Interview with Pin Drop Violence

PIN DROP VIOLENCE – INDIA

Interviewed by: Fonda

This band is from the heart of Mumbai, India with its 4 members, namely:

Pradeep Miranda - Vocals
Mithun Poojari - Guitars
P-Man - Bass
Virendra Kaith – Drums

This metal band from India is making a mark in the music scene and highly respected in their country, though I wish they will remain in the UG scene! Because Rich record labels can corrupt their minds, hehe, I don’t think they will allow it Anyways. Glad I caught up with this band for an interview!

Shanti PDV! Namaskar! How’s everyone? Whats the latest update of the band?
P-man: Namaste ! Alls well and hearty with us, and we are extremely happy, 2007 was an awesome year for us, album release, awesome response and reviews, even peaked at #4 at the Planet M International Charts here in India!

Band update, well working on getting our music out to as many people as we can, and recently recorded a new track with Zorran Mendonsa, guitarist for New Zealand metal band NewWayHome, producing it and will release it next year! That track – Hard Decisions – will blow everyone’s mind!

Wow, good luck guys! I got your “RIGHT II RIOT” from sick peter, and it was bloody good! I am listening to it right now while making the questions. So how do you compare this from the first album “compose..oppose..dispose” [which I don’t have a copy, =( ] Did you add more technicality on the sounds? It is mastered and mixed in Sweden, right?
P-Man: ‘C..O..D’ was recorded on a very small budget, EXTREMELY small, recorded at a home studio, programmed drums, not big at all on the production part. Plus we were new, not much idea of the know-hows in the recording, pretty much left it to the producer who did everything other than the actual playing on it.

With ‘Right II Riot’, we co-produced it, live drums, tracked in a proper studio, bigger budget, got it mastered in Sweden! Did everything we could to showcase our songs in the best possible way, and why not. We have definitely matured more in songwriting as well as technically with the songs on ‘R II R’. All in all, it was the right progress we made as a band, and ‘R II R’ stands testimony to that!

I have to admit, I love the lay-out of your album. Do tell us how PDV started. Pradeep and P-man, you are the culprits behind the formation of PDV!
P-Man: Me and Pradeep were in the same college, had same musical tastes and had a clear idea of what we wanted our band to sound like. We started out thinking how nice it would be to get to open for bands who play here at the local pub – Razz Rhino – and we’d play some local competitions ‘coz no one would want a metal band like us to play their college festivals. But hell, what ya know, 7 years on, we played all over the country, won some competitions, and even got to play abroad – Shamal 2006 !

Was quite tough initially, the scene here at that time was mostly of cover bands, and the metal bands would all the time cover Metallica and Sepultura, and enter PDV – down tuned guitars and just having a ball on stage, we were kids, who never knew how big we would ever be! Two albums on, we have done everything and more a metal band can do here in India, now it’s time to look outside of India!

PDV is giving bands in India a recognition, tough job! I notice that you have Nu Metal influences in your music. What’s your point of view between old school and Nu school musicality? UG and mainstream bands?
P-Man: Well, I see all music as whether good or bad and don’t really pay attention to the labels ‘Old School’ or ‘Nu Metal’, if the music appeals to me, I like it, I will listen to the band.

UG bands and mainstream bands, again, the music is good, then awesome, I will listen to the band, be it underground or mainstream! I really don’t pay attention to labels and genre tags that tend to come with the bands these days.

It seems that the UG bands there in India are getting known in the UG scene nationwide. What is the message you want to send for those people who thinks that Indian Metal bands sucks? ( hey, I am not one of them!)
P-Man: For those who think Indian Metal bands suck, think again, we have some of the best bands that will give any band anywhere a run for their money! The scene here is growing everyday and will explode and the world will take notice of Indian Metal !!

PDV won lots of awards like best band, vox, drummer and so on in your homeland. And damn, why did yo join “Channel V Launchpad”?! Is joining competition your way of promoting PDV? Is it all about money and fame as well?
P-Man: Correction : Launchpad got us no money ! It was never about the money, just an opportunity to use it as a medium to get our music out to more people! In India, anything to do with rock is also keenly followed by the metalheads, and the channel’s reach was to every corner of the country, and outside of India too!

And we did use it a promotion tool too, we had just released ‘C..O..D’ and it was a awesome way for a metal band to get noticed here in India. Fame was an added bonus, getting our mug shots on TV, and doing what we do best got us some insane recognition! We competed with some of the best bands in the scene and managed to come out tops!

Ok, the culture question. Are you guys Hindus? Do you wear those traditional Sarongs? (those wrap around clothing in your waist).
P-Man: Me and Pradeep are Catholics, Mithun and Viru are Hindus. And na, them sarong-esque attires or ‘lungis’ as they are known mostly are worn by people in the villages and smaller towns. Here in the big cities you’d be surprised how cosmopolitan and everyday getting westernized it is !

