Ryo will be playing in Los Angeles with his band Code Red and then in England with Oct. with GPS.

Code Red with Ryo Okumoto
Saturday, September 16th, 12:00AM)
The Mint
(323) 954-9400
6010 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035

GPS

Tue, Sep 26, 2006
Bradford (Club Rio)
Special guests: Y&T.

Fri, Sep 29, 2006
London (Mean Fiddler)
Special guests: Y&T.

Sat, Sep 30, 2006
Nottingham (Rock City)
Special guests: Y&T.

Sun, Oct 1, 2006
Dudley (JB's)
Special guests: Y&T.

Tue, Oct 3, 2006
Nuneaton (Queens Hall)

Wed, Oct 4, 2006
Bristol (Bierkeller)
Special guests: Y&T.

Thu, Oct 5, 2006
Manchester (Academy 3)
Special guests to Y&T.

Fri, Oct 6, 2006
Glasgow (Cathouse)
Special guests:Y&T.

Here's a little update to let you know the progress of our next CD.

My earlier prediction of being done mixing by the end of June or beginning of July was about a month off. But in the Spock's Beard time/space continuum, that's like saying we're still almost exactly on schedule! ;-)

At the moment, it looks like we may finish mixing by early August. We're still really hoping for that late September / early October release, but at this point it all depends on how quickly the turnaround time will be after we hand over our master. We're really cutting it close, but it's still very possible.

It can take up to three months for all the aspects of production and distribution to be accomplished after our master is delivered to the record company, but it usually is around two. Sometimes even a little less than that. We're keeping our fingers crossed.

We're getting very close to being ready to start mixing. A few more vocals, some additional guitar parts and miscellaneous stuff next week, then some actual human string and horn players on the 24th to replace the synth tracks that we have on there now.

Then we'll mix! We've got quite a bit of great material to work with and I think it will make a pretty dynamic CD. We're covering a lot of musical ground on this one and exploring a few areas that Spock's hasn't visited before. . . but don't worry, I think it's still within what people expect from us.

To try to explain it further would take too long for this little update, but I will say that this stuff is going to be FUN to play live!

So stay tuned, there will be more updates as things progress!

Cheers.........Dave

A couple of tours ago, I put together an intro for us to walk on stage to. As I worked on the thing it got bigger and bigger until it became a short (if you call 20 minutes short) musical history of SB. I went crazy with the thing and it turned out pretty cool, if I do say so myself. Pro-Tools can be a lot of fun for this kind of thing. I chopped, cut, pasted, sped up, slowed down, added effects, and a few other fun bits. It starts from The Light and goes all the way in chronological order through Octane. There's only a tiny bit of Octane. We were touring for that CD so I ended it there so we could play those songs. On this particular version of the intro it goes from the vocals in Octane to the intro of Beware Of Darkness which is what we started the show with on our most recent tour of the US. Other then that, it is exactly the same as when we tour Europe. I figured I would put this up for you all to freely download if you want. We used this intro a couple of times now so the next tour will need something different. It is a fun thing to listen to. So enjoy! - Nick

Spock's Beard 2006 Tour intro (mp3)

May 27th @ Paladino's 8:00 Tarzana www.paladinosclub.com
May 30th @ Baked Potato 9:00 Studio City www.thebakedpotato.com
May 31st @ The Gig 8:30 Hollywood www.liveatthegig.com
June 1st @ Brick by Brick 9:00 San Diego www.brickbybrick.com
June 2nd @ Martini Blues 9:30 Huntington Beach www.martiniblues.com

So... demos to a lot of new songs are mostly done, and our first recording sessions begin Sunday for a new CD. In fact, we're going into rehearsal on Friday (19th).

We'll probably do a couple separate sessions because of the usual scheduling conflicts, but we'll have a big portion of the basic tracks done by this time next week.

Then, lots of layering and adding parts, mixing, mastering, etc. We're looking to be finished by the end of June or beginning of July, which will give us an early Fall release. OK, I've said it! Now we're committed! ;-)

There is some great material to work with, and we're all really excited about this new CD. We've learned a lot from Feel Euphoria and Octane, and I think this new CD is going to show that. I won't say anything else about the material since you never know what will make the CD and what will wind up on the cutting room floor. But I really like all the material that's on the table at this point and I think it's going to make a really strong CD.

Thanks again for making this tour really fun, and we'll see you again next time!

Dave

May 11, 2006
from Dave

Hi Everybody,

We're on a two day hiatus between shows, and let me tell you, we really need it! The last six shows were really fun, but they were also a lot of work and we're a little on the crispy side.

It's also a true testimonial to the fact that we are good friends and experienced touring musicians, because a lot of other bands would have been at each other's throats by this time. But we're still proudly cracking jokes about butt plugs! Maybe it's really a testimonial to our insanity...and that we really ARE Gluttons For Punishment.

