Pasic clinic/concert

[mjollner]

Out of all the legends and heroes(The one's I saw) who preformed at pasic last week Virgil was the only one who really delivered(Purdie was supposedly awesome to but due to circumstances out of my hands I missed that one.=(
)

Virgil started of by playing the orchestral stuff which, while impressing, I found to be terrible music. It was merely a tool to showcase incredible polyrytmics. And what was with the string sounds? I know you could never get a real orchestra to play that but seriously... There has got to be better sequenser sonds than that. Just awful.
Still... I was impressed with how he managed all that without a click track(Even though he fumbled a few times. But still good to know he's human right... hihi).

As the song finnished he ripped straight into why I came, the soloing. Even though the crowd felt a bit off(for some reason) Virgil still came through and did an exellent show. The mark of a true performer.
He displayed his whole array of chops, techniques and amazing beats. He played for about fifteen minutes and then proceded to, barely out of breath explain a handout on some of his independense exercises.

Most of it involved parradiddles between the feet and the hands. One example showing a single parradiddle between the right hand and right foot while playing a double parradiddle between Lh Lf.

I wouldn't go so far as caling this a clinic seeing how virgil just played for most of it but I certainly didn't mind. I left the room feeling very empty. It wasn't an all pleasant feeling. I felt slightly raped to be honest. Pumelled through my brain.

Btw? Did anyone see Steve Smith on the last day? That guy is awesome. I wasn't so impressed with his clinic but the stuff he did with Buddy's buddies was just awesome. Especially the Hi-hat solo. I've never been that much of a circus fan but that stuff just had me laughing aloud. :D

If anyone caught the Malmoe percussion ensemble from sweden you heard me play too by the way. =) I highly doubt you drumset nerds did though. :p

I'm sorry for notr being so detailed on exactly what Virgil played but if you have any questions about the clinicI'd be happy to answer them.

[frank]

I'm a bit puzzled..

You say you didn't mind him not talking alot and playing more.. and then you say that you left with not an all pleasant feeling.

So did you dig the man or not?

I'm surprised that you weren't blown away by Virgil. I'm stunned everytime I catch a glimps of him! Oh well, it doesn't HAVE to be your cup of tea. :)

[cjcdrums]

But it SHOULD be. :D

[jonberg]

Hey,another swede?!? Vad heter du? ha det,ciao

[mjollner]

Oh sorry! I forgot to say that I've been a huge fan of virgils soloing for years. The man is awesome and I was blown away. What I meant by the unpleasantness remark was just that I felt a wee bit raped. He just becomes a bit much after a few minutes. Not that he lacks nuance or dynamics but he always plays alot of strokes.

I was told(and again I couldn't go myself :mad: ) that Purdie almost didn't play at all(even while playing) but he still grooved like hell and everybody knew exactly where he was and what he was doing.

And when Virgil did stop(if only for a mere second) everybody went "yeah" and smiled. He should do that more often. He was just a wall of sound and intricate beats. It felt like he has so many tricks and teqniques that he was on a tight timeline if he was going to show it all. "Hey I know this and this... and how about this... and have you ever seen something like this oh and how much time do I have." It gets to my head after a few minutes.

He doesn't need to show all his tricks all the time if you know what I mean.

I never buy Virgils records or listen to his bands simply because that kind of music is not my cup of tea. Virgil soloing is however. He is awesome. The only critique I give him is that he should play less more often and build his ideas from the ground up rather than just rushing to the point where all four limbs are involved in his complex and loud patterns.
1: This would mean that he could play less and save some ideas for another show.
2:This would help him to achive an even greater effect when he reaches climax. But then again... that's not the kind of player Virgil is. :)

Per Andreasson heter jag Jon. Jag känner igen ditt namn av nån anledning. Jag går slagverk på musikhögskolan i Malmö. Ha d bäst. =)

[frank]

Alright, I totally get your point! I've had that too at some points during his shows and clinics, where I've just completely lost what he's doing and the only thing I can still follow is a steady left foot hi-hat or a particular paradiddle with one side..
I've studied Virgil (they should actually make that a really study! Virgil Donati! :)) for a couple of years now, and have most of his recordings and stuff..
I can keep up with most things he does, because I've paid a lot of attention and watched and listened to A LOT of his things.. However I'm sure that very much of the stuff he pulls -(and yes he gives it all each show (or does he? can he go even sicker? Is he holding back for the audience?))- are not understood by 90% of the audience.
On the other hand, if he would take his sickness back a little, he wouldn't be the same drummer and I totally love his style and playing and sickness because of what he does and because he doesn't hold back..

I dunno.. I really like it, but I do understand you and I'm sure that you voice the opinion of a lot more spectators. :)

One more question, who's "Purdie"? (sorry.. :))

[mjollner]

Don't get me wrong. I do grasp most of his concepts and even if I can't define everything as it's happening I do understand. It's just that his concepts hardly involve any rests. There is alot of sound all the time. I get battle fatigue after a few minutes.

He is awesome though. The beats he plays are just amazing.

As for Purdie (http://www.pasic.org/ThisYear/biosphotos/BPurdie.html). He's a legend... But very different from Virgil.

[Outfromunder]

Battle fatigue lol. Reminds of one of Thomas Lang's solos

[MaltBuddow3]

lars ulrich