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Nick D'VirgilioNick D'Virgilio
Nick D'VirgilioNick D'Virgilio
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NICK D’VIRGILIO, NEAL MORSE & ROSS JENNINGS Release Video 'Everything I Am'

NICK D’VIRGILIO, NEAL MORSE & ROSS JENNINGS Release Video ‘Everything I Am’ from Upcoming Debut Album “Troika”

January 11, 2022 News

Nick D’Virgilio (Big Big Train, ex-Spock’s Beard), Neal Morse (Transatlantic, NMB, ex-Spock’s Beard), and Ross Jennings (Haken, Novena) recently announced the formation of their new trio D’Virgilio, Morse & Jennings. Signed to Inside Out Music their debut album “Troika” will be released on Feb 25th, 2022.

The album, which will be available as Ltd. CD Edition / Gatefold 2LP+CD / Digital Album, can be now pre-ordered HERE.

Today, the band are pleased to share the new video from the album’s second single and opening track “Everything I Am”, directed by Christian Rios. Watch it below.

Neal Morse says about the track: “A long time ago my parents allowed my brothers and I to go see the “Woodstock” movie in the theater. It was rated R and that was kind of a big deal at the time. I was rather overwhelmed with all the great music in that film and one of the groups that I fell in love with and stayed in love with was Crosby, Stills and Nash. You can definitely hear their influence in this song as the vocal blend that we got I believe almost gets to that level! I wrote this song one morning when my wife was having a bad day and it’s about how no matter what happens our lives are fully inner twined no matter what.”

“Troika” Track-Listing:

  1. 1.Everything I Am (5:43)
  2. Julia (6:07)
  3. You Set My Soul On Fire (3:22)
  4. One Time Less (4:53)
  5. Another Trip Around The Sun (4:39)
  6. A Change Is Gonna Come (4:24)
  7. If I Could (4:02)
  8. King For A Day (5:47)
  9. Second Hand Sons (4:43)
  10. My Guardian (3:43)
  11. What You Leave Behind (4:16)

Recorded during lock-down, the process began with Neal Morse writing some acoustic songs that he thought would be enhanced by strong vocal harmonies. He already knew how well his voice blended with former Spock’s Beard band-mate and Big Big Train drummer/ vocalist, Nick D’Virgilio who came on board and, considering a third man, the Americans sought out Haken‘s Ross Jennings from the UK to complete the trio. All three found they had songs that would benefit from the three part harmonic blend, and so they pooled their resources, inputting creatively into each others compositions.

Neal comments: “What a great pleasure it’s been to work on this album with these amazing artists! It was kind of funny… We had been working on the songs remotely for several months before I finally heard all of us singing together at the same time. The first time I brought the faders up, I knew we had the magic!“

Nick adds: “I’ve known and worked with Neal for over 30 years and I’ve been a big fan of Ross and the music he makes for a long time. I felt confident right away that this would be a fun project to be a part of. I was so right.”

Ross comments: “Receiving ‘The Call’ from Neal to participate in this project was somewhat of a prayer answered… As a long time fan of their work, I’ve been singing along to Neal’s & Nick’s records for years, so it felt really natural for my voice to slot right in.”

The tracks took shape with the musicians recording all of the music and vocals separately, yet the eclectic performances burst with the energy and excitement of the collaboration. Acoustic anthems, charged rockers and sensitive ballads are all part of the mix, and the unique blend of Ross, Neal and Nick‘s voices and styles have created an album in which you will encounter these musicians in a way you’ve never heard before.

Nick D’Virgilio can be heard most recently on Big Big Train’s latest studio album “Common Ground”, and the band’s upcoming album “Welcome to the Planet”.

Neal Morse has just released the fourth album as part of NMB (The Neal Morse Band) alongside Mike Portnoy, Randy George, Eric Gillette & Bill Hubauer. “Innocence & Danger” is out and they will begin a tour in support of it later this year.

