So the pair of them paddled off in search of another dirty frigate.
It was whilst tottering around Portland Bill that these two hapless pirates got caught up with some Spanish galleons. Having not eaten for a while tapas seemed like a good idea. Therefore they drew up unseen alongside one particular hulk and clawed their way up through a port hole landing unexpectedly amongst a throng of rotting hostages. It was a desperate sight for any man but one prisoner in particular seemed in rather good spirits and the fact that the smile had not yet left his face confirmed that at least the scurvy had not yet set in. He was Barry Short - some merry man from middle England who had been keeping The Spanish at bay with his tall stories of drinking in the rum dens of Lower Slaughter. The fact that he also played the drums was also a remarkable coincidence.
Back out on the water things were getting tetchy and the pirate triumvirate concluded that it would be safer to steer their craft towards land than to persist and risk being flambéed alive in the wake of some wayward canon fire. However, just as they did so, their vessel was broadsided by a charming looking Sloop and was boarded by some ferocious gentleman of the realm who announced that not only did he believe they were Spanish but that he had been commissioned by a raging Liz to hunt down and destroy any pirates using the maritime chaos to their devious advantage.
He proclaimed his name was Stuart Green and delivered with relish the news that away from the confines of her majesty’s chamber he too was to embark on a life of piracy and wrong doing seeing as everyone else was at it.
There was only one thing for it and such times called for desperate measures. The 3 captives concluded he’d make a wonderful bass player as he had rather long fingers. Flattered by the observation he tentatively accepted their offer to join their band of cutthroats thus probably negating any punishment he would have received from the incumbent Queen had she found out about his betrayal. He was also delighted to be offered the opportunity to haul his Trace Elliott amp back out of storage.
And so the 4 pirates gathered at her majesty’s court one evening and treated her to a thundering rendition of “Bring Out Your Dead” which had her clapping and popping her corset with glee before they’d even reached the middle eight.
That night the wine and the rum was flowing and whilst Drake was out saving the country your artful heroes were jigging around for the Queen like weasels in a sock.
Peerless Pirates became all the rage and I think you’ll find they’ve still got it…
