Gavin Harrison

Acting

Gavin Harrison

Born 1963-05-28 · Harrow, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Gavin Harrison is a British drummer and percussionist. He is best known for playing with the British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree which he joined in 2002. As of 2011, he also plays with the band King Crimson. Harrison has authored two instructional drum books entitled Rhythmic Illusions and Rhythmic Perspectives. He also wrote and produced his own instructional DVDs, Rhythmic Visions and Rhythmic Horizons, at his home studio. 2010 saw the release of Rhythmic Designs, a book of transcriptions by Terry Branam, and a 3 hour DVD of Gavin's explanations and demonstrations. It won 'Best In Show' at the summer NAMM show in the USA. In 2007 Gavin began a long term collaboration with singer/extended range bass player 05Ric which led to the release of two CDs Drop and then in 2009 Circles. In 2008, Gavin joined King Crimson as part of a dual-drummer lineup with Pat Mastelotto. Gavin played a number of shows in the United States in August with the band. He won the Modern Drummer magazine readers' poll for "best progressive drummer of the year" consecutively from 2007-2010. He is the featured cover story on Modern Drummer January 2009. Rolling Stone Magazine polls rate him as the third best drummer in the past 25 years. His influences come from his father's jazz collection and from drummers such as Steve Gadd and Jeff Porcaro. Kit Studies with Joe Hodson, Paul Brodie and Dave Cutler (Berklee '78 graduate - teacher relating to the evolving Gary Chaffee school of rhythmic concepts).

Acting credits

Porcupine Tree: Anesthetize poster
8.3

In 2009 Porcupine Tree released their latest album The Incident. The album marked another step forward in the incredible journey of the band from a solo studio project created by Steven Wilson in the late eighties to a Grammy nominated act and one of the world's most revered live bands, currently selling out arenas across the globe and wowing fans with their incredible performances. "Anesthetize" is a DVD which captures the power of the band's live show. Recorded on multi-cameras over two nights at 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland in October 2008, the concerts featured tracks from throughout the band's career. "Anesthetize" collects the highlights from the two shows. It is only the band's second ever DVD release.

Porcupine Tree: Anesthetize

2010

Neil Peart: No One's Disciple poster
NR

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson team up with four revered drummers — Stewart Copeland, Danny Carey, Chad Smith, and Gavin Harrison — for an exhilarating and poignant tribute to late Rush legend Neil Peart.

Neil Peart: No One's Disciple

2026

The Pineapple Thief: Where We Stood poster
8.0

The Pineapple Thief's spectacular final performance of their 'Your Wilderness' tour featuring Gavin Harrison (King Crimson) on drums. Bringing to close an unforgettable 14-date European Winter tour of their 2016 summer hit album 'Your Wilderness', The Pineapple Thief, led by post-progressive mastermind Bruce Soord and reinforced by Gavin Harrison (King Crimson) on drums with Darran Charles (Godsticks) on guitar, gave the sold-out Islington Assembly Hall in London a truly awe-inspiring gig on 11th February 2017. 'Where We Stood' showcases a tight performance from both band regulars and guests on new tracks from 'Your Wilderness', including "In Exile", "No Man's Land" and "The Final Thing On My Mind", and of the classics from previous albums, "Nothing At Best", "Show A Little Love" and "Simple As That".

The Pineapple Thief: Where We Stood

2017

Iggy Pop: Live at the Ritz poster
NR

Touring in support of Blah Blah Blah, Iggy Pop (and his incredibly tight backing band) provide the very definition of Rock & Roll as they perform at New York City's legendary Ritz club. This concert aired originally as an episode of MTV's "Live at The Ritz"

Iggy Pop: Live at the Ritz

1986

In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50 poster
7.2

The film explores the “acute suffering” and transcendent glory experienced by current and former members of King Crimson, allowing the audience an intimate and sometimes uncomfortable insight into the musicians’ experience as they confront life and death head on in the world’s most demanding rock band.

In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50

2022

The Pineapple Thief: Nothing but the Truth poster
8.0

Having released their latest studio album Versions Of The Truth in September 2020, The Pineapple Thief’s worldwide touring plans to support the release of the album had to be put on hold, but the band were eager to be able to still perform for and connect with their fans across the globe and so the idea for a full band performance event was hatched. The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord explains “I’ve always said that The Pineapple Thief is equally about the studio and the stage so it was obviously disappointing that we haven’t been able go out on tour especially as we were excited to be able to perform the new album "Versions Of The Truth” live for everyone. So being able to do this film, especially under the circumstances, was invaluable."

The Pineapple Thief: Nothing but the Truth

2021

The Pineapple Thief: Versions of the Truth poster
NR

The Pineapple Thief have been on a slowly evolving journey from neo-prog into pop driven experimental rock, and their evolution continues with their 2020 release “Versions of the Truth.”

