A week before his band Xander and the Peace Pirates were set to once again rock the Zoo Bar, the Star caught up with remarkable frontman 'One-Armed Wonder' Keith Xander (pictured at the front, with the groovy top hat) for an exclusive interview.

Over a cup of tea, Keith told us what it was like to return across a gulf of eight years; his band was the first to play the Zoo’s stage in 2003 and their gig on Friday July 15 is set to be a second first as they perform for Zoo’s debut ‘Strongbow Stage’ event.

“It’s great to be back, an absolute pleasure,” Keith said. “Obviously things have changed a lot since then. We have two frontmen now, me and the bass player, and my brother’s in the band now. Except for myself the line-up is totally different. We were called King King and played straight-ahead blues back then.”

And Keith himself isn’t a stranger to the wild atmosphere at Zoo. “It’s a great venue, and we’ve always played to great crowds there. I performed once under an outfit called Band of Thieves, after the first ever gig there, when Zoo held a frequent ‘Musicians’ Night’ – everyone there was a musician, so you had to be brilliant for them to appreciate you.”

The Peace Pirates have been making waves not just on the regional music scene, but nationally. As well as supporting Bon Jovi in front of 45,000 people at Old Trafford, they’ve played to a crowd of 20,000 in Trafalgar Square.

Keith described these gigs as “the most memorable, simply because of the size of the crowds. Looking out over 45,000 takes your breath away and it’s brilliant to have a huge crowd like that singing back at you.”

The first thing to strike you about Keith is his cool, laid-back attitude. But if you look more carefully you realise he’s a guitarist with a difference – he only has one hand.

“I was born without my right hand,” Keith explained. “Since it’s something I’ve grown up with I’ve never known any different, and anyway, if you love doing something that much like I love playing guitar, you’ll find a way around these obstacles.”

He explained how he works his magic: “In the place of my right hand I have a split hook where I can put a plectrum, and then I just strum away.”

Xander and the Peace Pirates, as they are known today, formed in 2009 after a series of lineup fluctuations. Their growing reputation earned them a spot as resident band in Liverpool’s Cavern Pub – the more intimate neighbour of the iconic Cavern Club.

“Before that we were at the Chameleon, the Sir Thomas Hotel, the living Room and Smoky Moe’s on Matthew Street,” Keith explained.

They released their debut album, ‘11’ on iTunes last year, and it is now available on Amazon. Keith described the feeling of recording a debut.

“We’ve recorded stuff in the past, but it’s always been a rushed affair due to costs,” he said. “This time we called on a friend of ours – Mike Gay, a sound engineer, producer and musician who recorded, engineered and co-produced ‘11’ for us. There’s been a brilliant response to the album, especially after the Bon Jovi gig.”

To celebrate the release of ‘11’, Xander and the Peace Pirates embarked on an Irish tour.

“Ireland’s a wonderful place. The people are just so laid back and there’s a brilliant vibe to the country,” Keith said. “We performed in Dublin, and at the Warrenpoint International Blues on the Bay festival, which went down fantastically. They were crazy for us over there.”

While in Dublin, the band also featured on Balcony TV, a channel which originated in the city and focused on featuring bands, musicians and other variety acts performing on balconies around the world.

And where are the Peace Pirates sailing now? “We’re going to try and get another tour,” said Keith. “Other than that, we’re going to do as many gigs as possible. We’re getting songs together for a new album; it’s best to keep hammering them out, keep on writing and keep on recording.”

Xander and the Peace Pirates will be performing at the Zoo Bar, Westfield Street, on Friday July 15. Entrance is free and doors open at 9pm. You'll be able to buy copies of '11' in the bar.

Check out Xander and the Peace Pirates on MySpace! Seriously, please do; they're fantastic and your life will be beautiful if you do.