# Gavin Harrison

Gavin Richard Harrison (born 28 May 1963) is an English musician. He is best known for playing with the progressive rock bands Porcupine Tree (2002–2010; 2021–present), King Crimson (2008, and 2014–2021) and The Pineapple Thief (2016–present). Harrison's drumming has received many awards from music publications and earned praise from other musicians.

## Career

Gavin started to work professionally in 1979. He worked as a freelance session drummer on records and tours for the following artists: Incognito, Lisa Stansfield, Lewis Taylor, Artful Dodger, Paul Young, Iggy Pop, Level 42, Porcupine Tree, OSI, King Crimson, Shooter, Dizrhythmia, The Pineapple Thief, The Kings Of Oblivion, Sam Brown, Tom Robinson, Go West, Black, Gail Ann Dorsey, B.J. Cole, Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin, Nathan East, Yasuaki Shimizu, Camouflage, Kevin Ayers, Claudio Baglioni, Franco Battiato, Chizuko Yoshihiro, Renaissance, Mick Karn, Eros Ramazzotti, Nick Johnston, Randy Goodrum, and Fates Warning.
In 2002, he joined Porcupine Tree and has played on the band's albums released since that time: In Absentia, Deadwing, Fear of a Blank Planet, The Incident, and Closure/Continuation, with each receiving critical acclaim and raising the band's status to one of the most influential modern progressive rock bands. He remained a permanent member of the band until an indefinite hiatus was announced in 2010, and then again in 2021 when the band announced a return to playing together with the release of the album Closure/Continuation.
In 2007, Harrison began a long term collaboration with singer/extended range bass player 05Ric, which led to the release of three CDs, Drop (2007), Circles (2009) and The Man Who Sold Himself (2012).
In 2008, Harrison joined King Crimson as part of a dual-drummer line-up with Pat Mastelotto. He played a number of shows in the United States in August with the band. He also recorded drums on Steven Wilson's debut solo album, Insurgentes.
On 23 August 2011, he was a featured performer on the 'Late Show with David Letterman' as part of their second "Drum Solo Week", along with such players as Sheila E, Stewart Copeland, Neil Peart, and Dennis Chambers.
From September 2014 to December 2021, Harrison played live in King Crimson, as one of the three drummers.
In 2016, he joined The Pineapple Thief as a session drummer for the band's 11th studio album Your Wilderness, which received widespread critical acclaim and an overwhelmingly positive fan reception. He joined the band on the tour following the album in January 2017. In August 2018, just prior to the release of Dissolution, the band announced that Harrison had officially joined the band as a full member. He has since been actively involved and credited in the band's songwriting and album production together with the founder Bruce Soord.

## Influences and awards

Harrison was influenced by his father's jazz collection and by drummers such as Steve Gadd and Jeff Porcaro.
Harrison won the Modern Drummer readers' poll for "best progressive drummer of the year" consecutively from 2007–2010 and again in 2016 and 2019. He won "Best Prog Drummer" in DRUM USA magazine 2011. Prog voted him best drummer in 2011, 2012, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. He is the featured cover story on Modern Drummer January 2009, February 2015 and July 2022. Rolling Stone polls rate him as the third best drummer in the past 25 years. In 2014, Modern Drummer magazine placed Harrison in the "Top 50 Greatest Drummers of All Time".

## Comments from other artists

Many artists have cited Harrison as an influence, including Chad Szeliga, Chris Pennie, Ryan Van Poederooyen, Dirk Verbeuren, Andrew Spence, Raymond Hearne of Haken, John Merryman of Cephalic Carnage, Jamie Saint Merat of Ulcerate, Aaron Stechauner of Rings of Saturn, Baard Kolstad of Leprous, Francesco Paoli of Fleshgod Apocalypse, Matija Dagović of Consecration, Vishnu Reddy of Crypted and Abhay Rathore (former Mocaine).
In addition, other artists have been quoted expressing admiration for his work including Neil Peart, Bill Bruford, Mike Portnoy, Devin Townsend, Steve Smith, Martín López, Matt Garstka, Dave Bainbridge, Hannes Grossmann, Blake Richardson, Kai Hahto, Jimmy Keegan, Ian Mosley, Dan Presland of Ne Obliviscaris, Evan Sammons of Last Chance to Reason, Bodo Stricker of Callejon, Joshua Theriot of Abigail's Ghost, and Blake Anderson of Vektor.

## Publications

Harrison 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. 2014 sees the release of Rhythmic Compositions a book of 20 detailed drum transcriptions (by Terry Branam) of recorded Porcupine Tree performances – plus photos and stories of the recording and creative process.

