Nick D'Virgilio Leaves Spock's Beard

That's a very good point, Snow Dog.  Sometimes adversity can breed creativity.  Hell, half of the songs on my band's album (I wrote all of the music) were written when I was going through some very, very difficult times.

These guys are top players and great people.  Ryo is one of the nicest guys I know and a very dear friend and extremely enthusiastic about Spock's Beard and about making music in general.  Hell, he's been hounding me about us getting going on the next The ANABASIS album for months!    Dave Meros is also a terrific guy and an incredibly talented musician and he's very very eager to get going on their next album too.

In a lot of ways, I think they kind of needed this to happen because with NDV committed to the Cirque gig, Spock's Beard was sort of stuck in a holding pattern, now, thanks to NDV bowing out like this, they can move forward.  Sure, it's a kick in the nuts because NDV is a great musician and charismatic front man, but I think Al, Dave and Ryo will find the right person to fill the position and the Beard will come roaring back stronger than ever.

I can confirm that that ARE going to soldier on.  I had another very long email from Dave this morning and they're definitely planning to get things moving again.  I can 't give out any more details than that, but Spock's Beard is definitely going to continue as a band. 

Harry Hood wrote: Catcher10 wrote: We still have yet to see the MMPLMPLMLPPMMMPPL   Dregsatlantic!

Well they officially have a name for the band. Flying Colors.

I guess Enchant is now dead.... (not that they've released anything in years.)

If I was going to scalp a lead singer from another dormant "Third Wave" band, I'd probably go after Glen McLoughlin from Iluvatar, instead.

The Doctor wrote: Really liked their last two albums.  Their best since V (wasn't that big on Snow).  I wonder where they'll go from here.  Alan has sung some lead vocals with the Beard before, "Moth of Many Flames" and he co-sang a song off of SB.  Can't remember which one off the top of my head.  Not sure if he could pull off a full-time gig as their singer.  Who took over for Nick on vocals on the festival shows he was unable to attend?

Ted Leonard from Enchant.

Really liked their last two albums.  Their best since V (wasn't that big on Snow).  I wonder where they'll go from here. 

Alan has sung some lead vocals with the Beard before, "Moth of Many Flames" and he co-sang a song off of SB.  Can't remember which one off the top of my head.  Not sure if he could pull off a full-time gig as their singer.  Who took over for Nick on vocals on the festival shows he was unable to attend?


Edited by The Doctor - November 18 2011 at 20:04

I thought he was gone already!

Well I would hold off on shaving the Beard completely off...........I don't think there is much more, if anything, that Neal can do with his Testimony series. He will probably issue some more solo stuff, but I think with Portnoy he will create more Transatlantic and maybe revive Spocks Beard.......I do like the Portnoy idea in Spocks Beard.

Very sad indeed They were really starting to find their own sound after Neal Morse left. The last two discs SB and X were amazing.

Well crap . . . I really liked X and was eager to see where they were going next.

The accounts of Nick being the only lyricist are incorrect to my understanding.  Many of the songs on the recent CD's do not have Nick listed with a writing credit.  If I have my data correct, Nick is only given partial credit for one song on the last CD (From the Darkness).  Half of the songs were written by Dave Meros and a non member of the band (Boeghold according to the spreadsheet that I put together when X came out) . . . (yes, I actually did a study on it).  Most of the rest were written by Alan and someone else (Nick on one, a few non members on the others).