Bilgemunky

Pirates Charles is one of my favorite bands around at the moment (and indeed, they have many more than 3 songs, although I can't vouch whether or not they played more than 3 at PyrateCon, as the venues were too crowded for me to stick around.)

The beauty of Pirates Charles is that they make modern piracy seem natural - on stage they were clothes from various decades, including GAoP, Victorian, and even the 70s - and yet it all works for them. I adore this sort of pirate-inspired fashion, and well in-sync with my own "big tent" view on piracy.

NorCal was definitely the Pirates Charles element. They played on a huge stage on Sunday, and worked the crowd like electric putty in their hands. It was a marvel to witness.

Aye, I'm not much a fan of yelling either, for the most part. Some pirate metal is indistinguishable from non-pirate metal - all banging guitars with "YALDK!!!!WAHHHHHGGGG!!!!DEEEVOTNATELLL!!!!!!!!!" sort of lyrics. Not my thing. But a bit of angry gravel can do a lot to turn a friendly sea shanty into a pirate song. But then, so can singing about peglegs and rum.

when worlds collide, eh?

It seems quite common to view modern pirate enthusiasts as two opposites - the historical reenactors, and the "hollywood" pirates (those who promote the popular image of pirate rather than the historical truth.) What is often overlooked are those folks who aren't trying to recreate anything, but rather take inspiration from piracy and do as they will with it from a fashion or other creative perspective. I've seen punks with bucket boots and spiked leather jackets. I've seen a mod pirate in white leather, funky sunglasses, jolly rogered tights and purple plumage. And I've seen more than a handful of biker pirates (we've all seen these, I expect.) These folks are actually the flip side of the coin, with the Hollywood pirate being much more closely aligned with their worthy adversary the reenactor than most would care to admit.

Historical pirate shanty groups obviously line up well next to historical reenactors - both are trying to recreate and educate true historical piracy. They both also face the challenges and limitations of presenting accurate, documented facets of their craft.

In contrast, I would equate many of the festival pirate bands (Jolly Rogers and such), who sing "chanteyish" music of a traditional-ish nature to the Hollywood pirates - the general public may not realize its not really historical, but likely they sell many more CDs in the end. Such bands are in the business of giving the audience what it wants, and if that means jazzing up the traditional a bit or a lot, so be it.

Pirate-Core, that being the pirate-themed rap, metal, punk, alternative, etc, is really a different beast altogether. No Pirate-Core band I've ever met intends or pretends to be traditional or historically accurate - and any member of the audience that thinks they're hearing period music is a lost cause anyways. Essentially, Pirate-Core is right there with skull&crossbone t-shirts, Disney's Treasure Planet, Pirate-inspired runway fashion, and all other modern artistic endeavours that aim to take what they want from piracy, and then create something new.

So I guess my point is that - love it or hate it (I love it) - Pirate-Core can't be judged on its success at capturing historical elements, as that's not its intent. Festival or Hollywood shanty groups walk a more dubious path, as they intend to entertain, but risk generating a false impression with their audience as to what is and is not a historical chanty. And hardcore purists have their own challenges, as historical music is sometimes dry by today's standards. And thanks to sketchy, incomplete records, oftentimes the only way to guarantee you're not playing a historically innaccurate note is to pack up the banjo and go home, which isn't much fun for anyone.

Are you really asking us to put a price on healthy breasts?

Aye - I'd drop $10 for the cause without blinking, and would feel quite happy to receive such a button in return. Methinks others will feel the same.

PM me if you start offering these online, and I'll make a mention or two on Bilgemunky Radio and Bilgemunky.com.

Just pulled in myself - and considering that I live closer than anyone, you do the math as to when I actually left

Thanks Achangel and Fool's Gold for being so great! I hope it's not too long before I can join you all at an event where I can participate in a few more of the festivities.

Sadly the decision was made to forgo any djing this year in favor of more live bands. And while most of these bands aren't terribly piraty, I was able to throw in my own influence and book a small performance from the Great Lakes Renegade each night (think a one-man and a'la Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins - but piratey).

The other upshot of me not DJing is that it was pretty rough for me last year, since it was run-run-run all day long, I didn't really have the energy to give the DJing my all. THIS year, I'm hoping to be able to sit back and enjoy the bash a bit more. Of course, that's if the weather cooperates and I don't have to spend my evening weatherproofing tents, which is looking like an increasing possibility.

Just wanted to say "hey all" - everyone's chatting up Port Washington, and I never say a thing about this event in my own backyard. Looking forward to this weekend and seeing everyone. Of course, it may well be another year of me running myself ragged, but that's ok.

If we've not met, you'll recognize me easy enough - you won't actually see me, but there will be a rush of wind as I fly past. That, and your rum will be gone.

Yarrr!!!

Tune in TONIGHT to find out what happens to Bilgemunky and Gunther next! Did UPS arrive? Was everything carefully shipped and free of water damage, or did a computer glitch result in Bilgemunky getting a cheese-wheel instead of his new outfit? There's only one way to find out - tune in to Bilgemunky Radio tonight!