Ross Jennings is the vocalist in Haken, who released their latest acclaimed album “Virus” in 2020. He is about to release his debut solo album “A Shadow of my Future Self” on the 19th November.

Follow D’Virgilio, Morse & Jennings online:

  • Nick D’Virgilio Facebook | Nick D’Virgilio Website | Nick D’Virgilio Instagram | Nick D’Virgilio Twitter
  • Neal Morse Facebook | Neal Morse Twitter | Neal Morse Instagram
  • Ross Jennings’ Official Website | Ross Jennings’ Instagram | Ross Jennings’ Facebook | Ross Jennings’  Twitter
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Greetings everyone and welcome back to Groovy Thur Greetings everyone and welcome back to Groovy Thursdays!

This week I went back into the vaults and pulled out a oldie but goodie. From the @spocks_beard_official record "V". The song 'At The End Of The Day'. I haven't played this song for literally years but once I started it was like I never stopped. There are so any great memories from that song and that record. Playing this track is cool because it has many different energies to it. It rocks, it gets mellow, there is some fusion-y jazzy bits, and it has the classic Spock's Beard prog sound. I edited the song just a little to make it a bit shorter. From 14 minutes to 11... HA! 

I hope you enjoy the video and maybe it will inspire you to go back and check out some of Spock's Beard music. Spock's was my band for 20 years! I am very proud of the music that @neal_morse_official, #AlanMorse, #DaveMeros, @ryookumotomusic, and myself made together.

Wishing you all the very best! Cheers!
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#GroovyThursdays #Groove #NickDvirgilio #NDV #SpocksBeard #V #AtTheEndOfTheDay #ProgressiveRock #Drums #MakeItHappen
Grreetings everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursd Grreetings everyone!
Welcome back to Groovy Thursdays.

This week I go back to the record of my very first Genesis concert, ABACAB. 3 grooves that show the awesome drumming of @officialphilcollins From big and bombastic to funky and soulful. Phil had the sound and vibe for sure. All of the grooves have little nuances that are great tools to add to your drumming vocabulary. It is amazing how 1 single note, put in the right place, can give a groove its "special sauce". I encourage you to dive in deep to not only the grooves in this video but into all of Phil's drumming. It is awesome!

The music I am playing along to in this video is me playing the parts quickly so I could have the drum grooves be in context. I also added some reverb, ala Phil Collins, to give you the vibe as well. All done for the fun of it. 

Cheers!

#GroovyThursdays #Groove #NickDvirgilio #NDV #ABACAB #Genesis #PhilCollins #Drums #MakeItHappen
Greetings everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursda Greetings everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursdays. This weeks groove is an iconic groove inspired by the band @Coldplay and their song "Clocks" from the record "A Rush Of Blood To The Head". The drummer for #Coldplay is @will.champion.of.the.world . I love that name! 
He is a very solid player that has made a groove that not only works for that particular song but for so many other situations. I've used it and its variations countless times. It just works and is a good study. Definitely a groove to have in your arsenal. It is simple at its core but can be taken in all kinds of directions.
There is also some nice independence exercises that come right out of this groove so it has a lot going on. Whether you like Coldplay's music or not, this is a groove to check out and learn. Keep on rockin people! 
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#GroovyThursdays #NDV #NickDVirgilio #WillChampion #Clocks #Drums #Groove #MakeItHappen
Joining @mrbigmusic on drums for this special fina Joining @mrbigmusic on drums for this special final world tour will be longtime friend of the band Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard, Big Big Train), stepping in for founding drummer/vocalist Pat Torpey, who sadly passed away in 2018 following his heroic battle with Parkinson’s disease. “We found a wonderful drummer in Nick, and he’s got a great voice too,” confirms @billysheehanonbass “Nick has a vocal range similar to Pat’s, and he’ll be able to do the parts Pat did with a similar finesse. It’s a big relief because MR. BIG has always been heavy on the harmonies. When the band began, we really relied on each other. We knew each guy would do exactly what he needed to do vocally and to do it righteously, on key, and in time. It’s difficult to find a drummer who sings in that range, but Nick has the voice we really need onstage.”
 
