Russell Crowe has hit out at critics of his musical performances, saying that 'there is a reason that I write songs and it’s a really good reason.'

The Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind actor has been involved in music for longer than he has been an actor.
Crowe recently formed a new band called Russell Crowe's Indoor Garden Party, which follows previous outfits like 30 Odd Foot Of Grunts and, more recently, The Ordinary Fear Of God.

Crowe told the Evening Standard that he 'went through a period of time where people thought I shouldn’t be involved in music because I was famous in something else.'

'To me it’s ridiculous - you take away music out of my life and you’re taking away some of the most important moments and individual experiences in my life.'

His band features former cast-mates from films like Les Miserables and Robin Hood.

Russell Crowe's Indoor Garden Party play the Olympia, Dublin on October 1.