Craig Williams as First Mate Long John Skivee -- vocals, guitar, irish bouzouki
Darcy Nair and Craig Williams, as members of award-winning band The Pyrates Royale, have performed traditional and current maritime folk music as well as celtic, English, and American folk, for more than 25 years. They recorded and produced dozens of full-length recordings with respected artists in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
Engaging and versatile performers, they play a wide variety of instruments and sing both lead and harmony vocals. They also work with many talented area musicians and have been known to recruit violin and additional singers as needed.
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The Pyrates Royale began as an improv comedy act in late 1988. Founders Brad Howard and Tim Shaw, along with other character actors at the Maryland Renaissance Festival, formed a merry crew of pirates. The act quickly won over an enthusiastic audience. The crew began to indulge their fondness for drinking songs of the seafaring, Irish and rugby variety, and decided to expand the act to include music. After a few seasons of being known simply as "The Pyrates," Brad Howard established the name The Pyrates Royale.
Armed with guitar, fiddle, irish bouzouki, hammered dulcimer, bodhran and concertina, as well as a hearty chorus of hale and harmonious voices, the group expanded its repertoire to include instrumental tunes, Gaelic, Tom (the Ancient SubMariner) Lewis and even a madrigal or two. However, the crew never strayed too far from its original purpose: to make people laugh as well as sing along.
In the fine tradition of many renaissance festival performers, members developed their music, characters and costumes by drawing from history and their own overactive imaginations. The band played a variety of venues including renaissance, maritime, celtic, folk music and pirate festivals; ship excursions, private and corporate parties -- even weddings.The Pyrates Royale released six self-produced, professional-quality recordings to rave reviews.