BEHIND THE SCENES

Nothing much to say about this.... this is practising in my old bedroom in my parents' house in Reading. Some things never change.

Not much to say about this either.... sometimes practices fall apart into nothingness. If you're in a band you'll know about this. My name's Jonny Sanders, Jonny Jonny Sanders.

People often ask us : ' Excuse me, where is the second album you're supposed to me making?'

Well some stuff happened while we were making it which means we took a bit longer than we hoped, but don't worry --- it's on it's way. Don't know when.

In the meantime, i found this song that we recorded years ago in my room in Reading - it's a cover version of Lets Wrestle's 'Man with Pica Syndrome.

Clicke HERE to doonload it

We don't often play other people's songs so it's quite a nice find. I have no recollection of recording it, and neither does Jonny, but we definitely did. I hope.

I think there is also another cover we once did of a clean song called Tally Ho... i'll try and find that too.

Okay, all the best,
bye bye
x

Links and Links

So here are a couple of links to some photos of the shows we did while we were away.

Please browse them at your leisure!

These by Eleonora Birardi from our gig in Fucecchio at the marvelous La Limonaia.

These by 'soyprensa' from our gig in Barcelona.

oh and this one too from 'elchicodelaleche'.

MUCH LOVE

Jon Boy

x

PS more here and some from 2008 when we played in Italy here

Hoxton Baby

Hello folks, I just rang to say that when we get back from Europe we're playing this show in hoxton Bar and Kitchen

http://www.hoxtonsquarebar.com/music-events/2010/may/pete-the-pirates

Well pleased that according to them we're

'wonderfully out of step with all other bands and scenes'

That might be the nicest thing anyone's said about us for ages.

Connan Moccasin has been one of all of our favourites for years now and if you haven't heard him yet, make sure you come in time to catch his set, you won't be dissappointed.

Also Micachu is djing so there will be some proper good tunes as well.

Proper good tunes? Um... you know what I mean

Ok yeah so come along, we'll all have sun tans and Italian accents by then. Plus we might play some songs that you like.

Lots of love Peter

SYS

So my friend Danny has a band called Sir Yes Sir and i would like to recommend them to you.

Here's a review: (with few too many contemporary comparisons for my liking but gushing none the less)

http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/eps/sir-yes-sir-not-excited

And guess what?! i made a video for them:



JPx

Hello
Here is a pic of one of our setlists from the recent tour in austria...

Thank you

Having so merch fun...fresh prints...

sorry about that. genuinely sorry...here you find Jonny and me in my bedroom, making stuff.

We've been making t shirts to sell at shows for quite a while- mainly cos people always asked us why we never had anything to sell, and also cos Jonny keeps making very nice drawings.

But now we've transcended the loveless process of 'sending the off' to get printed en mass and have started doing it ourselves.

this means we now have a very limited collection of t-shirts, bags and posters. No two of which are quite the same..... ! It's also quite likely that they may have thumb prints, and gong wrong bits on them... this only makes them more desirable - it's the human touch.

I can't work out how to distribute the photos through the post... so they are all clumped together.

We are off to germany, austria and switzy land on wed for a spate of shows. We'll be taking our new goodies with us, so if you're in those ends, come see a show and grab a souvenir!

x

AFRICA AFRICA

My favourite name of any continent.

Apparently people make good money from directing people who read their blog to certain products and services.... we don't but we probably could. I just want to share!!!!! ---->



As we have said before, we played in Reading on Sunday, and part of the fun of the whole night was the pre gig meal that we had.

In the Global Cafe on London Street, there is a Woman called Tutu, who cooks fantastic Ethiopian cuisine. Her venture is called 'Tutu's Ethiopian Table' and this is her website.




In case you were unsure, Tutu is the lady between me and jonny. See! look how happy we all look. I look happy anyway.
So if, like me, you weren't sure of what Ethiopian food is like, it's hearty and tasty, and it's served on something that me and david thought were towels or serviettes but are actually some kind of bread/pancake that you can wrap around your food a bit, and eat. Tastes really good.