Once the show starts, it's mostly great, but getting to that point has been a little challenging. Since we are doing fly-in dates that cover un-drivable distances, we are using a new set of rental gear at every venue. It's a different set of surprises at every show, and they aren't always good surprises. Not to mention the wild variation that exists in the PA and monitor systems in the various venues... ranging from superb to ...well ...not superb.

Add in late nights with early morning wake up times, lots of driving / airport adventures, excruciatingly long sound checks (that usually go right up until moments before doors are opened for admission), all of us getting colds (especially Al), and we have all the ingredients for massive road fatigue.

But...there were also lots and lots of great moments, and it's been brilliant seeing a lot of you at the shows. It's always cool to finally put a face to the name on the message board.

OK, here's the "awards show" part -

I can't express enough thanks to those of you who have really helped out. Fans, venue staff, support acts and promoters have come forward in many ways to make our tour work.

This is just a few of the people who have helped, and it's not over yet, so I'm sure there will be many more to add to this list, but I want to especially thank Frans, John (jbruels) and Lyranthe for going way beyond the call of duty to help us out up in Seattle. Also thanks to David from S.I.R. in Seattle for being so cool and helpful and making three trips to the warehouse to help correct problems every time we discovered new "surprises."

BB King in New York and House of Blues in Chicago were simply a pleasure in every way. Comfortable dressing rooms, good equipment, fantastic hospitality and staff, beautiful facilities. Also, to HOB (and FedEx) - thanks for the extremely efficient FedEx delivery of all the audio cable adaptors that we accidentally left there!

Then, our endorsements...Some of those guys went way out of their way to help out. Much more than just simply signing off on an equipment rental form. So special thanks to John Vitale (for Eden Bass Amps), Chris Brady at Aquarian Drum Heads, Chris Brewer at Meinl, and Hugh Gilmartin at Korg for doing more than what their job requires them to do just to help us out.

Also, thanks to PSI in Denver, for providing backline and bailing us out at the last minute when BEN CAMPBELL / BACKLINE CORP. in Denver completely flaked out on us and didn't even show the courtesy to return a single phone call for nearly three weeks.

And finally, thanks to Barry Kimmel and Wayne Perez for working their asses off for us for way less money than they deserve.

On another topic, I just noticed a thread on the message board addressing attendance at shows. Since it wasn't as bad as what people are thinking, I'll set the record straight here. I have access to some of the numbers, so here's what we actually did at the shows:

Poughkeepsie - 136 paid, about 150 people in there counting promo / guest list
NYC - 356 paid, a little over 400 after promo / guest list
Jaxx - Didn't get exact numbers, but it was between 250 - 300
Chicago - 193 paid, about 225 people after promo / guest list
Denver - 122 paid, about 150 people after promo / guest list
Seattle - 140 paid, about 165 people after promo / guest list

So, we'll see what happens in California...and I'm REALLY curious to see how we do in Texas!

Thanks to all of you who came to our shows so far! Some of you have traveled really far to see us (like the guy that came from FINLAND!!!). We appreciate that more than you know.

And we'll see more of you in the next few days. Cheers...........Dave

May 11, 2006
from Al

Seattle - Just got done with the gig, pretty wacky. We had some technical difficulties. Early in the set, my guitar was a half step flat and kept "hooting". Turned out my shirt tail was caught under the bridge turning it consistently flat. Don't know what the hooting was, it just stopped after awhile, thankfully.

The venue is also a rehearsal studio, so now I'm listening to metal bands practicing. Just what I need after a show.

Pretty good turn out tonight. Broke my first string of the tour. Not bad considering I haven't changed them since we started! It broke right when I had a big gap so I had time to change it.

Ryo's changing his pants.

Going home tomorrow, woo-hoo! Just three shows left, I feel like I'm just hitting my stride. Oh well.

I think I left my cell phone in a taxi coming back to the venue. How much does that suck? Answer: A lot!

Oh well, off to the hotel soon, first time today. A couple hours sleep then the plane home. Hopefully I'll sleep the whole way there. Luckily I'm pretty good at that!

See you all soon, Cheers, Alan

May 8, 2006
from Al

Hello all bearded ones! The tour is going well, some good gigs. Only trouble is I have a nasty cold, last night I had almost no voice. But everyone else is OK.

It's hard touring this way, we have basically no crew, just our sound guy Barry Kimmel and Gruno doing merch. Plus we couldn't afford a tour bus, so we're flying or driving to the dates. If you look at our itinerary, it's pretty insane. But we wanted to get out and freakin' play! So here we are...

Night before last we got about three hours sleep, had to catch an early plane after a late gig. And the hotel fire alarm went off at about 3:30! Can't imagine why I got sick...

