Asking Alexandria's Ben Bruce

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Asking Alexandria founder and lead guitarist Ben Bruce is no stranger to the excesses of rock stardom. The British guitar player's band has gained a loyal following in the span of only two albums and one EP. They've also gained a rep for hard partying, with lead singer Danny Worsnop attracting particular attention for his occasional on-stage inebriation.

Although Worsnop has supposedly cleaned up his act, and Asking Alexandria are in the middle of a successful run on the Vans Warped Tour, Bruce still speaks fondly of his band's early days. Below are some of Bruce's most anecdotal revelations and observations; a true insight into the world of a 21st-century rock star.

1. "We lived in Walmart parking lots for a few months. We had to wait for the store to open before we could shit, piss or brush our teeth. Sometimes, we’d wake up with police banging on the door telling us to leave, so we’d drive around and come back later or find a new Walmart.”

2. "We sobered up and started writing the next day, and there was nothing — no juice, no inspiration to write anything. So we had to get pissed again and wreck our livers in order to write this album."

3. “A sniffing dog came and sat in front of me, and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s my friend now,’ so I was stroking the dog, and these agents at the airport said, ‘Don’t touch the dog’ and whisked me off.”

4. “If we stopped for a minute to evaluate what we’re doing, we’d probably second-guess ourselves, and that would be disastrous."

5. "I fucking love Bruno Mars. People are like, ‘That faggot, he’s a gay pop singer,’ but he’s a really talented musician. His voice is incredible. Why would I not appreciate and enjoy what he’s doing?”

6. “Two days in, we sat down and looked around the room, and there was literally over 100 empty beer bottles, five bottles of wine and liquor bottles everywhere."

7. “We played Chuck E. Cheese’s and gymnasiums."

8. "They searched my stuff and found traces of cocaine all over my laptop. I thought I was going to jail for life."

9. "I think alcohol makes us more honest and more confident so we’re not afraid to try stuff."

10. “I was relieved, of course, but there was a part of me that wished I had a couple joints or something. It would have made for great press."

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