Arsenal Del Metalero: Interview to Bobby Burns of Primer 55

Interview by Luis Landeo

Welcome to Arsenal Del Metalero Bobby, I would like to say this is an honor have this interview with you, because Primer 55, was one of the first bands of Metal/Nu-Metal I listened when I was 11 years old, actually I am 24, but well to start this interview I would like ask you what are actually the new projects of the band? are you thinking record a new album?

Hey! Thank you for chatting with me! I am yes. In my head Ive been working on and recording songs for a band I was thinking about naming Murder the flesh.. But lately Ive been thinking about releasing it as a new P55 album actually.. P55 is in my heart. Its in my soul. This band has been blood sweat and tears for me since 1999 so why should I change the name??? True P55 fans know that every single time I make a record it always sounds different than the last and those are the people that I want to surround myself with… DIEHARDS. Real life people facing real life battles. With real life music.

I have to admit I had years of dont know nothing about your band and is good to know the flame is alive for Primer 55, but I read in wikipedia you fired all the ex members of the band, why was fired all them? and how was re start the band again? can you tell me about the new line up is working with you?

(Laughs) Wikipedia is the most entertaining site Ive ever seen! Its crazy. Half the people listed as former band members on our wiki site Ive never even heard of, let alone met before. But yes I have made many changes over the years. When I started Primer 55 it was just me. Noone else. I had made a few demos with different singers and I got picked up by a label so I asked Jason to sing for me. 2002 was when I decided I couldn’t deal with him anymore and wanted him to go to rehab but he refused so I decided to take a break from the band. Right after that I joined the band Soulfly as bassist (Ive always played all guitar and bass parts on Primer 55 records) and I was with them from 2003 until late 2010. During this time period when I wasn’t on tour with Soulfly Id do shows here and there as Primer 55. Nothing major, I just wanted to play the tunes basically. Id do really small tours, like a week long in the Southeastern states and then Id either be making a Soulfly record or doing another tour with them. The band I have now has actually outlasted anyone else Ive ever hired for Primer 55!!!!! We are brothers first, and everything after that just falls into place. I love and respect the guys in my band today and before I didn’t. Up until recently all my bass players and drummers have just even “live” musicians sort of like the band Filter per say. But these days my band is my band and I have love for all of them.

Well like you know many bands was part of that movement called Nu Metal are returning to play, for example Limp Bizkit are playing again, Linkin Park and Korn returned in part to their roots, but like musician why do you think the nu metal bands broke up and many of them changed of style? because like fan for me was my first deception.

I have no idea actually. Korn never really left and I just did other things for a bit so..

I know in 2012 your band was playing some acoustic shows inspired in the Mtv unpluggeds, but exactly why Primer 55 did that? In that same year your band re released "As Seen On TV" with other name, why do you re release the first work with the name of "The Big Fuck You"? and how was the reception of the fans for this re release?

Ive always been a fan of acoustic versions.. Its a totally different art form when getting heavier music across and it brings a whole new life and vibe to each song. There were only 1000 genuine copies of As seen on TV released and over the years I had gotten a lot of requests for physical copies of those songs so I basically re released the record under the title the Big FUCK YOU and added some acoustic versions on it as well.