One of Australia’s most well respected and hardworking entities, British India are not unaccustomed to the draw of the darkness. Having toured relentlessly since inception in over ten years ago, the band have loaded in via the darkest alleyways of the country’s dingiest pubs. They’re also not unaccustomed to enjoying a beer or two!
They are the embodiment of the spirit of Coopers Dark Ale. Truly substantial with a legitimate claim to being totally independent, for this reason the boys are about to join forces with Coopers to present the Coopers After Dark tour. Six shows across six capital cities will provide music and beer fans alike with the chance to see the band deliver the kind of smashing live set that can draw you out of hibernation on even the most wintery of weekends.
Before they head off on tour the boys stopped by the Tone Deaf offices to chat about their favourite drinking songs. What would British India listen to while drinking a Coopers Dark Ale? “I feel like a shoegaze kind of vibe, I feel like a Ride or something, even King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard” said Will Drummond, the band’s bass player. Vocalist Declan Melia went for “something with a bit of groove, Happy Mondays or early Kasabian, something where the band have lost it a bit in the studio”
For more information on how to win tickets to see British India visit www.coopersafterdark.com.au
Toby Keith – ‘Red Solo Cup’
Declan Melia, vocalist: “It’s the best drinking song of all time I think ”
Will Drummond, bassist: “I suggest jumping on YouTube right and looking up Toby Keith Red Solo Cup uncensored version. There’s a lot of guest appearances by a lot of celebrities but it’s a great song to drink to”
Bruce Springsteen – ’41 Shots’
Declan: “The live version”
Will: “Yeah it’s the live version, I think he recently released it, it was the first time he released it on the new album he did. It used to only be a live song and it goes for about seven minutes and you drink every time someone sings ’41 Shots'”
Declan: “…And I reckon they say it about 200 hundred times. It’s also like, the lyrics are laughable, the lyrics are so bad, it’s just so earnest, every time you laugh you have to take a shot”
Will: “It’s quite a morose song to drink about, it’s about a guy getting shot 41 times for taking a wallet out from someone, the police thought he had a gun and they shot him! It’s a horrible thing but we get lots of enjoyment out of it.”
Declan: “– it’s like creating levity out of tragedy, but I think Bruce would be happy with that”
The Offspring – ‘Perfect Day’
Declan: “There’s a song from The Offspring maybe form their sixth record Conspiracy Of One which was a real stinker, it had the single, ‘Original Prankster’ and no one bought that record except me. There was a song on their called ‘Perfect Day’ the first line of this song is like the best line for drinking “if I had a perfect way, I would have it start this way, open up the fridge and have a tall boy…yeaaah”
Reel Big Fish – ‘Beer’
Will: “We can’t go past Reel Big Fish. ‘Beer’ is obviously a classic song to have a beer to, “I think I’ll have myself a beer”
Declan: “These are probably a bit too literal”
The Doors – Roadhouse Blues
Declan: “Not just because it’s got the lyric “woke up this morning and got myself a beer”, it’s got the riff, what you’re going to drink wine to that? Doesn’t work!”
Will: “Yeah, you’re about to go out and you have a pre drink of a beer, you’re getting ready, you smell good cause you’ve sprayed something on, you’ve got some old spice on, you look at yourself in the mirror and you’re like the ugliest dude in the world looking at yourself in the mirror going ‘this is my night man'”
Creedence Clearwater Revival – The Best Of (whole album)
Will: “The whole album you’ll have plenty of beer drinking”
Declan: “We discussed before that country music is the drunkest genre, you know, any Towns Van Zandt, kind. Listen to those guys sing and you can tell that they’ve woken up on a bar room floor with just the world weighing down on them, you know, a whole township of shit weighing on their shoulders. you can’t help it, you need to drink to it.”
Will: “Ironically they feel that way because they drank so much beer and whiskey the night before so yeah, it’s a vicious cycle. So for the kids out there, steer clear of country music.”
Declan: “It becomes an addiction”
Best British India Song To Drink To
Declan: “Our beeriest album was probably the first one, the Guillotine record is good for drinking to, Thieves was red wine, Avalanche was champagne”
Will: “-no, cocaine”
Declan: “-no champagne that’s what he met to say, Controller was beer again or maybe vodka soda…”
Will: “Every song that we’ve written since Controller has been fuelled by tequila”
Coopers After Dark Presents British India
Wed 21st May – The Factory, Sydney NSW
Thurs 22nd May – Crow Bar, Brisbane QLD
Wed 28th May – Transit Bar, Canberra ACT
Thurs 29th May – The Curtin, Melbourne VIC
Wed 4th June – Fowlers Live, Adelaide SA
Thurs 5th June – Ya Ya’s, Perth WA
