Nick D'Virgilio
Encyclopedia
Nick D'Virgilio is an American
drummer and multi-instrumentalist musician, often referred to as NDV, best known as a former member of the progressive rock
band Spock's Beard
. He was also one of two drummers chosen to replace Phil Collins
in Genesis
on the Calling All Stations
album. He has also done session work with many artists including Tears for Fears
, and is an official member of Big Big Train
.
left in 2002, D'Virgilio took over on lead vocals and has since recorded four albums, Feel Euphoria
, Octane
, the self titled Spock's Beard
, and X
.
In 1994, D'Virgilio joined Kevin Gilbert
's reformed band Giraffe for a one-off performance of the Genesis piece "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
" at Progfest '94. In 1995, he performed drums as part of Gilbert's touring band, Thud, which recorded a live album, Live at the Troubadour, released in 1999. After Gilbert's death in 1996, D'Virgilio was asked by Gilbert's estate to complete his second solo album, The Shaming of the True
, based on the extant tapes and Gilbert's notes. Shaming was released posthumously in 2000 and has D'Virgilio on many tracks contributing drums, percussion, bass, guitar, keyboards and backing vocals. In November 2002, D'Virgilio headlined Progwest in Claremont, California
and played the entire The Shaming of the True album live in a band consisting of other friends and colleagues of Gilbert's. In 2008, video tapes of the Troubadour concert were uncovered for the first time, leading to a DVD
, entitled Welcome to Joytown - Thud Live at The Troubadour, released in 2009.
D'Virgilio was a full member of the Mike Keneally
Band from 2001 to 2004, playing on the tour supporting Keneally's 2000 album Dancing and later providing drums and vocals on the 2004 album Dog, as can be seen on the DVD included as part of the Dog Special Edition in both live as well as "making-of" studio footage. Previous Keneally drummer Joe Travers
took D'Virgilio's place in the band for the subsequent Guitar Therapy tour.
D'Virgilio's first solo album, Karma, was recorded in 2001 at Kevin Gilbert's former studio, Lawnmower and Garden Supplies Studio, in Pasadena. The album included performances by Mike Keneally and Bryan Beller
, D'Virgilio's bandmates in The Mike Keneally Band. D'Virgilio also served as the chief engineer on Beller's solo album View, recorded at the same studio as Karma.
D'Virgilio filled in for Mark Zonder on Fates Warning
's summer tour with Dream Theater
and Queensrÿche
in 2003. Zonder's prior commitments prevented him from taking part in the tour, and he ceased performing with the band following its 2005 release FWX due to a reported aversion to touring. D'Virgilio played with the band on a handful of gigs supporting that album and appeared on the 2006 DVD release Live in Athens.
D'Virgilio has appeared on Jordan Rudess
' 2007 album The Road Home
and on several releases by Big Big Train
, their albums The Difference Machine
(2007) and The Underfall Yard
(2009), and the 2010 EP Far Skies Deep Time.
On July 26, 2011, D'Virgilio released a solo EP called Pieces. He performed a show in Quebec City
, Canada performing the EP in its entirety with local musicians on the day of the album release.
On November 18, 2011, D'Virgillio announced that he's left Spock's Beard, because of his work with Cirque Du Soleil:
"It is very hard for me to write this, but as all good things come to an end at sometime or another, unfortunately I have to tell you all that my time with Spock’s Beard has come to a close."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drummer and multi-instrumentalist musician, often referred to as NDV, best known as a former member of the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Spock's Beard
Spock's Beard
Spock's Beard is a progressive rock band formed in 1992 in Los Angeles by brothers Neal and Alan Morse. Neal played keyboards and was the lead vocalist, as well as being the primary songwriter before leaving the band in 2002 to pursue a solo career. Alan plays electric guitar...
. He was also one of two drummers chosen to replace Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
in Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
on the Calling All Stations
Calling All Stations
Calling All Stations, is the 15th studio album by rock band Genesis. It was recorded following Phil Collins's departure from the band in 1996, and was released in 1997...
album. He has also done session work with many artists including Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
, and is an official member of Big Big Train
Big Big Train
Big Big Train is an English progressive rock band that was founded in 1990. Based in Bournemouth, England, the band members are Nick D'Virgilio, Dave Gregory, David Longdon, Andy Poole and Gregory Spawton....
.
Career
D'Virgilio has been the drummer in Spock's Beard since the band began in the early 1990s. After Neal MorseNeal Morse
Neal Morse is an American multi-instrumentalist and progressive rock composer based in Nashville, Tennessee.-Background:...
left in 2002, D'Virgilio took over on lead vocals and has since recorded four albums, Feel Euphoria
Feel Euphoria
Feel Euphoria is the seventh studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. It was the first album the band recorded following the departure of vocalist/songwriter Neal Morse...
, Octane
Octane (album)
Octane is the eighth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard, released in 2005. The first seven tracks form the multi-part epic "A Flash Before My Eyes".A Special Edition release contained a second disc with more music and a video....
