April 16, 2012 | 12:23 AM
Just added a bunch of photos to the Media page from Cancun, Mexico- I went down there with Brad and the Camp Jam team to perform and work the Ultimate Rock & Roll Experience at the Cancun Palace Resort during the first week of April. We had a great time and it was a big success…we taught hotel guests how to get through a tune before they played a concert just a couple of hours later on the big stage, swam in the ocean, performed on the rooftop, made new friends, jammed by the pool, and generally had a badass week full of killer songs. The gang included some amazing musicians: Jack Blades (Night Ranger), Jeff Carlisi (.38 Special), Damon Johnson (Brother Cane, Thin Lizzy, Alice Cooper), Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel), Jeff Adams (Starship), Rob Arthur (Peter Frampton), Jim Peterik (Survivor, Ides of March), Michael Johns (American Idol), and Mikalah Gordon (American Idol). Can’t wait for the next one starting on July 23rd at Aventura Cove Palace in Riviera Maya!
Besides that, shows for a new band of ours are coming up in May, so staying busy with lots of prep work and learning songs. I’ve also been staying busy doing shows playing a set of GN’R tunes with friends, which is a total blast since I wore those records out in high school (and still love them dearly). Finally getting in more songwriting with an old friend of mine too, which was long overdue.
Got home this afternoon from a gig in Florida and spent all evening working in Pro Tools. Time to chill before getting a real night of sleep (late post-show sleep hardly counts). That’s all for now.
August 20, 2011 | 12:23 PM
I have the night off, so I thought I’d take a moment to post what I’ve been up to so far this year. I’ve been doing more recording work at home than ever before, including producing an album (my first time doing so) and a long-term collaboration on hip-hop tracks. 
The album I speak of is “Good Enough” by Matt Hobbs (check it out on iTunes HERE). I’ve been fortunate enough to play some killer shows this summer- some with crowds of over 1,000 and one with a crowd of 3,000+. Nothing makes me feel good like that! I recently played upright bass for 2 days on the set of a popular TV show, which airs next month. I worked as the guitar instructor for the first two weeks of Camp Jam Atlanta this summer and was extremely proud of the kids I worked with. I played the 500 Songs For Kids event with Brad again; our song was “Sweet Child o’ Mine”, one of my favorites (and one of the few Guns N’ Roses tunes we hadn’t played at this event in previous years!). I’ve continued to perform for the Songs For Kids Foundation at local hospitals, and each time I am reminded of how incredible these kids are. I’ve had a great time with friends and family- this is what keeps me going when inspiration’s run dry or when the BS of the world gets overwhelming. I’ve gotten a badass guitar from Patrick at Sims Custom Shop for the Girlz Girlz Girlz shows, whom I cannot thank enough for his excellent work on it. Anyway, I know two posts for this year is a little weak, but I like the slim updates I can send out from my Twitter account (@patvalley).
Another update: just finished a slight re-design of the website. New logo, new colors, new photos, new audio…it was time for a little change. Thanks for following along!
January 2, 2011 | 1:54 AM
Welcome, 2011. We had a killer NYE show at Andrews Upstairs in Buckhead (Atlanta, GA) in front of a ridiculous number of people, including many friends. It’s tough trying to think of a better way to kick off the new year…thanks once again those of you who chose to start it up with us!
This past year, I went through typical highs and lows (didn’t we all?), but ultimately, it’s my personal and professional achievements that I’ll remember. We were lucky to take on better shows this year and dared to change our methods to become more efficient; I worked on a number of media projects covering a variety of styles, meaning every day brought forth a fresh challenge; I taught less but learned more; I worked on songs for myself that got better with time and hard work; I immersed myself into a greater variety of music and started to better identify with what really inspires me. Oh, and I had a hell of a great time in the process.
This year already looks like it’s going to bring on even more challenges (such as updating this blog more often…ha…but seriously, Twitter’s easier!). I can’t wait to do the best damn job I can to beat every single one of them. See you back on the stage in a week & a half…
PV
September 19, 2010 | 10:23 PM
Sorry, Atlanta- it was way too hot to do anything fun outside this summer. I went to a couple of Braves games, but that’s all I can think of- the heat/humidity just plain sucked. Luckily, we managed to avoid a lot of sweaty afternoon gear load-ins. Which reminds me…last summer, we played a brutally hot afternoon show in Chapel Hill, NC- my load-in attire consisted of swim trunks and a full-body layer of suntan lotion! Not my preferred look going into soundcheck unless we’re playing a Sunday afternoon BBQ by a swamp opening up for a Skynyrd tribute band (still waiting on that dream gig).
Anyway, among today’s updates: new photos on the Media page, additional information on the Bio page, and an up-to-date Gear list.
I’ve gotten a few emails from visitors asking what’s been going on since my last post. Since then, the latest Brad Cox EP has gotten closer to completion, and from what I’ve listened to so far, it slams. We’ve also been working with Elizabeth Eckert on a new EP, which is quite a bold step forward from the last one! It has some of my favorite work that Brad’s done on it and I can’t wait to hear the final mixes. She’s in town this week recording vocals and I’ve been shooting video throughout the entire process- she’s very talented and a lot of fun to work with. Also, I recorded lead guitars on a song for a rock project based out of Australia & New Zealand- pushed my Marshall Studio 15 amp hard and made it scream! Last week, I worked a corporate team-building event for Subway with Camp Jam Inc. at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Atlanta; it was a big success. I was fortunate enough to team up with Jeff Carlisi, Derek St. Holmes, Liberty DeVitto, Jeff Adams, and Damon Johnson- if you don’t know these guys, google them- all killer players who were a lot of fun to work with. And finally, last week, Brad and I did an acoustic children’s hospital gig for Songs For Kids (the same group behind the annual 500 Songs for Kids event in Atlanta)- a really great organization that’s very fun, but also, very important. Between requests from the parents and kids, we played some Black Eyed Peas, Montgomery Gentry, Michael Jackson, Mr. Big, Spongebob, Bon Jovi, and Beatles, among others. Let me know if you ever find those artists in the same sentence again. :) It rocked though and we can’t wait to do it again!
’til next time,
PV
July 19, 2010 | 11:48 AM
You can hear me on the new Jordyn Kane EP “U Can’t Stop Me”. For this project, produced by Brad Cox, I played guitar and created a “Making Of…” video. Check the songs out on iTunes!
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