The Pineapple Thief: Versions of the Truth

2020

The Pineapple Thief: Your Wilderness poster
NR

The acclaimed 2016 hit album from The Pineapple Thief with bonus tracks. For the first time, TPT brought in several guest performers for Your Wilderness, alongside Gavin Harrison: a four-piece choir, Geoffrey Richardson (Caravan), who arranged and recorded string sections, Darran Charles (Godsticks) contributed additional electric guitar work, and Supertramp’s John Helliwell performed some beautiful clarinet parts that bring the album to a poignant close. In 5.1 surround, from the Where We Stood Blu-Ray.

The Pineapple Thief: Your Wilderness

2017

Porcupine Tree: Closure / Continuation poster
8.0

Porcupine Tree - one of the UK’s most forward-thinking, genre-defying rock bands - returns with its first new music in twelve years. Over a decade in the making, CLOSURE/CONTINUATION is a grand statement wholly worthy of the revered PT name.

Porcupine Tree: Closure / Continuation

2022

Porcupine Tree: Arriving Somewhere... poster
8.4

Arriving Somewhere... is the first live performance DVD by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree. A full show from the Deadwing tour filmed by "Studio M" with nine HD cameras at Park West, Chicago on 11 & 12 October 2005, edited by Lasse Hoile, with the soundtrack mixed in stereo and 5.1 surround sound by Steven Wilson, and mastered by Darcy Proper.

Porcupine Tree: Arriving Somewhere...

2006

Porcupine Tree: Closure / Continuation. Live. Amsterdam 07/11/22 poster
8.3

Closure/Continuation. Live. Amsterdam 07/11/22 documents Porcupine Tree’s triumphant return to the stage perfectly. A live recording captured on 7th November 2022 at Amsterdam’s 17,000 capacity Ziggo Dome, it places the listener/viewer right at the heart of the stage for the duration of the show as psychotropic visuals explode behind the band as they play a superlative set of songs that features - to use Steven Wilson’s words - “no hits”, where each one is received like an anthem from an alternate universe. Closure/Continuation Live includes live recordings of much of their 2022 reunion album (including the singles Harridan and Of The New Day) as well as classic tracks like Trains, Fear of a Blank Planet and Anesthetize.

Porcupine Tree: Closure / Continuation. Live. Amsterdam 07/11/22

2023

Porcupine Tree: Fear of a Blank Planet poster
NR

Fear of a Blank Planet is the ninth studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree and their best selling before 2009's The Incident. Steven Wilson has mentioned that the album's title is a direct reference to the 1990 Public Enemy album, Fear of a Black Planet; while the former was about race issues, the latter is about the fear of losing the current generation of youth to various common threats to their mental and social well being, including broken homes, excessive "screen time", and narcotic overuse (prescribed and otherwise) to the point of mental and spiritual "blankness".

Porcupine Tree: Fear of a Blank Planet

2007

King Crimson: Radical Action to Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind poster
8.0

The concert was recorded during King Crimson's 2015 tours of Japan, Canada and France, mostly in Takamatsu, Japan. The material performed is mostly from the 1969–1974 period, and most had not been performed live since the 1970s, although the songs were rearranged to suit the current line-up. Also included are some pieces from 1995 and onward, alongside new material. The title is derived from a song of the same name that the band had been playing in concert.

King Crimson: Radical Action to Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind

2016

Porcupine Tree: The Making of Fear of a Blank Planet poster
NR

A documentary chronicling the production of British prog rock band Porcupine Tree's ninth studio album.

Porcupine Tree: The Making of Fear of a Blank Planet

2024

Porcupine Tree: In Absentia Documentary poster
NR

Documentary of the making of the Porcupine Tree album In Absentia

Porcupine Tree: In Absentia Documentary

2020

Gavin Harrison Rhythmic Horizons poster
NR

Gavin Harrison's Rhythmic Horizions is a highly acclaimed, cutting edge book, and has earned him ten-star reviews and was voted in the top five of the best Drum Publication category by Modern Drummer and Drum! Readers polls. As a solo artist, session drummer and column writer for Modern Drummer, Drummer, Rhythm UK, magazines and member of Porcupine Tree, Gavin has also worked for Incognito, lisa Standsfield, Iggy Pop, Level 42, Lewis Taylor, Artful Dodger, Paul Young, Dave Stewart, Barbra Gaskin, Claudio Balioniand many other.