, the self titled Spock's Beard
Spock's Beard (album)
Spock's Beard is the eponymous ninth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard.On September 21, 2006, Dave Meros added the tentative tracklist to the band's website, and said the following regarding the album's title:...
, and X
X (Spock's Beard album)
X is the tenth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. Similar to what Marillion did for Anoraknophobia, the album was funded by pre-orders of a limited edition of the album before the album was recorded...
.
In 1994, D'Virgilio joined Kevin Gilbert
Kevin Gilbert
Kevin Matthew Gilbert was an American songwriter, musician, composer, producer and collaborator born in Sacramento, California, later living in San Mateo, California where he attended Junipero Serra High School...
's reformed band Giraffe for a one-off performance of the Genesis piece "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
The Lamb Lies down on Broadway
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is a double concept album recorded and released in 1974 by the British rock band Genesis. It was their sixth studio album and the last album by the group to feature the involvement of lead singer Peter Gabriel.-Premise:...
" at Progfest '94. In 1995, he performed drums as part of Gilbert's touring band, Thud, which recorded a live album, Live at the Troubadour, released in 1999. After Gilbert's death in 1996, D'Virgilio was asked by Gilbert's estate to complete his second solo album, The Shaming of the True
The Shaming of the True
The Shaming of the True is Kevin Gilbert's second solo album. It was released posthumously in 2000.The release appeared in three editions to date: 1) a limited-edition hardbound book with CD edition released early in 2000, with artwork and complete libretto, 2) a more conventional jewel-case CD...
, based on the extant tapes and Gilbert's notes. Shaming was released posthumously in 2000 and has D'Virgilio on many tracks contributing drums, percussion, bass, guitar, keyboards and backing vocals. In November 2002, D'Virgilio headlined Progwest in Claremont, California
Claremont, California
Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...
and played the entire The Shaming of the True album live in a band consisting of other friends and colleagues of Gilbert's. In 2008, video tapes of the Troubadour concert were uncovered for the first time, leading to a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, entitled Welcome to Joytown - Thud Live at The Troubadour, released in 2009.
D'Virgilio was a full member of the Mike Keneally
Mike Keneally
Michael Joseph Keneally is an American guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and composer. Allmusic says: "With his wide-ranging talents and ability to be creative in almost any musical situation, Keneally is the leading progressive rock genius of the post-Zappa era."Born on Long Island, New York, he...
Band from 2001 to 2004, playing on the tour supporting Keneally's 2000 album Dancing and later providing drums and vocals on the 2004 album Dog, as can be seen on the DVD included as part of the Dog Special Edition in both live as well as "making-of" studio footage. Previous Keneally drummer Joe Travers
Joe Travers
Joseph Patrick Francis Travers was an Australian cricketer who played in one Test in 1902. He played Australian rules football for Norwood in the South Australian Football Association during the 1890s.-References:...
took D'Virgilio's place in the band for the subsequent Guitar Therapy tour.
D'Virgilio's first solo album, Karma, was recorded in 2001 at Kevin Gilbert's former studio, Lawnmower and Garden Supplies Studio, in Pasadena. The album included performances by Mike Keneally and Bryan Beller
Bryan Beller
Bryan Beller is an American bass guitarist known for his work with Mike Keneally, Steve Vai, Dethklok, James LaBrie of Dream Theater, and Dweezil Zappa.-Career:...
, D'Virgilio's bandmates in The Mike Keneally Band. D'Virgilio also served as the chief engineer on Beller's solo album View, recorded at the same studio as Karma.
D'Virgilio filled in for Mark Zonder on Fates Warning
Fates Warning
Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band, formed in 1982 by vocalist John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman in Hartford, Connecticut. Fates Warning has experienced numerous line-up changes...
's summer tour with Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
and Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche
thumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
in 2003. Zonder's prior commitments prevented him from taking part in the tour, and he ceased performing with the band following its 2005 release FWX due to a reported aversion to touring. D'Virgilio played with the band on a handful of gigs supporting that album and appeared on the 2006 DVD release Live in Athens.
D'Virgilio has appeared on Jordan Rudess
Jordan Rudess
Jordan Rudess is an American keyboardist best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the progressive rock supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment.-Biography:...
' 2007 album The Road Home
The Road Home (Jordan Rudess album)
The Road Home is a cover album by Jordan Rudess. It was released on September 12, 2007.Rudess's arrangements of these classic prog tracks include many sections that were not in the original songs, especially solos...
and on several releases by Big Big Train
Big Big Train
Big Big Train is an English progressive rock band that was founded in 1990. Based in Bournemouth, England, the band members are Nick D'Virgilio, Dave Gregory, David Longdon, Andy Poole and Gregory Spawton....
, their albums The Difference Machine
The Difference Machine
The Difference Machine is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock band Big Big Train. It was released on 30 August 2007, by English Electric Recordings. TDM is a concept album exploring chaos theory, communication, failure, death, loss, and bereavement. The story is of the death of...
(2007) and The Underfall Yard
The Underfall Yard
The Underfall Yard is the sixth studio album by the English progressive rock band Big Big Train. It was released on 15 December 2009, by English Electric Recordings.http://www.bigbigtrain.com/-Background:...