We checked your inlay lyrics, and I notice you Poojari that you are wearing a PETA shirt! Are you guys PETA memb. Or involve in animal rights activity in India? Are you guys vegetarian / vegan?
P-Man: We aren’t PETA members but we do support their cause, every living being has the right to living life with dignity and respect, animal or human.

None of us are vegetarian/vegan, though Mithun does try and stick to being a veggie.

All out support to PETA for me! You went here last Shamal’s 2006 gig.. are you guys coming also this Shamal 2007? I wanna see PDV live!
P-Man: Shamal 2006 was an amazing experience and definitely one of the defining moments in our small playing careers, but was too financially draining and we can’t afford it a second time this time. From flight tickets to accommodation to transport from venue back to our place, everything was outta our own pockets.

Hope we get to play in Dubai again sometime in a non-competition setting, these competitions do take the fun outta the gig sometimes.

That’s true, I agree. PDV is included also in FINE TUNE DISASTERS compilation album, why added as bonus band track? And about Demonstealer records, Do they release only metalbandz there in India?
P-Man: FTD was a split EP for the bands who signed up with Demonstealer Records, and I thought it was an excellent idea to support the compilation album which saw some of the newer and kickass metal bands in the scene, and did our bit in helping out. Hence the track featured as a bonus track. Also it was a good opportunity for us to use this CD to give the metalheads a small taste of what to expect from ‘Right II Riot’ which wasn’t released then.

As far as I know, yes, DSR only release metalbands here in India.

I’d better contact that DSR for an intie as well. What’s the reason behind your band’s name? Are you guys a pacifist? Do you have bad experiences with Mumbai police? Riot or anything?
P-Man: Well, we are not violent people, but we will stand up for our rights and beliefs and pride. No bad experiences with the cops, never rioted or anything, maybe couple o fights here n there in college and on the playground, but nothing criminal or such. Just the name sounded nice, so we stuck with it. No thought process or anything behind the name. It’s just the oxymoron in it that kinda defines our music too, we will pet your head, and then wham, whack you! Haha, just kiddin!

Do you consider yourself as a political band? I read the lyrics and its kinda political and reality thoughts.
P-Man: Lyrics are more to do with self, what is seen around us. Pradeep writes all the lyrics and it mostly comes from his personal experiences.

We aren’t a political band, though we are conscious of the political scenario around us and aware of its effect on us, on our country.

With regards to metal scene in India, we haven’t read much about the local scenes there and activities. And you give us a short and brief info about the UG scene there? How about zines writers in your place?
P-Man: The metal scene here in India is growing. It’s a struggle constantly for metal bands here in Mumbai, not many venues, the newer metal bands are mostly limited to playing amateur rock competitions in colleges. Delhi and Pune has a thriving pub scene, so venues are there, bands are there too. The scene is more or less the same in every city.

Metal bands now here are harder working, mostly all the bands write and perform their own music, are even hitting the studios now. Gigpad.com and rsjonline.com are two of the most popular online Indian rock portals here with all gig listings and band details too. Zine writers? I don’t think I know many of them here. We metal bands could do with some media support too.

As we heard and notice from our colleagues here in Dubai, Hindus have thousands of gods, even small insects or unbelievable things are considered gods. What is your reaction on these beliefs, or does religion freaks you out?
P-Man: I believe that you should practice your religion at home, and when outside in the world, be first a human being. Sadly mostly everywhere you go, religion is a crutch. Religion was supposed to be guidelines to living your life with morals and ethics, and now we have people using religion to make money and even killing one another in the name of God. It’s sad.

About the gods and all, it is their personal beliefs and we should respect that. Who knows, they might be right!


Religion or whatever, alla bout beliefs for me. And about Indian culture, do you guys prefer arrange marriage? How do you deal with this kind of culture? What’s your personal stand regarding this? Its kinda personal question but can you elaborate or give a clear explanation on this.
P-Man: Personally, I don’t think that there is nothing about the arranged marriage that is wrong. You don’t get to choose your father or your mother or your brothers, so why the fuss with your wife! My folks went the arranged marriage way, worked out fine for them, so it’s not really that big a deal.

Although I do think it should be up to the individual as to whom they wanna marry, and the problem arises when one is married off against their wishes. That’s fucked up!

And then fucking lastly, say anything you want to say! Promote PDV to our NBzine readers! Your PDV followers! What do we expect from you guys in the future. Thanx for your time on this!
P-Man: To all NBzine readers, do try n pick up our album!

We are thankful to all those who supported us and forever will be needing your support and encouragement! Don’t give in to trends, stay true, be yourself and remember to support your fav bands, local or international!

Do hit us up on myspace – www.myspace.com/gutterment. Expect nothing less than in yo’ face metal from PDV in 2008 !

Horns up!

WEBSITE: http://www.myspace.com/gutterment
EMAIL: rohitpereira@gmail.com