Eric Martin , lead singer of Mr. Big , confirms that the band will release a new album.
In an interview with Troy Patrick Farrell 's This That And The Other Pat Torpey 's death ( via Blabbermouth ): “Well, I didn’t really want to end it. I think we’re going to end it. I would just keep the door open forever. I never wanted to end anything. I hate the end of anything, but Pat Torpey is no longer there. And that’s like taking the breath away from the sails. He was the anchor of the band.”
The upcoming album will be the successor to Defying Gravity (2017). Regarding the work, Eric Martin revealed that “We’re doing it now. We’re working on it now. [MR. BIG guitarist] Paul Gilbert and I – we’ve been going back and forth to Portland, Oregon, where Paul lives, and we’re writing and recording everything. So far, I mean, [we have] 10, 13 songs so far. And Billy [Sheehan, MR. BIG bassist] has one that he just brought. And Nick – we said, ‘Hey, Nick, if you have any songs, man, show us.’ And he has four songs that are really good.”
The drummers of Mr. Big
Currently, the drummer's position is occupied by Nick D'Virgilio , described by Martin as "a great replacement. He's a phenomenal drummer. He sings like Pat. Nick is great. But everyone has many other projects. I don't. I really like the Mr. Big project… I have some irons in the fire. But, yeah, it's over. For me, it's kind of boring. But it's time. It's been 35 damn years, man."
Before Pat Torpey's death in early 2018, the band already had Matt Starr on drums, as Torpey's Parkinson's disease was quite advanced: “No offense to Matt [Starr]. I thought Matt Starr was great. He was fine. The problem with Matt is that he came in when Pat simply couldn't take it anymore. He had a small kit next to him and played drums with us occasionally… Matt played. It was too soon for me. I wasn't ready to give up on Pat Torpey.”
“And when Matt did that, Matt has his own style. He’s more like a John Bonham. He’s not a Pat Torpey, and I was looking for someone to play exactly like Pat. I wanted to, and I was very upset because Pat couldn’t do that anymore. And Matt did it, and he did a great job for us. We sounded like a different Mr. Big.”
Martin concluded by saying, “He was great. But I’m just letting people know that there’s no beef between Matt Starr and Mr. Big or me or anything like that. He’s amazing.”
Mr. Big in Brazil
Mr. Big is currently on their final tour, The BIG Finish. The group has wrapped up their Asian leg of the tour and will now head to the United States, and then to Europe.
The quartet will come to Brazil for a performance at the second edition of Summer Breeze Brasil . They will perform on Friday, April 26, 2024, along with names like Mercyful Fate , Sebastian Bach , and Edu Falaschi .