So if you live in or around Reading, go in and meet Tutu and EAT HER FOOD!

They also serve Tusker beer (which I think is african- Kenyan ?) which immediately became one of my favourite beers in the whole world.

.....IN OTHER NEWS.......

We are doing some more work with David.M.Allen, who recorded our songs Blood Get's Thin and Jennifer. He's been hanging out with us a lot, coming to listen to us practise, and generally being a very wise man. (note... this probably has something to do with our new album. but not saying too much)

We are also about to embark on a merchandise madness scheme where we get very very creative and hand make all of our merch, it WILL be the coolest merch you can get. Keep watching this space for more info.....

Wow, two posts in one day, i'm exhausted.

bye

The geese are getting fat

Hello everybody

It's very cold in my basement flat and there is a pathetic layer of snow/frost/sludge outside my window. How i wish it could be Christmas every day.

So as mentioned, our recent 'christmas' shows have been going down a real treat. To those who came to Reading, Tooting and last night's Kilburn gig at the Luminaire, thank you.

Last night's show was put on by the guys who run Song Kick, which if you are an ardent live music fan, might be an invaluable web of intrigue for you. It basically shows 'gigographies' of bands you love so you can view photos, vids, set lists etc that users upload. It really seems to cover all elements of live music. I now sound like i'm really plugging it, which i am, but only cos I think it's good.

OUR SECTION

Last night we played with Riz Mc who was very entertaining and a very nice man. And also Stairs to Korea, who showed what could be done with a midi guitar, very educational, a master of effects pedals. Coincidentally, we both played 'silent night' in out sets, they were 2 very contrasting versions though.




Our friend Pooneh who we met in New York around March has been visiting London, and continuing her admiralbe quest of capturing bands and music via the beautiful medium of Polaroid, and other quirky unusaul cameras. None of this digital nonsense. She came to our show at the Tram and Social in Tooting Bec, South of the River (a venue/pub which is well worth a visit) and took some stunning (i think) photos. Here is her website



I've interspersed some of Pooneh's photos through this blog, I haven't asksed her yet if she minds me putting them up but I don't think she will..........?

Well we don't have anymore shows before Christmas, so see you in 2010 - ah the first time i've written 2010. need to get used to it. not yet though. If we don't post again before christmas, have a good one. Love thy neighbour. x

Toot Toot

dear All,

Big massive thanks to everyone that came to see us in Reading we had a crazy old time! if anyone has any photos send them over or put links up to them etc etc.

Another big up to the tooting massive who put on a great night and in a great venue. Nice to discover such a gem south of the river. (Which is of course where i live and have been searching for some cool places to hang out)

sorry to our friend salv who got smacked in the head by Tom's guitar.....consider it a battle scar. That's rock and roll for you.

Jonny

ps:

RE toms previous post....

here is some more moustache evidence.



Its all true ...i'm so sorry

Eleven of O nine

WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN NOVEMBER?

PETE PETE AND I GREW MOUSTACHES AND LOOKED LIKE TWATS.
ALTHOUGH LITTLE PETE SEEMS TO OFTEN HAVE A MOUSTACHE, IT WAS MY VERY FIRST EVER, SO IT WAS SPECIAL TO ME.

I wasn't sorry to shave it off though as it became a little itchy.
David has a large red beard at the moment, but i don't think it's got anything to do with our taches, and Jonny isn't involved in the facial hair scence very much.

Also in november, and this month too, we have been doing the odd show to keep us oiled and have mainly been meeting up half in Reading, and half in London, to play music together which is of course what we do.... but we are increasingly increasing the probability of creating our second album which is tantalizingly imminent you can almost hear it in the distance... in fact i wrote a new song today which i've just mailed to the other folks.















































Tomorrow we play our home town of Reading - a special Christmas Shindig with super surprises hidden with in our set list. You really have to come. I'll buy you a mince pie. The next day we play in Tooting Bec. Never been there but it's a great sounding place. You really have to come. I'll buy you a soda and lime.

Posts of more relevance WILL follow. This is kind of padding, but that's fine.