Concurs @paulgilbert_official, “Nick gets close to the spirit of Pat Torpey. Billy, Eric, and I have been really happy with the music we’ve already shared back and forth. I’m impressed with Nick’s level of musical adaptability and breadth of skill. He and I have done some recording together, and I was blown away with his groove, and how he just played what fit the song. If the song requires him to be more progressive and stand out, he will stand out. But if the song requires him to groove, he will groove. That’s actually a rare thing, and it really fits in with what we do in MR. BIG.”
 
“I love the fact that Nick was a fan of Pat Torpey and wants to keep our BIG sound intact,” says @ericmartinofficial “When I first saw his audition demo video of the "Lean Into It" song ‘Lucky This Time,’ Nick was playing drums with those signature Pat snare hits and singing harmonies spot on to what Pat used to do. It gave me goosebumps!! I am so thrilled to have this man who will be filling some mighty BIG shoes join us on our last tour.”
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#MrBig #PaulGilbert #BillySheehan #EricMartin #LeanIntoIt #TheBigFinish
Greetings Everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursda Greetings Everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursdays.

This week is a little something different. I've received a bunch of requests to go over my drum set up and the gear I use most of the time. In this video I do some jamming and then go over my whole kit in detail. Drums, heads, cymbals, mics and more. 

Keep on making music!
Cheers

#NickDvirgilio #NDV #GroovyThursdays #Gear #DW #Sabian #EvansDrumheads #PromarkDrumsticks #BeyerDynamic #Shure #Telefunken #EV #UniversalAudio #ProTools #makeithappen

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/monument-music/love-on-hold
License code: Z4OIWAE4L7HHZK68
Greetings everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursda Greetings everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursdays.

This week we are celebrating the amazing drummers that played with @JeffBeckOfficial from the late 1960's up until 1980. Micky Waller, Tony Newman, Cozy Powell, Richard Bailey, and Narada Michael Walden.

Beck always surrounded himself with the best players and it is not only fun to listen to those records from back in the 60"s and 70"s but it is also a great study. The early records had that 60's classic rock-n-roll sound. Big and heavy. Also, the first two Jeff Beck Group records had a young Rod Stewart singing! He sounded so good! Then the vibe and feel of the records change a little bit into the 70's with the amazing Cozy Powell on drums. In the mid 70's the records get a little funky and fusion-y with such great grooves to learn from. I can't recommend all of these records enough if you want to widen your drumming vocabulary.

Dive in deep. The water is fine and the music is fantastic!
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#GroovyThursdays #NickDVirgilio #NDV #Groove #JeffBeck #MickyWaller #TonyNewman #CozyPowell #RichardBailey #NaradaMichaelWalden #Drums #MakeItHappen #DontGiveUp
It is always a blast to jam with @greyson_nekrutma It is always a blast to jam with @greyson_nekrutman Thank you dude! 🤘
UK prog rockers @BigBigTrain have announced today UK prog rockers @BigBigTrain have announced today 15 further shows in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland and the UK to take place in August and September 2023. 

These additional dates form part of the band’s "The Journey Continues Tour" and are in addition to the band’s previously announced headlining appearance at the 2 Days + 1 Festival in Italy on 2nd September 2023. At these performances the band will be promoting the forthcoming “Ingenious Devices” album, which will be released on 30th June 2023.

For these shows #BigBigTrain will consist of lead vocalist @BravinMusic, drummer Nick D’Virgilio, guitarist/keyboardist @gungfly82, bassist @gmspeedwell, violinist Clare Lindley, keyboardist @oskarholldorff and guitarist @maria_barbieri_guitarist. The Big Big Train brass ensemble, led by trombonist Dave Desmond, will perform at all shows.

