Can you believe another Pirates of the Caribbean movie will be hitting our screens in the near future?  And a fifth one is already in the works apparently.  Despite Jack Sparrow being one of my favourite movie characters of all time, I don’t think I will be able to bring myself to watch this dead horse flogging, so I am searching for my pirate fix elsewhere.

Here are some of my options:

1. Stalk the Johnny Depp lookalike I’ve seen around West End and try to convince him to dress up like Jack Sparrow and hang out with me.
2. Buy a big ol’ yacht.  Christen her “Cash Onboard” and take a pleasure cruise off the coast of Somalia.
3. Go and see a pirate band.

Not wanting to seem weird, or get myself killed I chose option 3.

Saturday night I headed to The Joynt in South Brisbane to see “pelagic folk rock” outfit The Good Ship play their home port.

Giving your band a theme can be risky.  There’s a chance it can end up corny and confining.  But I can’t see that happening with The Good Ship.

They dress the part, but there aren’t any eye-patches or parrots on shoulders.  For the girls it’s corsets, beads and feather headresses, while the boys don waistcoats and caps you would imagine scoundrels at sea may have worn in the days of yore.  They manage to look cool rather than in costume.

The music has a folky sound, debauched lyrics and maritime references without being laboured.

It feels like their pirate theme has given them direction without hemming them in.

With nine band members on a small stage, swapping positions and instruments, some getting off stage to dance with the crowd, or towards the end climbing on top of the bar, it can all look a bit crazy and thrown together.  Their sound says otherwise.  These guys are all talented musicians and despite the seeming haphazardness bang out one tight melody after the next.

The other great thing about The Good Ship is that they all truly look like they’re having a blast onstage.  It’s infectious.  You can’t help smiling, tapping your foot, swaying your hips and singing along.

It could only have been made better if the Johnny Depp lookalike was there, dressed as Jack Sparrow.  Maybe next time.

(I was having too much fun to get a decent photo on the night so instead have a listen and a look at their single Bury Me above, or sail on over to goodshipband.com)