patrickvega.com/about

Vega

PATRICK VEGA
"Where the guitars are the vocals"

WHAT THEY SAY
* "Patrick is a player that is capable of great technique. In general though, he follows the unexpected, adventurous route rather than the (expected) technical/theory route. Alternate tunings, tasty leads and heavy but ambitious rhythm guitar parts that are accessible yet eclectic." (Al Hay/Hard Rock House)

* "Patrick Vega is going to be a name to be reckoned with if he gets the correct exposure and continues to produce work of this quality." (Excerpt from the 8 Bullets review by John O'Boyle/DPRP.net)

* "Structured Rock songs, heavy riffs, melodic lines & a lot of taste & skilled production." (Dan McAvinchey, Guitar9 Records)

INFLUENCES
Including: Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Nine Inch Nails, The Cure/Robert Smith, David Bowie, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice In Chains, Megadeth, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Frank Gambale, Jeff Beck, Eric Johnson, Slash, Puddle Of Mudd, PJ Harvey, Brett Garsed (Vega's former guitar teacher ), various movie soundtracks, etc.......hear it or not, it's there:)

FEATURES INCLUDE
* GIBSON.COM
"School of Rock: Experts Share Tips for Guitar Students" (2010)

* GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE
"Downright Squirrelly" (2005), "The Big Eight" (2009)

* GUITAR9 RECORDS
"Patrick Vega Interview" (2010)

* CLAYTON USA
Endorsed Artist "Guitar Pick of the Week" (2010)

CREDITS
Vans Warped Tour (playing alongside The Used, SUM41, AFI, Rancid and Pennywise), Henson (former A&M) studios, Elementree/KoRn studios, Paramount studios, Matrix studios. Press features include major US & EU publications such as Guitar Player Magazine, Guitar9 Records', etc.

AWARDS/CERTIFICATIONS
Award Credits include 'The Northern Californian Songcontest (Finalist/Honorable Mention in the Instrumental Category with the song "For The Art & Somebody Else"). IAIRA, 'TOP 100' Certification in September 2010 for "No Surrender".

IAIRA Intl. 'TOP 100' CERTIFICATION

On 09.17.10, "No Surrender, by Patrick Vega", was certified as an International 'Top 100' by The International Association of Independent Recording Artists, IAIRA, that recognizes and honors artistic achievement, technical proficiency, and overall excellence in sound recording by monitoring chart activity as published in various reporting charts from around the world. "No Surrender" initially charted at #54 in the Rock category of the Indie Music Charts and is currently charting at:

LIVE SHOWS/GUITAR CLINICS
Vega has a US and a EU Live band ready to go and is so able to perform LIVE on both continents.

If you are interested in Patrick performing at your venue or would like him to host one of his "Where The Guitars Are The Vocals" Guitar Masterclasses please feel free to contact us.

ARTIST REPRESENTATION/BOOKING

Official FFF Site: www.fffmusicintl.com
Info: info (at) fffmusicintl.com

Patrick released his first solo album "Freefall Faith Firestorm" on his US label FFF Music in 2007. On the debut album Vega played all the instruments and - out of necessity programmed the midi drums. The album was professionally mixed and mastered and is now availabe worldwide through FFF Music (ONLINE MUSIC STORE).

The follow up album "8 Bullets" (2009, FFF Music) features Live Drums (a considerable step up from the programmed drums on FFF). 8 Bullets was mixed by Dave Dominguez (Papa Roach, Adema), mastered by John Cuniberti (Joe Satriani) and features drummer Glen Sobel (Sixx AM, Alice Cooper, Jennifer Batten).

ANIMA (2010, FFF Music) has been released on 08/21/10 and is Vega's latest EP. ANIMA: 5 elements, 5 songs.

Patrick Vega: Guitars, Bass, Keyboards and Drum programming. ANIMA is the first record utilizing keyboards, samples and electronics to enhance the music.