(2009), and the 2010 EP Far Skies Deep Time.
On July 26, 2011, D'Virgilio released a solo EP called Pieces. He performed a show in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Canada performing the EP in its entirety with local musicians on the day of the album release.
On November 18, 2011, D'Virgillio announced that he's left Spock's Beard, because of his work with Cirque Du Soleil:
"It is very hard for me to write this, but as all good things come to an end at sometime or another, unfortunately I have to tell you all that my time with Spock’s Beard has come to a close."
Studio albums
-
- Main article: Spock's Beard discographySpock's Beard discographyThe discography of Spock's Beard, an American progressive rock band, consists of ten studio albums, nine live albums, one compilation, two singles, and six videos.-Studio albums:* The Light * Beware of Darkness...
- The Light (1995)
- Beware of DarknessBeware of DarknessBeware of Darkness is the second studio album by American Progressive rock band Spock's Beard, released in 1996. The album was the band's first release following the addition of keyboardist Ryo Okumoto to the group....
(1996) - The Kindness of Strangers (1998)
- Day for Night (1999)
- VV (Spock's Beard album)V is the fifth studio album of progressive rock band Spock's Beard.The release of V also produced a CD single, this time promoting the track All on a Sunday. The track itself was re-recorded in 2001 and is slightly different from the album track...
(2000) - Snow (2002)
- Feel EuphoriaFeel EuphoriaFeel Euphoria is the seventh studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. It was the first album the band recorded following the departure of vocalist/songwriter Neal Morse...
(2003) - OctaneOctane (album)Octane is the eighth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard, released in 2005. The first seven tracks form the multi-part epic "A Flash Before My Eyes".A Special Edition release contained a second disc with more music and a video....
(2005) - Spock's BeardSpock's Beard (album)Spock's Beard is the eponymous ninth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard.On September 21, 2006, Dave Meros added the tentative tracklist to the band's website, and said the following regarding the album's title:...
(2006) - XX (Spock's Beard album)X is the tenth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. Similar to what Marillion did for Anoraknophobia, the album was funded by pre-orders of a limited edition of the album before the album was recorded...
(2010)
- Main article: Spock's Beard discography
Live albums
- Official Live Bootleg/The Beard is Out ThereOfficial Live Bootleg/The Beard is Out ThereOfficial Live Bootleg is the third album and first live album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. It was released in 1996, with a European release under the title The Beard is Out There in 1998....
(1996) (recorded 1995) - Live at the Whisky and NEARfestLive at the Whisky and NEARfestLive at the Whisky and NEARfest is a live album from American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. It was recorded at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, California on May 11, 1999 and at NEARfest 1999 on June 27.- Track listing :...
(1999) - Don't Try This at HomeDon't Try This at Home (Spock's Beard album)Don't Try This at Home is a live album from progressive rock band Spock's Beard, recorded at the 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands, on September 28, 1999, and released in April 2000...
(April 2000) (recorded 1999) (live) - Nick 'n Neal live in Europe - Two Separate GorillasNick 'n Neal live in Europe - Two Separate GorillasNick 'n Neal live in Europe - Two Separate Gorillas is a double live acoustic album by Neal Morse and Nick D'Virgilio of progressive rock band Spock's Beard...
(October, 2000) (From the Vaults, Series 2) - Don't Try This @ Home EitherDon't Try This @ Home EitherDon't Try This @ Home Either is a live album from American progressive rock band Spock's Beard, recorded at the 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands, on September 28, 1999, and released in October 2000...
(2000) (recorded 1999) (live - From the Vaults, Series 3) - There and HereThere and HereThere & Here is a double live album from American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. Individual songs were recorded at several shows on the V tours in Europe, as well as the August 2000 show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles...
(2000) (live - From the Vaults, Series 4) - The Beard Is Out There-Live (2003)
- Gluttons for PunishmentGluttons for PunishmentGluttons for Punishment, released in 2005, is a double live album by the progressive rock band Spock's Beard. It was recorded during the band's Octane tour on March 18, 2005 at Colos-Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany; March 20 at Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland; and March 21 at Substage, Karlsruhe, Germany...
(2005) (live) - LiveLive (Spock's Beard album)Live is a DVD and 2 CD set released by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. The two versions are only available separately.It is a live album that features the entire concert played by the band at Zoetermeer, Netherlands, on May 25, 2007...
(2008) (live)
With Big Big Train
- The Difference MachineThe Difference MachineThe Difference Machine is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock band Big Big Train. It was released on 30 August 2007, by English Electric Recordings. TDM is a concept album exploring chaos theory, communication, failure, death, loss, and bereavement. The story is of the death of...
(2007) - The Underfall YardThe Underfall YardThe Underfall Yard is the sixth studio album by the English progressive rock band Big Big Train. It was released on 15 December 2009, by English Electric Recordings.http://www.bigbigtrain.com/-Background:...
(2009) - Far Skies Deep Time (2010)
- English ElectricEnglish ElectricEnglish Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
(tbc)