{"id":32184,"date":"2017-05-25T10:00:05","date_gmt":"2017-05-25T00:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=32184"},"modified":"2017-05-24T07:16:19","modified_gmt":"2017-05-23T21:16:19","slug":"virgil-donati","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2017\/05\/virgil-donati\/","title":{"rendered":"Virgil Donati"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\n\u201c\u2026I\u2019m always struggling with myself to try and define those new ideas, those fresh things that happen spontaneously in the spirit of inspiration which is what I\u2019m into on the drums, it\u2019s not all about the written parts or the composed parts it\u2019s about what you can bring to it, what energy you can bring to it, your expressive purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Tour Release: Superstar drummers, Virgil Donati (Alan Holdsworth\/Planet X) and Thomas Lang (Paul Gilbert\/stOrk) will headline the “DW TV Show” tour. Sponsored by DW Drums, the 5-city tour of Australia, will also include an appearance at the Sydney Drum & Percussion Show.\u00a0 The DW TV Show marks the first-ever time these two technical titans have performed on stage together. \u00a0Both Donati and Lang will perform using DW Collector’s Series Drumsets which will be available for sale via the local retail sponsor after each tour stop.\u00a0 Additional sponsors include: Audix, Hansenfutz, Meinl, Remo, Sabian, Urbann Boards, Vater, and Vic Firth.<\/p>\n

Just after rehearsal in Oxnard we gave Virgil a call to talk about his return to Australia for some shows showcasing his drumming talents for DW, his new work, his old work particularly<\/p>\n

You\u2019re headed back to Australia, can you tell us what we can expect at these DW TV Shows\u2026<\/strong>
\nAbsolute mayhem *laughs* a lot of drumming obviously. Well there\u2019s two drummers and DW decided to put us together Thomas Lang and I will endeavour to entertain an audience with our rhythmical explorations, and yeah we\u2019re putting together some interesting music that features the drums and you know they\u2019re nice compositions on their own standings, so I think it\u2019s going to be interesting. We\u2019ll do some purely drum duets, we\u2019ll be improvising a little, then a segment of the show will be us performing a little sections.<\/p>\n

Are you going to try to out play each other at each show?<\/strong>
\nI don\u2019t think really we\u2019re going to enter it with that kind of sentiment in mind, it\u2019s not about out doing each other it\u2019s about trying to transcend ourselves I think that\u2019s the best you can do. Of course being next to each other there\u2019ll be some mutual inspiration going on as we\u2019re performing and that might drive us in various directions. It\u2019s not a game of football, it\u2019s not I\u2019ve gotta hit him hard or tackle him and bring him to the ground, it\u2019s not that kind of competitiveness, it\u2019s more a creative artistic competitiveness, I mean I do that to myself every night I\u2019m usually playing without another drummer so I\u2019m always struggling with myself to try and define those new ideas, those fresh things that happen spontaneously in the spirit of inspiration which is what I\u2019m into on the drums, it\u2019s not all about the written parts or the composed parts it\u2019s about what you can bring to it, what energy you can bring to it, your expressive purpose.<\/p>\n

What are you currently involved in music wise?<\/strong>
\nRight now, the last few years I\u2019ve been touring as a band leader I\u2019ve released two records recently, 2013 I released a record called \u2018In This Life\u2019, a solo record and put a band together to tour that and I\u2019ve done two world tours in the meantime and then late last year I released a new record called \u2018The Dawn of Time\u2019 which is something completely different, it\u2019s an orchestral record which I think is probably one of the first really serious work for drums in orchestra and I wrote and orchestrated the entire thing and that was a huge project, that took me a long time to write and to produce. With my band I was working with a legendary guitar player that some of your readers may know Allan Holdsworth and unfortunately he just passed away less than a month ago, wonderful human being and just iconic legendary guitar player, people that don\u2019t know him should check him out, so I was touring with him quite a bit the last few years. Now the latest thing is a new band I have and putting together it\u2019s called IceFish, it\u2019s a progressive rock band and we\u2019re right in the middle of producing our debut record, I\u2019m very excited about that, we just ran a very successful crowd funding campaign through Pledge Music, now we\u2019re finishing the record and once that comes out we\u2019ll start making plans to tour. It\u2019s a very cool band, I\u2019m very excited and the material we\u2019re writing the sound and the progressive direction I think is very, very fresh and it\u2019s gonna be a lot of fun to play this music live eventually. Check them out at\u00a0https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/icefishband\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Over the years how do you feel you\u2019ve evolved as a drummer?<\/strong>
\nOh, well I must say fairly consistently on a gradual curve, you know if truth be known a lot of musicians do get to a point where they plateau at a certain age or a certain time in their career and you tend to regurgitate the same things over and over, I felt through my never ending passion and drive and energy I\u2019m just never content where I\u2019m at and I just try and push and push and push and I feel like I\u2019m still improving, and while I feel that I still feel there\u2019s a passion there and an energy and once that goes you start resting on your laurels and things start going bit by bit. So consistency is one of my biggest qualities.<\/p>\n