Check out the link in bio for ticket details. Hope to see some familar and new faces during those shows!
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#NDV #BigBigTrain #BBT #Drummer #ProgRock #ProgressiveRock #TheJourneyContinues #NickDVirgilio
Greeting everyone and welcome back to Groovy Thurs Greeting everyone and welcome back to Groovy Thursdays. 

Like last week, I was not able to get a lesson video done because of many different things going on. But I did make my way out to @RandyMcStine's house in up-state New York for a writing session for a new The Fringe record. Today's video is some fun sections from our "Jam #9". Randy is making my Danelectro Electric 12 string guitar make sounds I've never hear it make before. He is so good! 

When I was on the road with @SteveHackettOfficial back in December Randy came to one of the shows. Randy, @JonasReingold, and myself got the conversation started again. It went something like this..."We need to make another record". We all agreed and the plan is moving forward. It will take some time to complete because of everyone's schedules but I am excited about what we will create together again.

The first record was very exciting for me. I got to make music with two of my very favorite musicians. What's not to like?! If you want to check out the first Fringe record you can check it out in Spotify. We also made a fun music video for the song "A Second Or Two" directed by the great Nigel Dick. Find it on YouTube and let me know how you like it!

Thanks so much everyone for checking this jam out. See you next week! 
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#NickDVirglilio#RandyMcStine #JonasReingold #GroovyThursdays #TheFringe #MakeItHappen #WeeklyVideo
Greetings everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursda Greetings everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursdays. 

This week is a bit different. I was not able to make the usual "lesson" style video. What do they call it? Oh yeah, life getting in the way. Things are very busy right now but I surely did not want to leave you with nothing for your Thursday viewing so I did a play-through instead. It is actually faster to do than the full lesson video. Especially if I know the song. 

Since I just finished my tour with @SteveHackettOfficial last month I figured I would take a stab at the formidable "Apocalypse in 9/8". This is the version from "Seconds Out". It is a crazy thing to play on the drums but if you want to practice on your concentration and listening while you play then this is track for that. You basically need to keep the main groove/pulse in your head going while you play the groove and follow along to the keyboard solo which is not playing in 9/8. It's nuts! But somehow it works and it is awesome! 

I would like to give a shout out to the app @moises.ai. It is an app that will take a song and break it into individual tracks. I was able to separate out the drums, bass, vocals, guitars, and keys. You can choose how many parts you would like. When you break apart a song into many parts like I did it gets a bit "chorus-y" but it is still amazing technology. 

Thanks so much everyone. If you have any suggestions for more play-through videos please let me know. I may have to do a few more of these this year. Cheers!
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#GroovyThursdays #NickDVirgilio #NDV #Genesis #SecondsOut #PlayThrough #Drums #MakeItHappen #Drummer
@BigBigTrain have announced today the release of t @BigBigTrain have announced today the release of their upcoming EP entitled "Ingenious Devices". It features new versions of a trilogy of revered Big Big Train epic tracks – "East Coast Racer", "Brooklands" and "Voyager."

These tracks prominently feature an elite 17 piece string section recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London. Apart from the late David Longdon’s lead vocals, which have been compiled from the original album sessions, "East Coast Racer" is a completely new studio version recorded by the line-up of the band as it was in 2019. "Brooklands" features newly recorded drums, bass and bass pedals, while "Voyager" includes additional guitar and violin. All three songs have been re-mixed for this release.

Pre-order "Ingenious Devices" from the link in my bio!

Additionally "Ingenious Devices" includes a previously unreleased orchestral piece called "The Book of Ingenious Devices," which links "East Coast Racer" and "Brooklands", as well as a live version of "Atlantic Cable," which was recorded on the band’s tour in September 2022.
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#BBT #BigBigTrain #ProgRock #ProgressiveRock #IngeniousDevices #PreOrder #NDV #NickDVirgilio
Greetings everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursda Greetings everyone!
Welcome back to Groovy Thursdays!

