Jan-Vincent Velazco
Birth nameJan-Vincent Velazco
BornPhilippines
GenresRock, progressive rock, alternative metal
Occupation(s)Musician, Session drummer
Instrument(s)Drums, percussion
Years active1990s–present
WebsiteOfficial website

Jan-Vincent Velazco is a Filipino-born British drummer, session rock musician and composer.[1][2] He is a current member of Pendragon after the recommendation of Craig Blundell, drummer for Steven Wilson and Frost*.[3] He also plays with Raymond Watts of KMFDM,[4][5][6] Ben Christo of The Sisters of Mercy (Diamond Black and Night by Night)[7][8] and previously with Control.[9]

Early life

Velazco started playing drums at the age of 13. He was a self-taught drummer at first then later studied at Yamaha Music Foundation whilst playing in several bands until college. In 2012, he moved to Guildford, UK to study at the Academy of Contemporary Music and graduated with a Higher Diploma in Contemporary Music Performance before moving to London a year later.[10]

Pendragon

In July 2015, Pendragon were scheduled to perform at Night of the Prog in Germany and Ramblin' Man Fair United Kingdom together with acts like Neal Morse and Scorpions but due to commitments for the Steven Wilson tour, Craig Blundell was unable to appear with the band so recommended Vincent to stand in for him for these 2 shows.[11]

Later that year, both Pendragon and Craig decided that Velazco would become the new permanent drummer for the band[12] and in 2016 they announced a string of European headline shows in Germany, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Poland, Belgium and the UK[13] with support from John Young of Lifesigns/Bonnie Tyler.

They also recorded their live DVD from Katowice, Poland and an interview from Metal Mind Productions.[14]

Whilst in Pendragon, Velazco has played alongside Dream Theater, Marillion, Scorpions, Pain of Salvation, Steve Hackett, Blue Öyster Cult, Saxon, FM, Anathema, Gregg Allman and Camel and has also toured Europe, Japan and North America.

In 2018, Velazco recorded the albums Men Who Climb Mountains and The World as part of Pendragon's fortieth anniversary booklet which included a live CD from their sold out European tour. [15]

In 2019 Pendragon went back to the studio and recorded “Love Over Fear” which is the band’s most recent album. It became Amazon’s best selling album for a week, spent 3 months at the Official Progressive Charts and number 4 in the 2020 Prog Reader’s Poll.

Session and Other Works

In 2018, Velazco went on tour with Industrial rock musician Raymond Watts (Pig) in the U.S. supporting Killing Joke as part of their fortieth anniversary world tour. They performed the newly released album "Risen" plus some classics like "Juke Joint Jezebel" which was KMFDM’s biggest hit and was featured on films Bad Boys, and Mortal Kombat (1995) soundtrack. [16]

This was followed by a UK tour in 2020 supporting the Los Angeles-based band 3Teeth. [17] [18]

In April 2019, Velazco was invited by Chris Dale to perform a special show in Sarajevo, Bosnia, commemorating 25 years since Bruce Dickinson’s band, Skunkworks (featuring Dale on bass), had played there during the war (as documented in the award-winning movie "Scream for me Sarajevo"). The show was a sell-out success, filmed for national television and with Dickinson himself in attendance. [19]

In 2020, Velazco collaborated with Gabriel Agudo and Steve Rothery of Marillion to record the full length album “New Life”. [20] [21]

In 2021, it was announced that Velazco recorded the drums for world renowned guitar virtuoso and former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist and Firewind founder, Gus G. The single, “Exosphere”, was released via AFM Records and also features Dennis Ward on bass. [22] [23]

Endorsements

Velazco uses and officially endorses Tama Drums, Sabian, D’Addario (Evans Drumheads and Promark), Audix, Protection Racket and Drumtacs.[24]

Discography

Pendragon

Albums

DVD's

  • Masquerade 20 Live DVD (2017)

Gus G

Albums

Gypsy Pistoleros

Albums

Gabriel

Albums

Esprit D'Air

Singles

Lannon

Singles

Leo Carnicella

EP

Album

References

  1. "Jan-Vincent Velazco |". www.imdb.com/name/nm5224371. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  2. "Jan-Vincent Velazco-Sabian Cymbals". Sabian. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  3. "Pendragon Masquerade 20" (in French). 22 June 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  4. "Killing Joke/PIG- Laugh at Your Peril". Regen Magazine. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  5. "Killing Joke and PIG - Live in Baltimore". Torched Magazine. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  6. "PIG Risen Album". Rock and Roll Fables. 25 May 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  7. "The Sisters Of Mercy Guitarist Ben Christo launches Diamond Black - HighWire Daze". HighWire Daze. 15 October 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  8. "Exclusive World Premiere- Diamond Black". Metal Talk. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  9. "Control-2Piece Progressive Band". Guardian Witness. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  10. "Jan-Vincent Velazco". Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  11. "Jean-Vincent VELAZCO, batteur provisoire de PENDRAGON". Prog-Mania (in French). 22 June 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  12. "JCan we keep'im ma?". 14 September 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  13. "Pendragon reveal Masquerade Overture shows". Classic Rock Prog. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  14. "Pendragon - preview of the "Masquerade 20" DVD!". Metal Mind Productions. 10 March 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  15. "Pendragon celebrate 40 years". Prog. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  16. "Killing Joke/PIG:Laugh at your Peril". ReGenMagazine. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  17. "On Tour With 3Teeth". AltVenger. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  18. "PIG-Announce Hell To Pay Tour With 3Teeth". PlanetMosh. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  19. "Sarajevo To Scream Again". MetalTalk. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  20. "Gabriel - New Life". Amarok Magazine (in French). 22 April 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  21. "Gabriel - New Life". Sonic Perspectives. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  22. "GUS G. Releases Music Video For New Solo Single 'Exosphere'". Blabbermouth. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  23. "Gus G Debuts New Song". Metalsucks. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  24. "Jan-Vincent Velazco |". www.jan-vincentvelazco-drums.co.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
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