For a little over four years now, the band, The Pirates, has been creating quite a stir in the little town of New Smyrna Beach, Florida.  Although the group is fairly new on the scene the band members have all been around the block. Timmy Probst, John Hostetter, and Bill Games are all seasoned stagemen each with impressive histories. But it took a little bit of fate to bring this happening ensemble together.  It all began when Timmy was asked to fill in on a Thursday night booking at  Peanuts, a funky little club on Flagler Ave. in New Smyrna Beach.  He invited his newfound friend, John Hostetter, to help him cover the gig.  He'd seen John sitting in with other musicians around town and thought that their styles would blend pretty well. They rounded out the trio with drummer, Bill Games, a local chef who had played on the road in myriad R&B and funk bands. He and John had also done a good bit of singing together at Peanuts over the previous year.  So, these three happy Pirates started rocking the boat every Thursday with their infectious blend of originals, country classics, and rock monuments.  Their onstage spirit and banter was loose and often hilarious and they started to see a crew of regulars at the bar and on the dance floor. These folks became known as Pirateheads. And curious tourists came in to join them for nights of music and merrymaking.  With Timmy’s sadly unexpected passing, John and Bill turned to Gary Buckels to keep the magic alive.  He had been in a duo with Timmy long ago and had also served an apprenticeship for a brief spell in the past as a cabin boy with the band. It felt like an organic segue. Not long after that, Justin Innamorato was shanghaied on board to play bass. He'd been snoopin' around the ship for years and finally got caught. And so The Pirates were able to sally forth.  They like to say their sound is "real old rock and roll played by real old rock and rollers". And if you're ever lucky enough to get to New Smyrna Beach and hear the boys you'll definitely catch the spirit and want to become the newest Piratehead on the beach.

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