Gandhi's Cookbook were a ska punk

Ska punk

Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...

/hardcore punk

Hardcore punk

Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...

 band based in Dubai

Dubai

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

, United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...

. They split up in October 2010.

History

The roots of Gandhi's Cookbook began with Chris Ryan, Rob Courtis and Scott Morrison playing music together with several schoolfriends, but without this amounting to much. Martin B became acquainted with the others through a mutual friend, and soon afterwards, due to a mutual love of the Dead Kennedys

Dead Kennedys

Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....

, Martin was invited to be the nascent group's vocalist.

After a few rehearsals, playing covers of 1980s hardcore punk

Hardcore punk

Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...

 songs, and the writing a handful of original material (some of which was to comprise the 2008 release In the Cesspool of Culture

In the Cesspool of Culture

In The Cesspool of Culture is the debut album by Ska punk/Hardcore punk band Gandhi's Cookbook. It features all of the original material written by Gandhi's Cookbook up until the time of recording and was recorded DIY at Chris Ryan's home studio...

) the newly named Gandhi's Cookbook played their first live show in late 2006, at the sixth installment in a series of events held by local Dubai organization Ignite Events, called 'The Assembly'. Rob Courtis left for Australia shortly afterwards to pursue his studies; his bass playing duties were assumed by Adarsh Sekhar.

The band continued to write new material and to rehearse, as well as playing a number of shows at The Springs skate park and at DIY house shows. Although some amateur recordings had been made in the past, the now-cemented Gandhi's Cookbook lineup decided to record an album of all the original material they had written up until that point. This was to be their debut EP, In the Cesspool of Culture

In the Cesspool of Culture

In The Cesspool of Culture is the debut album by Ska punk/Hardcore punk band Gandhi's Cookbook. It features all of the original material written by Gandhi's Cookbook up until the time of recording and was recorded DIY at Chris Ryan's home studio...

. Over time, Chris had been accumulating knowledge of recording and had begun to set up a small recording studio in his bedroom, which was to be where the album was recorded. The recording of eight songs was completed by the end of 2007, and in early 2008 the EP was released.

Following the release of the EP the four bandmembers continued to play shows around Dubai, gaining publicity via such media outlets as Time Out Dubai Magazine and the radio stations Dubai 92.0FM and 103.8FM, as well as in underground media such as podcasts and zines. In 2008, Gandhi's Cookbook completed a tour of India, and released the 'Egotistical Game / War' online single upon their return to Dubai. This release would feature two songs from the follow-up full-length album 'Under Construction', a split CD with local punk band Public Refuse. Released shortly after their joint 'Under Construction' UK tour in 2009, this was the first album and tour to feature new guitarist George Hughes.

The name 'Gandhi's Cookbook'

In their own words:

Ideology

Gandhi's Cookbook were adamant in the propagation of their image and their views, and always ensured that people were provided with an accurate understanding of their lyrics and opinions. For example, an explanation of the band's name was written on the first page of the In the Cesspool of Culture

In the Cesspool of Culture

In The Cesspool of Culture is the debut album by Ska punk/Hardcore punk band Gandhi's Cookbook. It features all of the original material written by Gandhi's Cookbook up until the time of recording and was recorded DIY at Chris Ryan's home studio...

 lyric booklet and on their Myspace page to ensure that no misunderstandings might arise in relation to the band's name.

The band promoted a DIY ethic

DIY ethic

The DIY ethic refers to the ethic of self-sufficiency through completing tasks oneself as opposed to having others who are more experienced or able complete them for one's behalf. It promotes the idea that an ordinary person can learn to do more than he or she thought was possible...

 and independent thinking in their lyrics and in their statements, and endeavoured to see both sides of an issue when writing a song.

LPs and EPs

Year	Title	Other information
2007	3 Songs from the Cesspool	Free online three-track sampler from In the Cesspool of Culture In the Cesspool of Culture In The Cesspool of Culture is the debut album by Ska punk/Hardcore punk band Gandhi's Cookbook. It features all of the original material written by Gandhi's Cookbook up until the time of recording and was recorded DIY at Chris Ryan's home studio...
2008	In the Cesspool of Culture In the Cesspool of Culture In The Cesspool of Culture is the debut album by Ska punk/Hardcore punk band Gandhi's Cookbook. It features all of the original material written by Gandhi's Cookbook up until the time of recording and was recorded DIY at Chris Ryan's home studio...	Debut eight-track EP
2008	Egotistical Game / War	Free online single
2009	Under Construction split CD	Ten-track split CD with Public Refuse

Compilations

Note: these are compilation albums featuring multiple artists. Most of them contain only one or two Gandhi's Cookbook songs.

Year	Song Title	Album Title	Label	Other information
2006	"Down Your Throat", "No Thoughts"	Ampulance Compilation Volume 1	Ampulance	Compilation Compilation album A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
2007	"Plaid Parade"	Ampulance Compilation Volume 2	Ampulance	Compilation Compilation album A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
2009	"Bloody Revolutions"	Ampulance Compilation Volume 3	Ampulance	Compilation Compilation album A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

Members

Final line-up

• Martin B - Vocals (2006–2010)
• George Hughes - Guitar (2009–2010)
• Adarsh Sekhar - Bass/Vocals (2007–2010)
• Chris Ryan - Drums/Vocals (2006–2010)

Song samples