Robertsgrave Thighbiter - (Al Mueller)  has been playing fiddle music of one kind or another since 1972.  From Contra-dances,  cajun and zydeco dust ups,  to hard core bluegrass, country rock, olde tymey music, celtic and Scottish music.  Al's interest in things piratical pre-dates the PotC movies and The Brigands formed in 2001.   His working knowledge of rigging and sailing, spending several seasons at the South Street Seaport Museum on the Pioneer, is one of the fuels that drives The Brigands.  The original songs contain many ship board terms only heard aboard a square rigger!  Living on Long Island,  with it's rich pirate and smuggling ties, afforded a first hand look at how a pirate ( or as we say these days - a pre-emptive marine salvage expert)  might have lived.  The music of The Brigands represents that - pirate music, played by pirates!  Some shanteys ( though not too many - those be WORK songs, and we are here for a short while to have good cheer with ye),  songs of friends and crew gone,  and every pirates favorites - women, drinking, fighting and gold!  Al's recent addition of the concertina to The Brigands lends a salty air to the ballads and some high stepping reels and hornpipes.

Sailing Master Thighbiter's story is cronicled elsewhere on the website, should you care to read it. Suffice it to say that his rather morose story belies a keen sense of humor and an empathy for the hands before the mast.  Thighbiter's eye for a lass with her tops'les all a-billow has landed him in more trouble then can be descibed. As a result, Hellion must be very .... discriminating when chosing port.