Calling All Birds

Photo by David Reich.

Mike Skinner (AKA The Streets) hails from London, the global capital of beer and pirate radio. He plays straight-up cockney garage—rad-ass stuff to which you can drink beer, dance, rip up pubs, or get arrested for dealing. Since beer is so essential to the British lifestyle and people always get in fights when they’re stupid-drunk, we wanted to know if Mike had any insights into the metaphorical significance of alcohol and violence in modern British culture. He didn’t. VICE: What’s the worst fight you’ve ever been in?
Mike: Not sure. The jury is still out on that one. What’s your favorite drink?
Kronenbourg 1664 or cheap brandy. What drink makes you want to row more, the liquors or the pig’s ear?
Beer definitely makes you propa rowdy! Who would win in a fight: an American, a Brit, or a Canadian?
The American and the Canadian may be bigger, but the Brit is more leery, so he’d do them in. Who would win in a fight: a UK garage geezer or a punk geezer?
Nowadays, garageheads by far, cuz punk rockers are just little kids. Garageheads are waving shooters and trying to be real gangstas and all. Check the security at the gigs and you’ll see. If you could take back one thing you’ve done while drunk, what would it be?
Making Original Pirate Material. The Streets’ debut album, Original Pirate Material, is out now on VICE Records.