The internet was not playing nice yesterday and I couldn't get this video uploaded so you are getting your Groovy Thursday fix on Friday this week. Cheers!

This weeks grooves come from the amazing Fred White. Long time drummer for the band @earthwindandfire. Fred played on all the classic records and was the beat behind their biggest hits. I love funk, R&B, and soul music. Fred had such a great pocket and gave wonderful energy to all of those classic songs. It is a great study. The backbeat, the sound of his drums, and the way he locked in with his brother Verdine on bass was so good! Unfortunately Fred passed away just this year. It is sad that he left at his young age. He gave us a wonderful gift that most definitely lives on. So put on your headphones, get behind your kit, and groove with some Earth Wind and Fire. It is so much fun!

Cheers!

#GroovyThursdays #NDV #NickDvirgilio #FredWhiteDrums #EarthWindAndFire #Groove #Funk #SoulMusic #MakeItHappen
Greetings everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursda Greetings everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursdays.

This weeks offering are “5 Stupendous Neil Peart grooves”. Neil was such an iconic drummer. His gift to the world of drums and rock-n-roll in general cannot be understated. He was HUGE and deservedly so. 

I picked these 5 grooves specifically to help work on the coordination between your kick drum and hi-hat. Neil was great at doing very clean stabs on the hi-hat and to get them really clean and powerful you need to practice. Listen to sound of Neil's hi-hat on these songs and others. It is precise and beautiful. These are the little things that can bring your drumming to another level. There is so much to learn from Neil's playing. He had great passion for the instrument and we can definitely all learn from that.

Cheers!
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#NickDVirgilio #GroovyThursdays #NeilPeart #Rush #HiHat #Practice #Drums #Passion #DrumsForLife #MakeItHappen @Rush #ProgRock
Hello everyone! Yes, I know I am late, but here is Hello everyone! Yes, I know I am late, but here is my final tour vlog from my time on tour with @SteveHackettOfficial. Join me as I take you through some fun moments from the last show of the tour at the @PatchogueTheater for the Performing Arts. Not only was it me last show, it was the band's final show of the whole year of touring. They played something like 160 shows! The energy on stage and in the room was fantastic. 

What an amazing experience it was to be on that stage with Steve and the boys. Thank you Steve, Jo, the band, the crew, and to @CraigBlundellDrums!
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#NickDVirgilio #SteveHackett #OnTour #Amazing #Fantastic #Wonderful #ProgMusic #Drums #Drumming
Happy New Year and welcome back to Groovy Thursday Happy New Year and welcome back to Groovy Thursdays and the first grooves of 2023!

We are starting the year out right with some fun rock-n-roll drumming. Three great grooves from the @MrBigMusic drummer "Pat Torpey". Pat was a fantastic player. He left us to early after battling Parkinson's disease but left us a great gift. The gift of his drumming lives on with all of us and there is a lot to learn from. Pat could be very technical when he needed to be. But deep down he just rocked and rocked hard! There was a ton of energy in his playing and I love that kind of thing. 

I picked three grooves to check out. The first is from the song "Take Cover". A nice linear pattern that also blends in a solid back beat. It is definitely good for working on coordination and pocket. The second groove is from the song "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy". A killer rock-n-roll groove. If you want to learn how to hit the snare drum right in a rock setting then this is the tune to learn from. The third groove comes from the song "Colorado Bulldog". A galloping double bass groove that will definitely work on your stamina. 

Sit down at your kit, take a deep breath, and get your rock on to start 2023!
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#GroovyThursdays #NickDVirgilio #MrBig #PatTorpey #Groove #Drums #RockDrumming #MakeItHappen
I thought it would be cool to do a recap of every I thought it would be cool to do a recap of every Groovy Thursday groove put out this year. All 52 grooves played back to back! It is interesting to hear how things progressed from Groove 1 all the way to Groove 52. Such as, how my drums sound changed throughout the year and all of the different kinds of grooves I shared with you all. It was a fun, but sometime arduous task getting the videos to you every week. But the groove lived on week after week and we made it through the whole year! I am truly thankful for all of you that joined me every week. 

