User:Mirkodemaio/sandbox

<!-- Mirkko (Mirko) De Maio is an Italian drummer, currently official and permanent member of the Swedish progressive rock band The Flower Kings and Italian progressive metal band Mind Key. Mirkko was born on 31-7-1984 in Pompei. He started playing drums and percussions at the age of 8 and at 9 and he took the first drum lessons (in time) with: Peppe Merolla, Fredy Malfi, Sergio Di Natale, Dom Famularo (drums and percussion world ambassador), Ezio Zaccagnini and Dave Elitch (USA). He played with many artists from all over the globe, experimenting in various genres and recorded in many important national and international studies. His bands and projects credits include, Internal Disfunction, Angela Simoni (pop, Shroomery (rock), Aiguille, Lady Sin (electro pop, alternative), R.Apples (alternative rock), Infurya (Death Metal), Radical Kitsch, and many others.

In December 2008 he moved to the United States, in Hollywood, CA, to attend at the prestigious PIT (Musicians Institute) under the guide of instructors such as David Derge, Chuck Silverman, Fred Dinkins, Rob Carson, Donny Gruendler, Andy Megna, Stewart Jean, Chuck Flores, Glen Sobel, David Salinas and others. In July 2010 he has have paretcipated to the Barklee Summer clinics of Umbria Jazz where he had the opportunity to deepen studies with teachers such as Ron Savage, Jon Damian and others. Since September 2010 he started a new path with the band MIND KEY (Frontiers Records) with whom he has performed on various live shows; worthy of note is the Power Prog & Metal Festival in Mons, Belgium supporting historical bands like Europe, Hammerfall, Rage, Edguy, Vanden Plas, Gamma Ray, etc ...

In April and May 2012 he started to touring with the hard rock progressive band STAMINA (Ice Warrior Records), as headliner for the first leg of the tour in Italy (Salerno, Pisa and Rome), Germany (Munich) and Austria (Kufstein), and opening act for the Danish band ROYAL HUNT in the second leg of the tour (May) which touches nations like Holland (Karkrade), Madrid (Spain), Barcelona (Spain) and again in Italy (Romagnano Sesia-Novara). From 2008 to 2013 he has played for most of the times with the project "Mainstreet Project" by Alessandro Liccardo. 2013 has been a year mainly focused on clinics, demos and trade fair events offered by the various brands he was endorsed by.

From 2014 to 2016 he played with the singer Luigi Libra for several shows in theatres and clubs, regularly playing together with artists such as Fausto Cigliano, Peppino Di Capri, Teddy Reno, Silvia Pagni, Kader Voduvni Alassane and others ... In 2015 he recorded the CD for the Vivaldi Metal Project, an album that included the biggest names in the metal and hard rock music world, such as Rick Wakeman, Fabio Lione, Steve Di Giorgio, Mark Boals, Maestro Mistheria, Marco Sfogli and many others.

He also teaches drums privately in his drum studio DRUM HELL.

In 2015 he has rejoined the band HANGARVAIN (Volcano Records), a southern rock band with which he has continued to perform in the national and international live circuit.

With HANGARVAIN he also recorded in July 2015 the album FREAKS (released in February 2016) which it has anticipated the live promotion in early 2016 with three European and Italian tours as headliner (Spain) and as opening act for Kilby Clarke ( ex-Guns 'n' Roses) and LA Guns, in Kiev (Ukraine) with the US band Skillets, and again in Italy with The Darkness. Hangarvain has back in 2018 with a new EP “Roots & Returns” and a new tour in Italy, Ukraine and Latvia.

On August 2018 Mirkko has officially joined the legendary Swedish rock progressive band THE FLOWER KINGS of Roine Stolt (Transatlantic, Steve Hacket, The Sea Within, Kaipa). With The Flower Kings he has toured all over South America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru), Mexico (Guadelajara, Mexico City), Europe (Sweden, Norway, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, France, UK) and in 2019 Canada (Montreal, Quebec City).

He regularly writes for the Italian magazine DrumClub. He's a national official endorser of VIC FIRTH drumsticks, REMO drumheads, ZOOM products.

Mirkko is an international official endorser of ISTANBUL AGOP cymbals. � -->