Live Review : Xander and The Peace Pirates @ Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool, on October 3rd 2024

It’s a Thursday night in Blackpool, the weekend is almost within touching distance and what better way to bring a busy week to a close than to spend an evening in a great venue with an equally fantastic band providing some delicious rock n soul goodness. And no, that’s no typo, I did mean to type rock and soul; for that’s what Xander and the Peace Pirates deliver; music to provide a balm to the heart and mind and all points in between. What we get tonight is their own unique take on the blues, with a host of other influences also colouring their interpretation of the genre, making for an intriguing, beguiling and eminently accessible performance.  And although the preponderance of CND symbols and their overall aesthetic suggest their roots are firmly in that sixties/seventies vibe, really what they do is somehow both timeless and contemporary at the same time. 

It’s evident from the very beginning that Keith Xander is a performer of towering talent, both in terms of his guitar playing and vocal stylings.  His is a gentle, humble charisma that charms and entrances in a way that has far more power and resonance than a more aggressive approach could ever evoke. His voice and guitar carry you away, swept along in a haze of emotion, poignant and affecting.  Every song is laden with the most exquisite melodies and guitar tones that could make even the most cynical amongst us weep.  And speaking of weeping, the second song, ‘We Cry’, showcases this perfectly; a winning combination of flawless technique and power, the solo soaring and swelling before dropping out leaving just the last few chiming notes to fade away… 

‘Rain’ by contrast has a slightly more Southern almost country feel at times, all rimshots and luscious guitar - courtesy of Mike Gay - and makes the most of having three guitars up front, with Keith’s brother Stu Xander on acoustic, making up the third member of this guitar triumvirate, allowing for a wonderfully multi-layered depth and rich tone in both this number and the rest of the songs in tonight’s set.   

Between song banter is kept pretty much to a minimum, as tonight it’s all about the songs and they speak far louder than mere words could.  What Xander and the Peace Pirates have is incredible restraint; they could easily play a million notes a minute, but they recognise - both in their performance and song-writing – the beauty and grace of the spaces in between.  Their songs breathe and flow organically, an object lesson in subtlety and nuance.  It’s this that allows their music to connect on such an emotional level; clever lyrics too, mean that every one of us can find their own meaning in what they are hearing, further strengthening that expressive connection. And this restraint also means that when they do open up and let rip, it has even more impact; mid-set, there is a full-on blues section where the band show the virtuosity in that side of their repertoire, trading fiery licks and dazzling tricks and showing just how hard they can rock out when they choose to do so. 

There is drama and pathos here too; the haunting ‘Dance with the Devil’ with its helicopter rotors and machine gun intro winds its way around your mind and draws you in before hitting with an initially melancholic solo that rises and falls, ebbing and flowing in its intensity. ‘Into the Water’ is a similarly understated gem that in the live setting is nothing short of stunning; it’s slow and oh so delicate, impassioned and plaintive and quite, quite gorgeous. 

But they can change things up and show their versatility with an unexpected version of Prince’s ‘Sign o’ the Times’ slotting seamlessly alongside their own material, with both guitarists showing off their funkier side, the whole band in fact, easily adapting to the groovier sound.  That they can switch styles so effortlessly shows the superb musicianship that is displayed throughout their set – each band member playing their part to perfection in service of the song.  ‘Dancing to the Light’ brings the night to an end in a fittingly upbeat manner with one final flourish of immaculate guitar histrionics.  

And as we file out into the night, I ponder that this is one pirate treasure that really needs to be uncovered for all to see and appreciate; if the band’s manifesto is peace, love and harmony, then in ninety minutes they achieved precisely that, and those in attendance came away all the better for having spent time bathed in those glorious harmonies and positive vibes… 

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Xander and The Peace Pirates