Happy New Year!
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#GroovyThursdays #NickDVirgilio #NDV #Grooves #Drummer #Drums #HappyNewYear #2022Recap
We've made it to the end of 2022 and all the way t We've made it to the end of 2022 and all the way to Groove # 52. Since I started out this series with an original groove I've decided to end the year with an original. It is a funky linear 4 bar phrase that can help with coordination around the kit, dexterity, time, and pocket. It also utilizes some other parts of your drum kit that can help with getting used to hearing different sounds in your grooves. I encourage you to change up the fills and make them you own. Be creative and get inspired!

Thank you so much for hanging with me this year. I have enjoyed bringing these grooves to you with the goal of inspiring you to play more drums. Happy New Year! 

#GroovyThursdays #Groove #NickDVirgilio #LinearDrumming #Funky #Drums #MakeItHappen #NDV
Greetings everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursda Greetings everyone! Welcome back to Groovy Thursdays!

This weeks groove is a real challenge but so much fun to try and learn from. As much as I love simple grooves, sometimes a tough and technical one just hits the spot. The song is "New Maps" from the @tigranhamasyan record "The Call Within". The amazing drumming of @ahnatek is on full display. He is a monster player. He is able to navigate through all of the intricate rhythms that Tigran throws at him with a style and pocket that is really unique! There is so much to learn from Arthur's playing and Tigran's music. I encourage you to dive into both. 

Cheers!

#GroovyThursdays #Groove #TigranHamasyan #ArthurHnatek #NewMaps #TheCallWithin #Drums #MakeItHappen
My kit for todays video shoot @sweetwatersound. @g My kit for todays video shoot @sweetwatersound. @gretschdrums USA Custom, @dwdrums hardware and pedals, @remopercussion drumheads, @snareweight dampeners, @lppercussion Ridge Rider cowbell, @bigfatsnaredrum Bling Ring hi-hat tambourine, @beyerdynamic mics all around, and my 22 year old Meinl Zebra stick bag chock full of everything. Added to that is a yummy cymbal salad of @wuhan_cymbals KOI 20" Conical china, @sabiancymbals Anthology 18" high bell, @meinlcymbals Benny Greb 14" Sand hats, @dreamcymbals Dark Matter 17" Paper Thin crash, @paistecymbals Signature Dark Energy 22" Ride, @turkish_cymbals META 18" crash, @zildjiancompany FX Raw crash. Mm mm GOOD!!!
Welcome back to Groovy Thursdays! This weeks groov Welcome back to Groovy Thursdays! This weeks groove is another classic Bill Bruford jam. "Frame By Frame" from the @KingCrimsonOfficial record "Discipline". It's a fairly simple 2 bar phrase, but it's the nuance and the accents that make this groove challenging. Bruford did it so well and we can definitely all learn from his great playing. His fills in this songs are killer too! Have fun and Happy Holidays! 
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#GroovyThursdays #BillBruford #KingCrimson #FrameByFrame #Groove #Nuance #Drums #MakeItHappen #NDV #NickDVirgilio
Video cameras were on hand during soundcheck befor Video cameras were on hand during soundcheck before the @BigBigTrain show at the @boerderij_zoetermeer in September to film a performance of one of our wintery songs, “Snowfalls.” Warm yourself up with this beautiful tune. There are lots of great things coming for BBT in 2023 and beyond. Stay tuned! 
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#BigBigTrain #BBT #ProgRock #ProgressiveRock #Snowfalls #NDV #NickDVirgilio @bravinmusic @gungfly82
Hello everyone! A late posting for this weeks Groo Hello everyone!
A late posting for this weeks Groovy Thursdays but I’ll cut myself some slack because I’m on the road with Steve Hackett.