Well over the years you have been given then moniker of best drummer in Australia so it must be great hearing that sort of stuff?<\/strong>
\nYeah well you know those kind of polls or general opinions are really just that, I just carry on regardless. It\u2019s nice to be thought of in a positive light of course but I know where I am at and what I need to do and I know the reality of that and that\u2019s what drives me on.<\/p>\n

I have to ask about your time in Southern Sons, some absolutely classic tunes came from that band, what do you remember about being in one of the biggest bands in Australia back then?<\/strong>
\nI love that band. Oh that was a great time early 90\u2019s wonderful musicians in the band, great writers and we had a little success there for a while unfortunately we couldn\u2019t sustain it for various reasons and once that fell apart that was my cue to uproot and move to The U.S. So it was just after that, 1996 when that was all coming to an end that I decided that it was time to move, but I certainly enjoyed my time with the band and I still stay in touch with most of the guys and they\u2019re all doing great things musically, so yeah it was a great time.<\/p>\n

Any chance of a reunion show ever?<\/strong>
\nI don\u2019t think so, that has come up a few times over the last few years and I don\u2019t think that\u2019s ever going to happen to be honest with you.<\/p>\n

Just personally, some songs like \u2018Lead Me To Water\u2019 and \u2018Can\u2019t Wait Any Longer\u2019 are some of my favourite tunes ever, so thank you for those\u2026<\/strong>
\nYeah I love that second record, the first one was kind of pop and that was our big hit record and then the second one was a little more sophisticated, a little more adult and I don\u2019t think it went over as well but I think it\u2019s got some classic grace, some great pop and rock songs on it and I think they still stand up but for some reason it just didn\u2019t take as well as the first record.<\/p>\n

Then we had \u2018Zone\u2019\u2026<\/strong>
\nTHEN we had \u2018Zone\u2019 which was really unfortunate. I think he kind of decided he wanted to go out as a solo artist and kind of sacrificed the band which was a shame, and BMG dropped the bundle because they went, well if that\u2019s what\u2019s going on they\u2019re not going to put any money into promoting that record and that all happened pretty much at the time that was coming out, so that was pretty much the nail in the coffin for the band.<\/p>\n

Lastly let\u2019s look ahead to the future, finish this sentence for me, by the end of 2017 Virgil Donati wants to\u2026<\/strong>
\nHave a hit record with IceFish. A hit debut record, let\u2019s make it happen.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

TOUR DATES<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday, May 27: Sydney Drum & Percussion Show* – Rosehill Gardens Grand Pavilion, Sydney
\nTickets: www.australianmusician.com.au\/sydney-drum-percussion-show-2017\/tickets<\/a><\/p>\n

Tuesday, May 30: The Princess Theatre, Brisbane
\nTickets: www.trybooking.com\/276449<\/a><\/p>\n

Thursday, June 1: Union House Theater, Melbourne University, Melbourne
\nTickets: www.trybooking.com\/276466<\/a><\/p>\n

Saturday, June 3: Century Theatre, Immanuel College, Adelaide
\nTickets: www.trybooking.com\/276470<\/a><\/p>\n

Tuesday, June 6: Red Door Auditorium, Perth
\nTickets: www.trybooking.com\/276472<\/a><\/p>\n

Tickets for all shows except Sydney are:<\/p>\n

$35 General Admission
\n$75 VIP TV Experience<\/p>\n

The VIP TV Experience<\/p>\n

Strictly limited to only 50 tickets – The VIP ticket comprises: *Premium Seating *EXCLUSIVE Sound Check Access *EXCLUSIVE ‘On Stage’ Drum Tech Rig Rundowns<\/p>\n

*Pre-show Meet & Greet *Photo Opportunity *DW Swag Bag *EXCLUSIVE VIP TV Show Souvenir Laminate<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Essential Information<\/strong><\/h2>\n

From:<\/strong>\u00a0Melbourne, Australia<\/p>\n

Website:<\/strong> http:\/\/www.virgildonati.com<\/a> and www.facebook.com\/virgildonati<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n