Adam Avil
| Adam Avil | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 30 June 1970 |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, composer, and guitarist |
| Website |
www |
Adam Avil (born 30 June 1970) is an Indian rock artist and the lead guitarist, founder, and songwriter of the Indian rock band Pralay.[1] The band formed in the early 1990s and was previously called Greek and its members included Adam's younger brother Eddie Avil, Luke Kenny, Joy Dattagupta, Ulysses Veyra, Brian Soans, and Victor D'souza. The band was active for a decade.[2]
Life and career
He started playing the guitar at the age of eighteen after watching a Rock Machine (Indus Creed) concert at Rang Bhavan in 1988. As such, Mahesh Tinaikar the lead guitarist of Rock Machine inspired him to begin playing the guitar.
Eventually, he started a band with his brother’s college-mates and named the band ‘Greek’. He chose the name Greek from a line from a Guns n’ Roses song called “One in A Million” and also because he wanted the band to be one that created and performed original compositions.
Adam and his brother first played for a band called Post Mark from Imphal in Manipur and toured the north east with them. Subsequently, they recorded a demo consisting of five songs at Napoleon Studios Juhu in Mumbai on 23 April 1993. This was followed by a tour of the North East with Greek to promote their original compositions at a time when all the other bands in India were playing cover songs at live shows. Greek consistently performed at a local pub called Raspberry Rhinoceros for four years before embarking on a brief tour of Almaty, Kazakhstan in 1997 and performed on the local channel TAN TV while there.
The band was renamed Pralay and they began work on recording their debut album ‘Urban Reality’ at Showbiz Studios in Wadala with Suraj Jagan. Eventually, Pralay were signed by Sonic Wave International (Chicago) for the release of their album Urban Reality which was shortlisted for the 2003 Grammy in the world music category.
Anurag Kashyap’s unreleased cult movie Paanch is loosely inspired by the band’s initial struggles, when they were called Greek, during which the band members were also infamous for their nonchalance and aggression.[3]
Solo career
Since 2010, Avil has composed and performed new material, including a theme song for Umang, an annual festival at Narsee Monjee College of Commerce & Economics.[4] He performed at Leopold Café for the victims of the 26 November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
Avil has worked on Bollywood soundtracks for his own production company, Justice Productions.[5] Along with his brother Eddie, Avil directed music for a drama thriller Bollywood film Sixteen released on 12 July 2013 and Ishq Actually released on 25 October of the same year.[6] He has also co-directed the music[7] of Sunshine Music Tours & Travels which released on 2 September 2016.[8]
In 2016 he completed filming Jango, a movie about human trafficking, as an actor, producer and director. A live solo album titled Relentless Live 2017, recorded at Cotton Press Studio, was been digitally released through OK Listen! on 3 April 2017.
Influences
Influenced by Led Zeppelin’s music, and mostly its lead guitarist Jimmy Page, Adam grew up listening to Def Leppard, Poison and Motley Crue along with other rock bands and pop acts from the 1980s. Besides music he is an avid Hollywood film buff with films like Back to the Future, Die Hard and the Rocky series having had a major impact on him.
As a guitarist he has been heavily influenced by Gary Moore, along with other guitarists like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Richie Kotzen, Joe Bonamassa and, more recently, Gary Clark Jr., J. D. Simo, Eric Gales, Andy Timmons, and Matt Schofield.
Film Soundtrack/Score
| Year | Film Title | Release Date | Genre |
| 2013 | Sixteen | 12 July 2013 | Drama Thriller |
| 2013 | Ishq Actually | 25 October 2013 | Romance |
| 2016 | Sunshine Music Tours & Travels | 2 September 2016 | Comedy Drama |
| 2017 | Jango | 18 April 2017[9] | Thriller |
Albums
- Urban Reality – Sonic Wave International, Chicago
- Pralay, 14 – Crescendo Music / Raga to Rock Records
- Keep on Fighting – Ton 4 Music
- Relentless Live 2017 – Digital Release
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.bluefrog.co.in/events/early-set-adam-avil
- ↑ MUMBAI MIRROR (4 December 2010). "Pralay to comeback on stage – Times of India". Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2012-10-04.
- ↑ "Paanch Matlab Pralay". Indianexpress.com. 27 April 2003. Retrieved 2012-10-04.
- ↑ http://www.bollywoodmovies360.com/watch-W9iVtIptsKo-adam-avil-jamming-with-team-umang
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
- ↑ http://www.hungama.com/artists/adam-avil/35085
- ↑ Kapur, Mohit (26 August 2016). "Sunshine Music Tours And Travels Music Review : No Real Sunshine Here". Movie Talkies. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ↑ Mulla, Zainab (2 September 2016). "Sunshine Music Tours and Travels movie review: Fun road trip with perfect bromance at Sunburn festival". india.com. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
- ↑ Released on YouTube