Bat Country from the band @avengedsevenfold is a serious rocker that is a lot of fun to play and totally worth the time to learn. 

I’m out on the road playing old school Prog with Steve Hackett but felt the need to rock 🤘
Cheers! Nick

#NickDvirgilio #AvengedSevenfold #GroovyThursdays #Drums #BatCountry #MakeItHappen
Some fun photos of the @stevehackettofficial tour Some fun photos of the @stevehackettofficial tour up in Canada. Tonight starts the short run in the states. I’m looking forward to the next 4 shows. New Brunswick tonight!!!
Greetings everyone! This is tour vlog Day 7 from Greetings everyone!

This is tour vlog Day 7 from our 3rd show in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. I had some downtime before soundcheck started and I go through @craigblundelldrums fantastic drum kit in a little more detail. Showing what all drums, cymbals, heads, mics, electronics, and even my cheat sheets are. Then I put in a little snippet of video from soundcheck and some video from the show that was shot from my wife Tiffany's Iphone. The video quality from the gig is what it is. Shot from the audience and all of that. But what is cool is that the Oakville Center for the Performing Arts is a nice intimate venue. The lighting designer Chris Curran is fantastic. He made that stage look amazing! In the video are little bits of a couple of songs and most of my drum solo. I don't get the chance to do drum solos very often so it a big challenge for me. It is also a big challenge because the drum solo comes towards the very end of the gig! It's crazy but I am loving it. Also, this band is really awesome! If you've seen @stevehackettofficial and the boys play before then you already know that. In the video is a little section from Cinema Show ( sorry, I only had what me lovey wife gave me to work with ) and check out @jonasreingold on the bass. The man kicks some serious ass! Everyone in the band does and I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am blessed to have this opportunity.

Going through the drums goes from the beginning of the video until 5:14 and the music parts from 5:15 to the end. 

This evening (Dec 4, 2022) is our final show in Canada. Playing at the Grand Theater Du Quebec then it is down to the states for the rest of the run. 

Cheers!
NDV

#NickDvirgilio #SteveHackett #MapexDrums #PaisteCymbals #AquarianDrumheads #Roland #PorterAndDavies #Audix #SEmicrophones #Drums #MakeItHappen
This week's groove is a quick one and I apologize This week's groove is a quick one and I apologize for not being able to give the talking portion this week. I'm on the road with @stevehackettofficial and frankly I don't have the time to make that happen. But in keeping with #SteveHackett and @genesis_band, this weeks groove comes from their record "A Trick Of The Tail" and the song is "Robbery Assault and Battery". Specifically the middle keyboard solo section. 

This very fun and deceptively simple groove is in 13/8. In my transcription I wrote out a simple version and an advanced version. In the simple one, just play straight 8th notes on your hi-hat and no ghost notes or extras on your snare. Keep it pretty straight. The advanced version is more like I play it on the video. It has some extra sauce added in the hi-hat and snare. Those parts, even though I wrote them out, can be a bit free and put wherever you feel them. 

Now I am off to the venue for gig #3 of my time with the master Hackett. I will be playing this exact song this evening! Cheers!
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#NickDVirgilio #GroovyThursdays #Genesis #RobberyAssaultAndBattery #Drums #Groove #MakeItHappen
Greetings everyone! Vlog Day 4 shows you a little Greetings everyone!
Vlog Day 4 shows you a little bit of the venue for the first show with Steve Hackett (Salle Wilfrid Pellitier in Montreal, Canada) and a bit of a song, side view, shot with my GoPro. I think you will be able to tell that the crowd was into it and having a good time. It was a really nice way to have my first show.

I will tell you and this is a fairly intense gig from the drum chair. Not only are we playing a nice sample of Steve's solo material, we then play all of the classic "Seconds Out". What a blast! But by the time we got to the end of the show I was wrecked. In a great way of course...ha! 

The musicians in this band are incredible and fun to be on stage with. Nad channels the spirt of Phil and Peter while giving the vocals his own style. It all just works and I am very happy to have this chance to play these songs.

