Originally Published: 2008-12-07

In an age in which far too much media attention is paid to the bloated egos of such over-rated artists as Kanye West and Guns ’N Roses, it is heart-warming to come across a success story like that of Rudely Interrupted. This independent band from Melbourne, Australia, made history early this week by being the first band ever to perform at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City. They played for world leaders there to mark the International Day for People With Disabilities.
What makes this appearance especially significant is that five of the six members of Rudely Interrupted have a range of intellectual and physical disabilities, from blindness and deafness to Aspergers and Down Syndrome. They have faced down these challenges and become a band of real musical skill, but the transition was not easy.
Tandem interviewed guitarist/vocalist Rohan Brooks, the group’s founder and only fully-abled member, on the eve of the band’s departure for New York, following gigs in Toronto and London. “I’m heading out this afternoon to buy thermal underwear for everyone,” he laughs. Brooks recalls that “When we started, it took us about six months to even play a verse of a song together as a band. A show in the local pub would have been too much to think about, and now, the United Nations. That’s the culmination of two years hard work I guess. The guys are so pumped, and there’s a real energy around the music at the moment.”
The seeds of Rudely Interrupted were sown when Brooks met singer Rory Burnside and was knocked out by his talent: “he has perfect pitch,” says Brooks. They recruited four other members, but world domination was not on their mind. “I had been in the disability field for a couple of years and understood the social importance of the message,” explains Brooks. “It was more about just giving people with an inclination towards music a way of expressing themselves. It’s important for people in the band to think about the other people around them. Especially [when it comes to people with] Aspergers. They have trouble with thinking about other people around them. In this case, they are forced to do that, and because of that, they’ve really grown. Rory told me the other day he has found love. His father Jonathan said to me, ‘My son is the only guy I know who has joined a band and his behaviour has got better!’ That really sums it up.”

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