Live Review

Pete And The Pirates – Plug N Play, Reading

• 26th Mar 2009

From a little death to a proud birth. Tonight, Reading’s finest DIY, indie Pirates are treating us to an exclusive airing of material that will eventually hoist the flag for album number two. Many have never been played outside of these walls. Songs so new, in fact, that they are still swinging from the umbilical cord as they rattle wildly out of Plug n Play.

So, is it going to be a ‘difficult’ second child? Well, no. Not really. It all starts off where we left off. Simple anthems of everyday ups and downs. The same rose tinted scrap book of homemade hooks.

Songs like Jennifer joyously bound down the stairs like the Andrex puppy chasing an unravelling ball of string whilst we are treated to the now customary pirates synchronised bobbing. Such is the familiarity that the crowd are already mouthing the words that they don’t really know and swaying to melodies that must have being lying dormant in our collective brains throughout the winter.

Elsewhere, things are somewhat darker. Imagine Mr Understanding-the Directors Cut. You fall out of the taxi cab and end up with concussion on the dark side of town, where kids are joy riding in burning cars and you realise that you have work the next morning.

Everything is sharper, tighter and has a bit more purpose. And, frankly, it is all the better for it. People are still dancing but the hair is up on their necks. As it should be. After all, these are pirates and they have new tales to tell. And before we run home scared we are treated to a freshly woven spider’s web of butterfly stomach crooning. A ‘pirate slow number. A rather good one too. “I’m glad you like it. You’re not all hooligans’, quips Pete.

Then of course there is an encore of festival memories and lost summers. Good times.

Was the first born a favourite? Of course, but that just fires the brooding brilliance of number two. And this one isn’t scared of the dark.

Words by Matt Dyson
Picture by Alex Cooke