Introducing FBO #004: ASYLUM

THIS BAND FAILED

The FBO knows it's a crime, but Tulsa's rock-hard Asylum were never signed, and subsequently 'failed.' The band played from 1985 to 1991, then got back together briefly for a revived fling in 1993. That was when drummer Dave Hedberg popped off to Austin suddenly, and the band (David Cantrell on vocals, Terry Waska on lead and rhythm bass, Stacy Lane on guitar) struggled to find a permanent replacement. Stacy and Dave went on to Bunnies of Doom, Terry to Pit Bulls on Crack. Other drummers included Derek Sanders, the great Alex Smith, Jody Ake and, as Terry Waska says, 'some guy named Brian I think.'

INTERVIEW WITH ASYLUM's TERRY WASKA

FBO: Best Asylum show?
TERRY WASKA: This has to be during our brief reunion period when we opened for power pussy rock sensations EXTREME!! During our set they came to the side of the stage, scowling at us with their fret-shreddin’ arms crossed and asked the stage manager when we were going to be done. We were told that the comment was in obvious disapproval of our music. Then they gave us 15 minutes to pack our shit and get out of the backstage area, which we did. Unfortunately, the case of beer (our pay for the night) was backstage. The local crew wound up drinking it. No doubt in praise of our rock power.
2) The big acid jam at TuCCA was pretty cool too.
3) With Tall Tales in Mannford, OK
OK, I really don’t remember much about that gig, I was just sucking up.

What were the songs about in general?
They were all about our admiration of Extreme.

Ever write something and think 'this is it! this will break us' -- what was it, what happened to it?
Nothing in particular that we just knew would launch us to stardom. One song that did catch on was “No Way Out”. We used to get rotation charts from indie and public access radio stations around the country with that song somewhere at the top. Unfortunately U2 came out with “Bullet the Blue Sky” right after we released it and the two sounded disturbingly similar. “Nuno Opus # 6” was a good one too.

When was the last time you all played together?
It may have been that Extreme gig.

Why do you hate the Oklahoma Panhandle? What happened there?
It’s a long story, but it starts with being pulled over because the cop couldn’t see the dealers tag in the rear window, and ends with my wife going to jail for rolling papers and a fat rookie with a shotgun telling my son that his parents were druggies and he was going to become a ward of the state, and it would be 6 months if we’re lucky to be reunited, if at all. Fuck “Red Carpet Country”. I suggest renaming it “Redneck Carpet Country”.

What are your favorite state/country shapes?
The Hawaiian Islands are fun – they look like the little pearly trail I left on my belly last night.... [FBO Note: Terry Waska has been placed in the FBO Penalty Box for one month for this comment. He is unable to partake in FBO events until after that period.] Is that too much information?

There's never too much information at the FBO, only penalty-inducing information... Why did Asylum break up?
Stacy and Dave were two-timing me with Bunnies of Doom, so like a jilted lover I left and played with myself for a while.

What was the closest you were to crying on stage?
We played with a Christian band at Club Nitro. Our drummer walked up to these freaked out looking culture shocked Christian rockers and informed them that the fine for jacking off on stage was only $5 more than the fine for jacking off back stage, so fuck it – he’d pay the extra $5. I laughed so hard I cried.

How do you see Asylum differently now than you did in 1986 or so?
Much less bitter these days about the small audience sizes.

Thanks Terry, and welcome to the FBO Asylum!

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