For the next album, as Vega envisions, he will be "finally dragging all the gear into a "real" studio and "be using all them tube amps and pedals!" ("Freefall Faith Firestorm", "8 Bullets" and "ANIMA" all feature Guitar Amp Simulation products).

Latest releases (04.21.11): Song of Ease (single) and (06.06.11): Essay in Light (single)

WHAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KNOW ABOUT ME
(BIO by Patrick Vega)
I've come a pretty long way both musically and personally. I took the step of moving to the USA from Austria about a decade ago, to go to music school in LA and play the guitar. Something I wanted to do since the age of 9. Why? Because music told me to. I never had a choice. All I ever did, all I ever really cared about was, is and always will be the electric guitar and music. For I am hopelessly in love, romantically cursed and enslaved by wire&wood for as long as I may walk this earth (And if they don't have Strats in Heaven or Hell, I'm coming back).

I AM AN INSTRUMENTAL ARTIST
I am coming from instrumental music, that is how I started out; playing guitar by myself. I remember my brother (who I actually make responsible for introducing me to rock music but who was more of a Jazz and Pop music than Rock music fan), always said: "This (rock, metal) music is great until the singing kicks in". I don't know maybe that left an impression (probably not as I like that singing^^). Anyway right after I finally got an electric guitar & an amp for my 14th birthday I practiced the world famous amount of "8 hours a day" and beyond.

I was mostly listening to Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Metallica, Scorpions, Megadeth, stuff like that. Then someone gave me a copy of Vai's Passion & Warfare and so I discovered Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen and Frank Gambale. Those 4 are a big influence on my playing.

Early on I started to write instrumental music, took an occasional private lesson and participated at music seminars back in Austria (featuring a top notch New York "New School" based teaching faculty). Where others mostly played standards and covers, I was more interested in playing and recording my own original music. Among the jazz crowd -I of course- always was "the weird rock guy" :) Generally...in my teens, school, dating, partying....all was part of an outside world that had nothing to do with guitar or music, so it just didn't interest me a whole lot. I truly was a young ninja guitar freak!

After graduating from European grammar school I saved and saved and saved until I had enough money together (along with 2 scholarships, due to some high level performances in Austria and recommendation letters from the clinic staff) and enrolled at GIT Los Angeles. Receiving a "Honorable Mention" for "Finalist in the Instrumental Category" of the "Northern Californian Songcontest" that same year, with my song "For The Art & Somebody Else" gave me hope and strenghtened my belief that I am on the right track pursuing a musical career.

As soon as I graduated from GIT I started doing auditions, which turned my schooled way of learning and playing music upside down. I transformed from a schooled player to a schooled but street wise player. I lived Rock 'n Roll in the city of angels, came close to hit the big time a couple of times, met some really cool and some really strange people, had my share of partying and the time of my life.

During this time I have auditioned, played, worked, recorded, performed and toured with quite a few bands. I am lucky enough to have recorded music at such legendary studios such as Henson (formerly A&M Recording Studios), Paramount, Elementree/Korn, Matrix Studios, etc, performed at the Vans Warped Tour alongside bands such as SUM41, The Used, Pennywise, Rancid etc and performed at most L.A. concert venues.

In 2007 I recorded my first full blown solo record (Freefall Faith Firestorm, 2007 FFF Music). I have since then recorded and released three albums on my own US based label FFF Music: Freefall Faith Firestorm (2007), 8 Bullets (2009), ANIMA (2010).

I play LIVE as much as I can, which really is not that easy being DIY and on your own label, but I even made it all the way to Rome, Italy to do a couple of my "Where The Guitars Are The Vocals" guitar clinics and some LIVE shows; which was GREAT, and I really wish that I could do that more often...so please, support me by buying my music! ^^

I take care of a lot of stuff myself, as I also play bass and keyboards and program drums on my albums, engineer them and now even do basic editing. You may call me a "control freak"; which I am not by choice. That's just DIY to the max a la 2011. Hey when there's almost no money coming in you take care of a lot of things yourself!