25 Feb - It’s one thing to know that for three days, some 400 indie rock musicians, friends, and fans would be sharing a floating home with upwards of a thousand “regular” cruise passengers. It’s quite another to see it in action.

The Thursday night Bruise Cruise pre-party in Miami, a room full of like-minded folk, hardly prepared us for the scene Friday afternoon at the Port of Miami’s Terminal D, where scores of tattooed and ironically clad “bruisers” boarded Carnival's Imagination cruise ship, only to be followed by a busload of muu muus, sun hats and t-shirts reading “I’m in Miami, bitch!” And then, once boarded, the sight of The Strange Boys and Vivian Girls up on the sun deck, and The Black Lips getting lunch in the food court, an expanse of black marble, teal neon, brass, and faux-Roman crests. 
 

Quintron and Miss Pussycat

Truth be told, it’s the first time on a cruise ship at all for both me and Rubes, so we spent the first couple of hours getting used to the over-the-top overload. The countless clubs and watering holes on board the Imagination are all equally Vegas-y, but each have their own vibe. Burgundy and winged angel busts are the dominant theme in the Xanadu Lounge, a space in the aft section of the ship where the majority of the Bruise Cruise's shows take place. That’s where we caught up with the two people without whom this event wouldn’t have taken place, Michelle Cable of Panache Booking and the Turbo Fruits’ Jonas Stein, both of whom thought the two worlds colliding on board was a good thing. “I heard that regular cruise passengers are trying to get into the Bruiser events,” said Cable. And considering the two hope to expand the weekend in years to come, that’s a plus.

“I want them to see that there is nothing to be afraid of in rock n roll fans”, declared Stein, who first conceived of the cruise ten months ago. “And I actually think garage rockers can hold their alcohol way better than people with 9 to 5 jobs, because they pretty much drink all the time.”

Surfer Blood hits the tables

The drinking had definitely begun on both halves of the ship by 5pm. The Imagination had set sail for the Bahamas, and on the Promenade deck a steel band was playing and the pool was packed, while over in Xanadu, Ty Segall was turning in his second show in less than 24 hours, followed by fellow San Franciscans Thee Oh Sees.

“This ship is weird, no?”, the band’s John Dwyer asked the crowd, which included at least three captain’s hats. “Skipper? No? Any Gilligans here?” he said before launching into the infectious “I Was Denied.”

Not a three-hour cruise like the castaways’ but a three-day one - the Bruise Cruise continues on until Monday. Tomorrow it’s Nassau, four bands and the soul clap ‘n dance contest. Keep checking in with Noisevox for more on board reports!

You can watch my conversation with Jonas Stein and Michelle Cable below, and check out some of Rubes' photos from our night at sea.