SPOCK'S BEARD frontman Nick D'Virgilio has posted the following year end wrap-up at his official website:

"Hello One and all.

It has been a long time since I have written an update here and I thought this would be a great time to get back into it. This has been quite a year for me and this is the last week left in it. I got to travel to Eastern Europe with FATES WARNINGand got to play some really great shows. If you don't know this yet we filmed the show we played in Athens Greece and Fates has released a DVD of the show on the Inside Out Label. I think it turned out really great. It was fun to watch because it was a really fun experience for me and it is a style of music I don't get a chance to play that often. Jim and the guys did a great job with it. Go to www.fateswarning.com for info on the band how to purchase the DVD.

Spock's Beard released our 8th studio CD, Octane, and a live CD, Gluttons For Punishment. We toured Europe twice and even got to do a gig at the House of Blues here in Hollywood back in April.

I toured with TEARS FOR FEARS in the UK and Ireland. We also did a tour of the west coast of the US. Some really fantastic gigs at a few different wineries. A scene I will never forget was at the Robert Mondavi winery and we went on stage just as the sun was going down. The stage was over looking all of the vineyards and the people were there with their picnic baskets having a great time. So was I. I was very fortunate to be able to bring Tiffany and the kids to those gigs. They came on the tour bus with us and had a blast.

I actually got to record with TFF. We recorded a track for an upcoming anthology CD that is supposed to get released early next year. If you came to any of the shows later in the tour you heard the song. It is called 'Floating Down The River'. There will also be a live version of 'Mad World' on there that we recorded on the UK tour. I think the rest will be the hits. But it will nice to see my name on a TFF CD.

I got to go and record with the amazing SB live sound engineer Rob Auberey (Rob also mixed Gluttons For Punishment) at his studio in Southampton England. I got to play on a wide array of music and with some really fine artists. Like: 'Jerusalem' with Lynden Williams and Bob Cooke (originally produced by Ian Gillan {DEEP PURPLE} back in the 70's). I recorded on two songs, one a cover of THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND a song called 'The Faith Healer' which now has Dave Meros on bass and the other an original track epic with Pete Trewavas (MARILLION) on bass. Steve Thorne, after the success of Emotional Creatures Part 1, he is busy in the studio recording EMO part 2 I has provided the drums in sessions recorded in August and also in October.

Martin Orford from IQ has just started his second solo album and I was the first guest musician to be recorded. Very Nice :). Finally I recorded a track for BIG BIG TRAIN, a 15 minute PROGTASTIC epic!! WHOO HOO!!!

I have had some great sessions with some more great artists working for my friend Josquin Dupree. Like...singer songwriter Marlena Randall. She has released her first CD called At Any Hour. Go to her website for more info.

Singer songwriter Brett Michael Wiesman. Brett hasn't put out his CD yet but is well on his way. Keep an ear out for him I think he will be making a big splash soon.

Josquin is the owner of Track Star Studios in San Diego California. Josquin is also a very acomplished bass player and has played on many recordings. Also he has a whole bunch of bass instruction books he has released. Josquin is a great guy and always great to work for.

Unfortunately I only did one Mike Keneally gig his year. I was so busy and mostly gone that I just wasn't able to do it. The gig at the Baked Potato we did back in October was awesome though. Mike always has a tone of stuff going on.

I started building a studio for me here at my home. I finally started putting up the dry-wall the day after Christmas and then it will only need a little paint, a little floor, a lot of gear, and I will be able to rock all night long. Whoo hoooooooo!!!!!!!!!

So that was my musical year. Five tours, a number of CD's, and lots of flying. I flew to Europe six times this year along with numerous domestic flights. Just a crazy amount of travel.

Last but not least, I am now working for Sonic Reality. SR is a company that makes sample CDs, drum loop libraries, and works right along side with IK, the company that makes the amazing music plug-ins Amplitube, T-Racks, Sonic Synth, Sampletank and others. My job right now is working on drum loops and REX files, but I have also recorded drums for a new library that should be released some time next year. It is an exciting new side to my career and I am very happy to be involved. If you make music using a computer, which is how almost all music is made these days, you should really check out the products form both companies. The sounds are just amazing and the plug ins are equally amazing.

On top of all of that I have had a fantastic year with my family. Tiffany took a job at the kids' school as a teachers aide and loves it. Sophia had her first piano recital this year and is now in 2nd grade. Anthony is in kindergarten and is taking Karate lessons. It is so amazing how fast time goes. My kids are getting so big so fast. I am so blessed with such a great family life.

I do have a New Years resolution. Mine is to get better at responding to your e-mails. Right now I completely suck at it :) I get to busy to get that part done or I am just too unorganized. I get the feeling it is the latter. So I am going to try and do something about it. I love hearing from everyone who writes and I really do appreciate the support for both me and Spock's Beard. So keep 'em coming.

I wish all of you out the a great 2006 and a safe New Years Eve. I hope you all had a great Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanza/ (if I missed anything I hope you had a great one of those.)"

NDV