Oh, boo hoo, poor us :) . It's crazy but fun. All props to Dave for tour managing, on top of playing bass, it's like several full time jobs. Plus he ends up lifting most of the heaviest gear!

Thanks to everybody how's come out to see us, great to see y'all, couldn't do it without you. People come from Florida, Canada, I even heard some guy came from Finland! Thanks so much, see you soon

May 8, 2006
from Jimmy

Three shows in and so far everything as usual. The venues have been interesting. Sound checks have been painfully long. As some of you have heard and some of you will hear we have added some new tunes to the set list (well, new for me). One in particular I had to learn during rehearsal. That's always fun. The band always make it fun. Laughter is a staple both on and off the stage and as usual the SB fans always come eager to have a great time and are always appreciative of the band even when we are not playing at our best. Tomorrow, Chicago! I've never played in Chicago so I am looking forward to it.

Big update at NDVMusic.com from Nick!

Spock's Beard Spring 2006 US Tour:

May 4 (Thu) - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance Theater
May 5 (Fri) - New York, NY - BB King Blues Club & Grill
May 6 (Sat) - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
May 7 (Sun) - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
May 8 (Mon) - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre
May 9 (Tue) - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven (tickets available here)
May 12 (Fri) - W. Hollywood, CA - The Key Club
May 13 (Sat) - Santa Ana, CA - Galaxy Theatre
May 14 (Sun) - Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX - Ridglea Theater

In her first LA appearance, Wei Wei Wuu offers her trademark blend of jazz, ethnic, world music, and other vibes, including original cuts and interpretations from "Nomad" - her 4th solo album, released in January, on the Warner Japan label. Currently a resident of Tokyo, Wei Wei Wuu has made regular solo appearances at some of Japan's foremost jazzhouse venues, including the Osaka and Nagoya Blue Notes and Tokyo's Sweet Basil. She has played with Ryuichi Sakamoto on Japanese television and performed numerous times on Japanese radio and TV.

Nick and I are going to appear at The Baked Potato on 3/29 playing for beautiful Erhu player Miss Weiwei Wuu. It's going to be a incredible show for sure, so bring all your friends and let's party!

For her new album "NOMAD," I arranged 2 songs. One of the songs is Bohemian Rhapsody! Wow, Bohemian Rhapsody for Erhu! What a concept. It was a challenge for me to produce this song. Al is also playing on this track. Check it out these samples: mp3 mp3

Weiwei Wuu is incredible player. I really enjoy playing with her. She plays with such feeling. The Erhu has 2 strings on a fretless neck tuned in Octaves. The body is made with snake skin. It's play with a violin bow. I don't think anybody else uses the Erhu for fusion music.

She is coming to do only one show so don't miss it!

Also, on guitar, the amazing Mr. Mike Miller is playing. He played with Chick Corea, Frank Zappa... Wow! What a show. I'm excited about it. - RYO

click here for the flyer

With:
Ryo Okumoto (keyboard)
Mike Miller (guitar)
Nick D'Virgilio (drums)
Mark London (bass)

Wei Wei Wuu - March 29th (Wed)
1st show 9 PM
2nd show 11 PM
Cover charge $15

The Baked Potato
3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City, CA
(818) 980-1615

For further information:
www.thebakedpotato.com
www.weiwei-wuu.com/english

OK. We are now officially excited about the gigs in May. I know we're not getting everywhere and are missing some great cities, but we finally have someone booking good shows for us and we will hopefully be in your town soon. But if you live anywhere near the places we are playing, then come on out and rock with us! It's going to be a great time. Jimmy Keegan is all clear for the gigs too. We very well may do a new tune or two. By the time we are doing those gigs we should be right in the thick of recording our new CD, so hopefully we will be able to share a thing or two with all of you.

Up to the present now, I wanted to let all of you living in France or Italy that I will be coming over to do some clinics and drum shows.

The first is at Château St-jean. A drum Weekend put on by Jean-François Miguel. JF sent me the promo poster for the show and it has a phone number you can call if you are in the area and would like to make it out. It looks like it will be a lot of fun. On Saturday night there will be a big party and I will be doing a longer set.

The next clinics are in Italy. First I will be at a music convention called DISMA. Here's the web site: www.dismamusicshow.com.The dates for that are March 11,12,13 & 14. I've never been to that convention so I don't know much about it, but I will be playing 3 times a day there. Then, on the 15th,16th,and 17th, there will be regular drum clinics. I am still waiting to get all the details on those clinics with the times and places. I will have that very soon and put those up here on the site.

I was working on material to play on these dates last night and came up with some cool stuff. Whenever we mix our CD's, I always have Rich our engineer make copies without drums just for situations like these. I put together a great SNOW medley, along with pieces from Octane, Feel Euphoria, and "V".

