10 FOR TUESDAYS - ASYLUM PART ONE

Welcome back to our ’10 For Tuesday’s’ series. This week we put our questions to ASYLUM drummer Arun Brar. The band are a three piece punk/rock band out of London with Anlon O’Brien on Guitar/Lead Vocals, Ryan Burnett on Bass/Backing Vocal’s and Arun obviously on drums. So lets get down to business.

When did you start playing an instrument and what was the main reason behind it?

I started playing guitar when I was in year 5, so I would have been 10. I finished playing around the age of 13-14. I now play drums and have been since the age of 16. My main reasons for playing a musical instrument was because I wanted to change the face of music and to a certain extent I still do.

Tell me a bit more about your bands music?

We are a punk/rock band who play music loud and try to make it about the content and getting a message across. We, as a band, are very left wing and we take pride in the fact that it helps us express our views on a small public scale. The world is a fuc*ed up place and here in Britain we have a lot of problems and the average person is being taken for a ride by people who are simply out of touch with what the average person needs and wants.

Who are your main influences?

My first CD that was ever played to me was 'Never Mind The Bollocks’ by The Sex Pistols. The first CD I bought was ‘Nevermind’ by Nirvana. I suppose these CD’s have influenced me hugely, ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ is a massive album, it has so many hidden messages and it was loud music, played aggressively and in such a simple manner.

Nirvana have always fascinated me, Kurt Cobain was a genius and its sad to say, that rock music, I feel, never produce these kinds of people again, the Hendrix's etc.

Who would be your favourite artists to collaborate with?

My favourite artist to collaborate with would be a band called 'Funkadelic'. Listen to a song called 'Maggot Brain' it will seriously blow your mind. The story behind it was that the producer asked the guitarist to imagine his mother had died but came back to life...just listen...its guitar music at its best.... 

How do you think the Internet has helped independent musicians?
The internet has helped massively with regards to music, more people can listen to more bands much more ease, however, small gigs are slowly dying, due to lack of promotion and being over charged. For example, we had a gig in Hoxton on Saturday, £4 to get in and see bands you have never heard off...why don’t promoters say £1-2 or even for free...you will pack a small venue out and it will be like the good old days.


Check back for part two of this interview later on this evening.