Gavin Harrison Rhythmic Horizons

2007

King Crimson: Meltdown - Live In Mexico City poster
9.5

Live performance during the King Crimson's five nights residency at Teatro Metropolitan, Mexico City in July 2017. Robert Fripp: Guitar & keyboards Mel Collins: Saxes & flute Gavin Harrison: Drums, Jakko Jakszyk: Guitar & voice Tony Levin: Basses & stick Pat Mastelotto: Drums, Bill Rieflin: Keyboards Jeremy Stacey: Drums & keyboards

King Crimson: Meltdown - Live In Mexico City

2018

King Crimson: Tring: Live in the Studio poster
NR

A one hour plus ‘Live in the Studio’ setting with King Crimson performing in the round. Presented in DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround & LPCM 24/48 Stereo with an audio only option on Blu-Ray & in Dolby Digital Surround 5.1 on the DVD.

King Crimson: Tring: Live in the Studio

2022

Gavin Harrison Rhythmic Visions poster
NR

Gavin Harrison’s Rhythmic Illusions and Rhythmic Perspectives, both highly acclaimed, cutting-edge drum books, have earned him ten-star reviews and were voted in the top five of the Best Drum Publication category by Modern Drummer and Drum! readers' polls. As a solo artist, session drummer, clinician, and writer for Modern Drummer and Rhythm UK magazines, he has recently worked with Porcupine Tree, Incognito, Lisa Stansfield, Lewis Taylor, Artful Dodger, Paul Young, Iggy Pop, Level 42, Dave Stewart, Barbara Gaskin, Claudio Baglioni and Franco Battiato, among others.

Gavin Harrison Rhythmic Visions

2002

King Crimson: Heaven & Earth poster
NR

Heaven & Earth is the seventh box set in a series which will, when complete, cover all periods of King Crimson activity from 1969 to the present era.  Blu-Ray video contains Europe 2000 - The Bootleg TV tour, which features around 10 hours of audio/video mostly never seen/heard since the concerts with versions of selected songs and improvs (usually two per night of each) from almost every show. Includes footage and music from 20 performances.

King Crimson: Heaven & Earth

2019

Porcupine Tree - The Complete AIR Studio Sessions poster
NR

The AIR Sessions were conducted to prepare for the band’s forthcoming eleventh album, CLOSURE / CONTINUATION - their first since 2009’s The Incident.

Porcupine Tree - The Complete AIR Studio Sessions

2022

Porcupine Tree - MHZ poster
NR

Porcupine Tree live on MHZ TV, Washington DC in 2003

Porcupine Tree - MHZ

2003

Porcupine Tree: Octane Twisted poster
NR

A live performance of the band's 2009 album The Incident in its entirety recorded at the Riviera Theater in Chicago on 30 April 2010.

Porcupine Tree: Octane Twisted

2012

Porcupine Tree: Never Stop the Car on a Drive in the Dark poster
NR

Documentary film on the production of Porcupine Tree's album "Deadwing"

Porcupine Tree: Never Stop the Car on a Drive in the Dark

2023

Behind the camera

Gavin Harrison Rhythmic Visions poster
NR

Gavin Harrison’s Rhythmic Illusions and Rhythmic Perspectives, both highly acclaimed, cutting-edge drum books, have earned him ten-star reviews and were voted in the top five of the Best Drum Publication category by Modern Drummer and Drum! readers' polls. As a solo artist, session drummer, clinician, and writer for Modern Drummer and Rhythm UK magazines, he has recently worked with Porcupine Tree, Incognito, Lisa Stansfield, Lewis Taylor, Artful Dodger, Paul Young, Iggy Pop, Level 42, Dave Stewart, Barbara Gaskin, Claudio Baglioni and Franco Battiato, among others.

Gavin Harrison Rhythmic Visions

2002

Gavin Harrison Rhythmic Visions poster
NR

Gavin Harrison’s Rhythmic Illusions and Rhythmic Perspectives, both highly acclaimed, cutting-edge drum books, have earned him ten-star reviews and were voted in the top five of the Best Drum Publication category by Modern Drummer and Drum! readers' polls. As a solo artist, session drummer, clinician, and writer for Modern Drummer and Rhythm UK magazines, he has recently worked with Porcupine Tree, Incognito, Lisa Stansfield, Lewis Taylor, Artful Dodger, Paul Young, Iggy Pop, Level 42, Dave Stewart, Barbara Gaskin, Claudio Baglioni and Franco Battiato, among others.

Gavin Harrison Rhythmic Visions

2002

Gavin Harrison Rhythmic Visions poster
NR

Gavin Harrison’s Rhythmic Illusions and Rhythmic Perspectives, both highly acclaimed, cutting-edge drum books, have earned him ten-star reviews and were voted in the top five of the Best Drum Publication category by Modern Drummer and Drum! readers' polls. As a solo artist, session drummer, clinician, and writer for Modern Drummer and Rhythm UK magazines, he has recently worked with Porcupine Tree, Incognito, Lisa Stansfield, Lewis Taylor, Artful Dodger, Paul Young, Iggy Pop, Level 42, Dave Stewart, Barbara Gaskin, Claudio Baglioni and Franco Battiato, among others.

Gavin Harrison Rhythmic Visions

2002