There is no Vlog Day 3 because we were deep in rehearsals and there was no time to shoot video. 

If you want to skip right to the song sample go to 1:54 of my little video.

OK, onto the first of 3 shows in Oakville, Ontario. WHOO HOOO!!!

#NickDvirgilio #SteveHackett #SecondsOut+More #TheMusicalBox
Greetings everyone! Today was the first day of reh Greetings everyone!
Today was the first day of rehearsal for the little mini tour I am playing on with @stevehackettofficial and band. It was a great day and we played a lot of music. There were a few rough patches here and there but that is to be expected with a new drummer in the band and the intensity of the music we are playing. We did get through all of the songs and will be polishing up those bits tomorrow. What an amazing group of musicians I am playing with! Wow! To be playing these classic tunes is a real treat. 

We started with some of Steve's solo songs and then on into Seconds Out. I first heard that record when I was about 8 or 9 years old and played along to it for years. To be playing those tunes with the guy on the record ( that would be Steve of course ) is so very cool! This is not an easy drumming gig. There are some parts that are pretty straight ahead but you have to play those parts with great attitude and then try to keep a clear head for the parts that are difficult and do your best to let it all flow. Today was the first time in my life I ever performed Apocalypse in 9/8. Yep, that is one of the "difficult" parts :) I don't think it is a walk in the park for any of the musicians but they sure make it sound like it is. So fluid and on the money. 

The crew are top notch as well. All super nice guys and very professional. I can't wait for the gigs to start.

I got a bunch of questions about what drums I will be playing on for these shows and this little video shows you what I will be using. I will get into more detail in another video but since this was day one I didn't have that much time to shoot video. Also the room we are rehearsing in is very dark so I had to brighten up the video a bit. But you can see the drums and there is also a little snippet of a song as well.

Thank you Craig, Steve, band and crew!!!
Cheers, Nick

#NickDvirgilio #SteveHackett #Genesis #CraigBlundell #MapexDrums #PaisteCymbals #AquarianDrumheads #ProMarkDrumsticks #PorterAndDavies #GibraltarHardware
My time with the @stevehackettofficial band (9 sho My time with the @stevehackettofficial band (9 shows + rehearsals) starts tomorrow but the tour vlog starts today. In mental preparation....mostly. 🤘 #NickDvirgilio #SteveHackett #Montreal #LetsDoThis #MakeItHappen
Greetings everyone and Happy Thanksgiving! This we Greetings everyone and Happy Thanksgiving! This weeks groove is one of the greatest of all time. "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" from the Paul Simon record "Still Crazy After All These Years". @dr.stevegadd's drumming is incredible and he gave us such a gift with this groove. We can try and play it but only he has that sound and nuance. It is a great study and a groove that will help your playing in so many ways. Come on back next week for Groove 48. Cheers!
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 #GroovyThursdays #Groove #NickDVirgilio #SteveGadd #50WaysToLeaveYourLover #PaulSimon #LinearDrumming #Drums #MakeItHappen
Groovy Thursday #46 brings you a groove from the g Groovy Thursday #46 brings you a groove from the great band @snarkypuppy. The song is "Lingus" from their 2014 record "We Like It Here". The amazing drumming of @larnelllewismusic grabbed me the first time I heard this band. It is all very inspiring to hear. 

I used a section from the song starting at 1:56. The pattern that makes up the main groove is fairly simple but it is attitude behind it that makes the pocket very deep. Put on the tune and focus in on the bass player Michael League and how his part fits with the drums. it is SO COOL! 

No talking portion this week. Apologies for that. But the groove marches on! Dive into this groove and all of Larnell's playing. He a fantastic player. There is a lot to learn from there.

Come on back next week for groove 47. Cheers!

#groovythursdays #nickdvirgilio #snarkypuppy #larnelllewismusic #drums #drumming #drumsarecool
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