Swedish-Peruvian musician Miguel Jonsson has performed all over the world, working with such talents as Aqua, Tatu and Ketchup along the way. He currently plays live at Laris’s Vault Bar every Friday.

[!--BIGBOX(.*)--]How does performing in a bar compare with a concert hall?
It’s a great feeling performing in a concert hall – people with prestige play there. But perform in a bar and you get a closer connection with the audience.

Do you ever worry that people are just drinking and not really listening?
There is always a group of people who come just to drink. But there are two other categories of people: one category comes specially for the music, the other one comes without a real purpose. The challenge is to play my best to catch the latter’s attention.

Is it an advantage or a disadvantage for your audience to be drinking?
Both music and drinking are enjoyable, so maybe it’s a good combination. Drinking brings people into music.

What’s the best venue you’ve ever played?
The Vault Bar, it’s classic and very nice. I have great nights here. And Third Degree and Park 97.

What have been your best and worst experiences playing a show?
The worst one was at a birthday party of some rich family in Hong Kong. The drummer in my band was drunk, he took off all his clothes and ran around the house naked. I heard that the family never hired a band after that... As for the best, I play nearly 200 times every year, I try to tell stories with music and hope people can come into my world. If that happens, I feel great.

Do you get to eat at Laris every time?
God will not let me sleep if I don’t eat here. Laris has raised the level of Western restaurants in Shanghai. But if you’re asking whether I have to pay for dinner, that’s a secret.

How could you describe your style?
World music with a flamenco flavour. Sensitive, full of emotion and feeling. But some people complain that I sleep too much.

Who would you most like to play with, alive or dead?
Bob Marley.

How do you describe yourself: guitarist, composer or recording artist?
It’s just like legs and arms are to a person: I need them all to be a musician.

What do you think of the live music scene here?
There are lots of DJ events in the town – they’re cool but they aren’t creating music. I hope people can support live music more.