Eric Lavansch - The Black Page Online Drum Magazine

Eric, thanks for taking time out of your schedule to chat. You work with a massive artist in Thailand,but most of the people reading this may not be familiar with his or, indeed, your work.So tell us a bit about Sek Loso.Sek Loso is a solo rock artist, originally part of a three-piece rock group called Loso. After enjoyinghuge success with the band Loso they parted company in 2002, at the peak of theircareer, for reasons unknown to me. As the lead singer, guitarist and song writer, Sek went solounder the title Sek Loso. He released his first solo album in April 2003 and from then on hasescalated in popularity becoming a national music icon here in Thailand.So, you find yourself in a very lucky position. How did you go about getting that gig?Man, that was just pure luck and chance! After recording his first solo album Sek moved to theUK with his family to study English, take a break and search for a new backing band. Sek reallywanted western musicians, as he is a huge fan of western music and in particular the ability toimprovise and just jam. Sek’s dream was also to record an album in English to show his abilitiesand gain some international recognition.I spent over a year doing a day job and travelling to London everyday auditioning, rehearsing,gigging all at my own expense in the effort to get the break I wanted. One day whilstreading the NME (New Musical Express: English Music Magazine), I noticed a small ad readingsomething like “Established Asian artist requires drummer and bassist for upcoming tour.” Iapplied, auditioned in a really awful council-funded arts school opposite Holloway prison inLondon and was offered the gig the next day.That is an excellent story. It could have been anyone who had the chance of that gig! So, tellme, where did your personal drumming journey start? Are you schooled or self-taught?