I'm listening to Mazurkas. Polish waltzes i think.

More moustache photos are available on application.

later on isn't it.

Sorry, Yeah?

I regret not writing anything in the blog for quite a long time. I've just not really felt inclined. But I think the ice is melting now.... jonny just forwarded me a collection of songs we played in Amsterdam. (not this, this is a photograph of us playing a song)


Yes it was good fun, I remember it well now. Holland is quite alright, i reckon i could live there for about 6 months and have a real fun time. Thanks to the fellas who made this little film, it was good fun and they did a great job.

Here it is, so it is.


Amsterdam Acoustics : ''Pete and the Pirates'' on their walk through the city from Mokummercials on Vimeo.

What else can we talk about? The album is coming along.... there is an aspect of um... well we just want to be really careful about releasing something that's right. So basically it's going to take us a bit longer than we might have planned. We aren't capricious, but we are prone to changing our minds about stuff and having great epiphanies. I think at the moment there is a great sense of excitement amongst ourselves... or at least amongst myself. You might not know it to look at my face though, i just always look like that.

this is us at our first gig in NY

and this is David and Wesley Patrick Gonzalez having an arm wrestle. They are both amazingly weak.

As an after thought, here is an interview with TAP TAP (that's me by the way) where there is a song to listen to as well. I might even start a tap tap blog, i'm just not sure i have enought interesting things to say.... !

(click the photo)

Ok that's all then, goodbye again.

welcome back!

hey everybody,
we are all recovered now from our horrible illnesses which is good news.
i suppose it is time for a little update,

we went to NYC for a week to play at a festival called CMJ (more like a SXSW than a Glastonbury type festival)
it was crazy good fun, we ended up doing more shows than we originally planned which was good news, had some very very good food, as well as having good times drinking in bars and such like...
it all seems like a little while ago now so sorry these recollections are a bit vague.
how about a list of some highlights?>

Good things.
1. Playing at The Bell House with Let's Wrestle = a very nice place with chandeliers and photo booths.
2. Seeing JEFF The Brotherhood play = they rock ok
3. Food = Sushi, Pastrami, Hot Dogs, Pizza, Pasta, Chilli Dawg, Cuban Wrap, Pickles, Lil' Frankie's
4. Record shopping = Vaselines, Michael Hurley, Exceptor, Slumberland sampler, Shackleton, The Bats etc.
5. Getting fit = just walk everywhere- it is fun

Okay what next? you ask
well we have a sepcial show to tell you about:
On December the 13th the special Pete and the Pirates Xmas Party/Shindig/Concert is taking place, in good ol' Reading . which everyone should come to, because it is gonna be F-U-N. playing with us are our good friends the excellent Ex-Lovers, who you should definitely all listen too (google them?) as they are great, also a new band from Reading called Worship (featuring ex-members of the band Fox Cubs)who you should be sure to check out too. i believe there will be one more band playing too, but we are yet to decide on who it shall be...here is a flyer:

okay more from us soon
love david pirate

Flu

sorry for lack of blog at the moment some of us have contracted deadly swine flu, and the rest of us have bird flu.

I have mad cow disease.

We'll do full updates of the best stuff from our recent tour and how the album is going very shortly.

For the time being i'm off to see Tap Tap tonight in Brixton. So there!

jon

S Pain

So we took a break from our album making antics to do some shows around Europe. We just got back from 3 days in Spain. "Wow that sounds lovely!" i hear you cry.

Well yes and no. I think since Wednesday we have had on average 2/3 hours sleep a night and feel pretty zombie-ish at the moment. On top of that we had a 10 hour drive then a gig at 3.30am in Bilbao. Ouch.

So...complaining aside the gigs were actually pretty good and the Spanish fans are great.

And now follows some pictures from the merry trip...

Jonny Donette?



Pete and Tom looking weird



Cartagena in the south of Spain. Everyone looking happy i see.



Garish



The rain in spain falls mainly on the plain?




So there you have it.

We are now off to Holland, Brussels, Luxembourg...and NYC!


J o n n y P i r a t e x