Cardiff-born indie brats Innercity Pirates are a perfect pint of pop. Having struck some black gold with their track ‘Dedication’ picked to soundtrack the ubiquitous Guinness fridge-magnet advert, the band are enjoying success in Ireland having visited our shores only once. If you’re as sick of the song as if you’d overdosed on the black stuff itself after the Christmas binge fear not, as the Pirates have plenty more dynamite in their cannon. Whether the melodic swashbuckling of new single ‘Let’s Go (DISCO)’ or the rummy meanderings of ‘Cockney Sparra’, the Cardiff foursome walk a brave gangplank over the choppy seas of British indie, while never falling in its deep waters. We caught up with the band ahead of their forthcoming Irish tour.
If Innercity Pirates had a short entry in the Encyclopaedia Brittanica how would it go?
Innercity Pirates – A Cardiffian roar from the mouths of Michael Jackson fans moonwalking their way through every toilet venue on the planet. The sound of The Ramones raping Belle and Sebastian in a Cardiff back alley.
You formed after bonding over “early club classics”, right? What’s the Innercity Pirates club banger of choice?
Prefab Sprout – King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll
The Cure – Friday I’m In Love
Anything by Black Lace
We don’t hear an awful lot out of Cardiff in pop and rock music terms (we’re discounting the Automatic on ideological grounds), what’s going on in the city music-wise at the minute? Do Innercity Pirates slot in with the scene there at all?
We don’t know anything about the Cardiff scene. We’re not sure if there is one, we haven’t gigged here for about 2 years. We are traitors of the patriots and have fled to London to play for the top hat wearing scenesters and ex-music industry folk who once knew a man who roadied for Cast.
Your sound is quite difficult to pin down. Some songs sweaty and punk-poppy, some soft and floaty. What binds all of ICP’s songs together?
Where there’s an Innercity Pirates song there is always a melody junkie, jacking up on catchy melodies in front of small children.
How are your songs usually conceived?
Singing in the shower usually when I’m polishing my gifts.
What have Innercity Pirates got that no other band does?
An ambulance; check ups are free, so everyone’s welcome to come and get cured by us.
You’ve got an upcoming Irish tour, how did you find the reception last time you were in town?
Like the guy who’s just got back from the 24 hour garage with supplies at 5 in the morning at a house party.
When Brendan Behan was asked to write an advertising slogan for Guinness he was offered 12 kegs of stout for his endeavours. Did you get any well-earned Guinness-related perks for the fridge magnet advert?
Yes, we all got free Guinness enemas which kept us drunk for a week.
What type of pirates are you? The classic Robinson Crusoe kind, or more of the Somalian oil tanker type?
The metaphor type, although we do get a lot of birds on our shoulders.
Innercity Pirates play Academy 2 on Friday, February 6th.
You can also catch them in Limerick, Cork and Dublin on the 3rd, 4th and 5th.
Words by Daniel Gray