Rush makes a splendid pirate, but I don't see him as Blackbeard - too wirery, and a few too many years. Butler, on the other hand, can carry that robust, "larger than life" physique and personality Blackbeard was so known for.

It's true that, of any pirate, Blackbeard's story should require the least tweaking to make it exciting and "piratey" enough for public consumpion. But hollywood or authentic, ultimately I just hope it's a good film. Decent writing, believable dialogue, compelling action, etc. etc. Sadly, butchering the history of a subject is only one of many crimes the film industry is capable of

I'm glad your crew liked the review, but the credit really goes to you lot - I just report on what I hear, and I heard lots of good things

I just got my Alestorm album, and I do love it! Many pirate heavy metal bands are difficult for those unfamiliar with the genre - many, in fact, are so hard to understand that you wouldn't even know they're piratey unless you read the lyrics. No such trouble with Alestorm - you can hear the pirate in them through and through. And the music is fairly approachable too!

Extra rum rations for you mate.

Thanks kindly, mate! See you this weekend at PyrateCon!

Heading out on Thursday as well, with plans to arrive early evening.

Can't wait!

Don't forget to tune in for the first ever episode of Bilgemunky Adventures (hint - it will likely be at the beginning of the 9 o'clock hour of Bilgemunky Radio CST)

Visit my link below to catch it, or visit www.bilgemunkyradio.com.

Yar.

Wow - thanks so much!

Hey, thanks! If you're able to come up with the translation, please also let me know what it would literally mean (since I doubt pirateyness can be directly translated.)

My assumption would be something like "To be pirate-like is to be god-like" would be more possible - but that you'll have to tell me.

I need a latin translation for the Bilgemunky.com slogan, "pirateyness is next to godliness". Anyone able to help?

I tried running a google search for a latin version of "cleanliness is next to godliness" in the hopes I would get the bulk of the phrase and then only have "pirateyness" to contend with, but no luck. And I hate to babelfish a word for word translation, as these are unreliable, and grammar may be lost in the process.

Anyways, I need a good, accurate translation - if anyone can help, it would be much appreciated.

Yar.

Well, if everyone likes the teaser so much, I'll take that as a good sign for the series itself

The first ep will premiere during the regular broadcast of Bilgemunky Radio on Monday, April 7th. And then available via podcast if you miss it!

I'll let the commercial speak for itself

http://www.bilgemunky.com/temp/bilgemunky_trailer2.mp3

From what I've red, Johnny isn't much on fawning crowds. My guess would be if he'd a mind to attend the festival, he'd do so incognito.

For immediate release:

Gerard Heidgerken of Bilgemunky.com and Bilgemunky Radio will be delivering a multi-media presentation at the Chicago History Museum on Saturday, February 23rd as part of the 2008 Chicago Maritime Festival. The presentation is titled "Pirate-Core: Sea Shanties in the 21st Century", and will cover the evolution and current state of this contemporary spin on the the traditional sea shanty.

Gerard is one of many presenters at the 2008 Chicago Maritime Festival. Tickets to attend the festival are $10 (free for kids 12 and under) and may be purchased online or at the door. The festival is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The exact time for "Pirate-Core: Sea Shanties in the 21st Century" is not yet scheduled.

For more information, please visit www.chicagomaritimefestival.org

Official seminar description:

Pirate-Core: Sea Chanties in the 21st Century with Gerard Heidgerken

As a musical genre, the sea chantey has gone largely unchanged since the age of sail. But where most maritime artists have chosen to embrace and preserve the rich heritage of this music, others have opted to take their fascination with the sea into surprising new directions. This session will explore the development and current state of Pirate-Core, a relatively young yet incredibly diverse musical genre that blends the traditional sea chantey with such contemporary styles as rock, rap, punk, metal, and more.

Gerard Heidgerken is the host of Bilgemunky Radio, a weekly online show featuring pirate-themed music from around the world. He comes from a long line of sailors, and served a six-year stint in the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S. Enterprise. His love of sea chanties began with Schooner Fare, having first heard them when growing up in Maine.

I figured it out - my new virus protection software was stalling out the Pub. Don't know why exactly, but I was able to remedy the situation by adjusting a setting.

All good now

I've noticed that the Pub loads extreeeemely slow for me today - anyone else? The upper banner loads same as ever, but the content seems to just lag for 30 seconds or more before pupulating the screen.

Well, it's definitely not a game for those looking for authenticity. Rapid fire cannons are just the beginning!

I think Burning Sea will prove the more involved, mature game, and certainly more complex and closer to reality. But I also think it will be a greater time commitment to do well enough to have any real fun.

While clearly the more kid-friendly game, I was quite surprised at the elements Pirates of the Carribean Online maintained - rum, gambling, tattoos... to say nothing of the women on the street corners who are clearly (ahem) for "hire."