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Pete And The Pirates

Reading's Pete And The Pirates have found the spot marked 'X' and it's at the Reading Festival. The Carling Stage to be precise.

Pirate guitarist/vocalist Pete Hefferan once slept at the Reading Festival out in the rain in a soaking sleeping bag. Now he'll be one of the stars of the whole three-day event, roaming around backstage with an AAA pass.

"We went to the festival a lot in our teens so it's great to get the chance to play. It's been one of my ambitions really," he says.

"Reading is Reading, we've all grown up with it. It means a lot to us."

Pirate guitarist David Thorpe adds: "It will be good as we can get in free without any fancy wristband tricks..."

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The band, signed to Stolen Recordings, recently enjoyed a week at the world-renowned South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, and have previously supported The Good, The Bad & The Queen, so playing the Reading Festival will be another, what David matter-of-factly describes as: "another small step on the way to superstardom/ failure".

And hundreds of bands reading this are probably wondering, how did they get the gig?

"Blood was shed," grins Pete, while David openly reveals it was just via their live agent.

Pete and the Pirates were actually entered into last year's BBC Radio Berkshire search for local bands to open the Carling Stage, but one judge didn't put them through to the final selection because the band didn't dress in pirate costume.

Their presence on the bill this year is undoubtedly a case of cream always rising to the top in the end.

For example, lead singer Tom Sanders also works under the name Tap Tap and received critical acclaim from the Sunday Times Culture magazine for his debut album Lanza Fame.

Reading Festival organisers Mean Fiddler have also described Pete and the Pirates as "one of the most exciting and hotly tipped new bands in the country".

Despite the chance to rub shoulders with the glitterati of the music scene, the band remain true to their Reading roots.

Pete says: "I guess the opportunity to play to an audience in our home town that wouldn't normally come to our gigs is the most important thing."

Make sure you're there to see them play.
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Not heading to Reading? See Pete and the Pirates at the Jail Guitar Doors festival at the Reading Fez Club on Saturday 16 June.

Full details here:

Or see them at the special Reading Festival warm-up gig at Plug n Play in Milford Road, Reading, on Wednesday 22 August.