So come out and say Hi if you can. All the best, NDV

Hi Everybody,

Check out our new tour dates. .. looks like we're actually doing a little tour here in our own country!! Unbelievable!

For those of you in the midwest, we're trying our best to put a Chicago date in there, and are currently waiting to see if a date opens up for us at one of the venues that our agency deals with there.

So, hope to see a lot of you in May! - Dave

May 4 (Thu) - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance Theater
May 5 (Fri) - New York, NY - BB King Blues Club & Grill
May 6 (Sat) - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
May 7 (Sun) - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
May 8 (Mon) - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre
May 9 (Tue) - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
May 12 (Fri) - W. Hollywood, CA - The Key Club
May 13 (Sat) - Santa Ana, CA - Galaxy Theatre
May 14 (Sun) - Ft. Worth, TX - Ridglea Theater

BTW - We've just re-stocked and lowered the prices of SB CDs and the "Don't Try This At Home/Making of V" DVD! Check out the Buy Stuff page.

Hello everybody,

If you saw my last update I mentioned that I am now doing some work for a company called Sonic Reality. The company motto is "SAMPLE EVERYTHING." They do that and do that as well as anybody ever has. Their sounds are amazing. Along with IK (The company that makes Amplitube, Sampletank, and Sonik Synth plus other great plug-in instruments) you can have some amazing sounds in your own songs.

One of the new products SR is coming out with is called "Studio Profiles." I was very honored to be asked to be a part of this product. Here is a short description of what it is directly from SR:

Studio ProFiles™ are multitrack and stereo loop libraries of top-quality drums, percussion and other instruments recorded in professional studios with some of the best session musicians in the world.

Dave Kerzner (the big boss man!! I played with DK in Kevin Gilbert's band back in the day) along with engineer Mark Hornsby came out to LA and we went into the old Lawnmower and Garden Supply Studios and recorded me playing all kinds of stuff. Concentrating on lots of progressive rock styles, odd times, and other straight rock grooves. It was really cool because Dave rented all kinds of things for me to hit. I had a giant kit around me. It was fun. I now know how Mike Portnoy feels surrounded by his enormous drum kit. Anyway we got some really great things that day and you can get them all very soon on my Studio Profile. SR has recorded some other fantastic drummers for this series also. Including "Jerry Marotta" (one of my absolute favorites!) I am not sure of the exact release date of the Studio Profiles but to gear up for the NAMM convention here in LA this week SR has made a Special Edition Studio Profile you can purchase from www.esoundz.com it has a little bit (if you call 4 gigs of stuff a little bit) of everything on it. Here is the direct link esoundz.com

I'm pushing this product here not just because I played on it, but because it is pretty amazing. If you make music using a computer and you can't afford to hire a pro drummer for your session then you need this product. You can actually mix full drum kits that lock up to the tempo of you song with ease. Not just stereo loops but full drum kits. Sometimes up to 18 tracks just for on drum kit. You can pick what mics you want to use. How the kit is mic'd. A vintage sound, a modern sound, whatever you need. Plus, with all of the great drummers they have on the roster plus more to come, you can get the style you are looking for to make your music come alive.

That's my sales pitch for today. Seriously this product is great.

All the best everybody. Stay tuned for more. - NDV

Dear One and All,

Spock's Beard, along with other great artists have contributed to the "After the Storm" project. This CD is to help support the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The album is set for release on Tuesday, January 17th, 2006 and they have begun taking orders. All proceeds from the sale of the album will go to Habitat for Humanity for Katrina victims. Disbursements will be made quarterly from the "After the Storm" savings account they have set up through NEARfest Records. Spock's has contributed a previously unreleased live version of "Shining Star."

We should all definitely buy a copy of this CD to help out some people that still, and for a long time to come, will need the help. Here is the official press release from NEARfest Records:

"AFTER THE STORM" KATRINA BENEFIT ALBUM AVAILABLE
Pre-ordering is now available for the "After the Storm". The price for this special 2CD compilation is $20.00 plus shipping and handling. The album is set for release on Tuesday, January 17th. Pre-orders will be fulfilled upon receipt of payment and then sent out for arrival as close to the release date as possible. Payment is accepted via PayPal, credit card (using PayPal without a membership), check or money order. Thank you for supporting this effort and the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Please go to nearfestrecords.com to place your order.

SUMMARY
"After the Storm" is an effort by the progressive rock community to do its share to help out the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. All of the artists involved have graciously donated music to this project, and many have contributed previously unreleased live or studio material, including New Orleans' own Woodenhead. The costs of manufacturing have been donated by NEARfest and NEARfest Records and all proceeds from the sale of this unique compilation will be donated to aid the survivors of Hurricane Katrina through Habitat for Humanity.