Priestman was educated at Woodleigh School, North Yorkshire and later the Quaker School, Leighton Park School in Reading and then went on to study Art at the Liverpool College of Art. In the late 1970s he played with the British power pop band, The Yachts. The Yachts supported Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias on their 1980 tour in England. In 1981, Priestman was one of the co-founders of It's Immaterial. Although he had officially left the band by 1986, he played as a session musician on the hit single, "Driving Away From Home", and appeared with the band on "Top of the Pops".