## Discography

| Performer | Year | Album |
| The Pineapple Thief | 2024 | Last To Run |
| The Pineapple Thief | 2024 | It Leads to This |
| Gavin Harrison & Antoine Fafard | 2024 | Perpetual Mutations |
| Saro Cosentino | 2022 | The Road to Now |
| Gleb Kolyadin | 2022 | The Outland |
| The Pineapple Thief | 2022 | Give It Back |
| King Crimson | 2021 | Washington & Albany |
| The Pineapple Thief | 2021 | Uncovering the Tracks |
| The Pineapple Thief | 2021 | Nothing but the Truth - Live |
| Tuesday The Sky | 2021 | The Blurred Horizon |
| Gavin Harrison & Antoine Fafard | 2020 | Chemical Reactions |
| Fates Warning | 2020 | Long Day Good Night |
| Claudio Baglioni | 2020 | In questa storia, che è le mia |
| The Pineapple Thief | 2020 | Versions of the Truth |
| Randy Goodrum | 2020 | Red Eye |
| Jakko Jakszyk | 2020 | Secrets and Lies |
| The Pineapple Thief | 2019 | Hold Our Fire - Live |
| The Pineapple Thief | 2018 | Dissolution |
| Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin | 2018 | Star Clocks |
| King Crimson | 2017 | Meltdown: Live in Mexico City |
| Gianluca D'Alessio | 2018 | Sunrise Markets |
| Gleb Kolyadin | 2018 | Gleb Kolyadin |
| King Crimson | 2016 | Live In Vienna |
| The Pineapple Thief | 2017 | Where We Stood |
| King Crimson | 2017 | Live in Chicago |
| King Crimson | 2016 | Radical Action to Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind |
| Dizrhythmia | 2016 | Dizrhythmia Too |
| The Pineapple Thief | 2016 | Your Wilderness |
| Nick Johnston | 2016 | Remarkably Human |
| King Crimson | 2016 | Live in Toronto |
| Fjieri | 2016 | Words Are All We Have |
| iamthemorning | 2016 | Lighthouse |
| Franco Battiato | 2015 | Anthology - Le nostre anime |
| King Crimson | 2015 | Live at the Orpheum |
| Carlo Berton | 2015 | Planetarium |
| iamthemorning | 2014 | Belighted |
| King Crimson | 2014 | The Elements of King Crimson |
| Amadeus Awad | 2013 | Schizanimus |
| The Tangent | 2013 | Le Sacre du Travail |
| Lo-Fi Resistance | 2012 | Chalk Lines |
| Porcupine Tree | 2012 | Octane Twisted |
| Fusion Syndicate | 2012 | The Fusion Syndicate |
| Franco Battiato | 2012 | Apriti sesamo |
| Kompendium | 2012 | Beneath the Waves |
| Harry Shearer | 2012 | Can't Take a Hint |
| Ed Poole | 2012 | Routes |
| Dario Zeno | 2010 | L'incoscienza di Zeno |
| Alberto Rigioni | 2011 | Rebirth |
| Alice | 1992 | Mezzogiorno sulle Alpi |
| Angela Baraldi | 2001 | Rosasporco |
| B. J. Cole | 1989 | Transparent Music |
| B. J. Cole | 1995 | Heart of the Moment |
| Black | 1988 | Comedy |
| Blackfield | 2004 | Blackfield |
| Blackfield | 2007 | Blackfield II |
| Camouflage | 1991 | Meanwhile |
| Carlo Fimiani | 2007 | Too Early |
| Chizuko Yoshihiro | 1993 | Conscious Mind |
| Claudio Baglioni | 1992 | AncorAssieme |
| Claudio Baglioni | 1992 | Assieme |
| Claudio Baglioni | 1995 | Io sono qui |
| Claudio Baglioni | 1996 | Attori e spettatori |
| Claudio Baglioni | 1997 | Anime in gioco |
| Claudio Baglioni | 1998 | A-Live |
| Claudio Baglioni | 1999 | Viaggiatore sulla coda del tempo |
| Claudio Baglioni | 2000 | Acustico |
| Claudio Baglioni | 2003 | Sono io |
| Claudio Baglioni | 2005 | Cresendo e Cercando |
| Claudio Baglioni | 2006 | Quelli degli altri tutti qui |
| Claudio Baglioni | 2009 | Q.P.G.A |
| Claudio Baglioni | 2013 | Con voi |
| Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin | 1990 | The Big Idea |
| Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin | 1991 | Spin |
| Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin | 2009 | Green & Blue |
| Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin | 2009 | TLG Collection |
| David Devant & His Spirit Wife | 1996 | Ginger |
| Devogue | 1997 | Devogue |
| Dizrhythmia | 1987 | Dizrhythmia |
| Donna Gardier | 1990 | I'll Be There |
| Ed Poole | 2008 | ED 4 |
| Ed Poole | 2010 | Depth |
| Eugenio Finardi | 1990 | La forza dell'amore |
| Eugenio Finardi | 1991 | Millennio |
| Fiorella Mannoia | 1992 | I treni a vapore |
| Peter Cox | 2004 | Desert Blooms |
| Franco Battiato | 1993 | Caffè de la Paix |
| Franco Battiato | 1996 | L'imboscata |
| Franco Battiato | 1998 | Gommalacca |
| Franco Battiato | 2012 | Apriti sesamo |
| Froon | 1987 | Froon |
| Fjieri | 2009 | Endless |
| Gail Ann Dorsey | 1988 | The Corporate World |
| Gavin Harrison | 1997 | Sanity & Gravity |
| Gavin Harrison & 05Ric | 2007 | Drop |
| Gavin Harrison & 05Ric | 2009 | Circles |
| Gavin Harrison & 05Ric | 2012 | The Man Who Sold Himself |
| Gavin Harrison | 2015 | Cheating the Polygraph |
| Heraldo Zuniga | 2001 | Triangulo de Musgo |
| Iggy Pop | 1986 | Ritz N.Y.C Live / Real Wild Child Live |
| Incognito | 1991 | Inside Life |
| Jakko Jakszyk | 2006 | The Bruised Romantic Glee Club |
| Jakko Jakszyk | 1994 | Kingdom of Dust |
| Jakko Jakszyk | 1994 | Mustard Gas and Roses |
| Jakko Jakszyk | 1996 | Are My Ears on Wrong? |
| Jakko Jakszyk | 1997 | Road to Ballina |
| Jakszyk Fripp Collins | 2011 | A Scarcity of Miracles |
| Kevin Ayers | 1992 | Still Life with Guitar |
| King Crimson | 2008 | Park West, Chicago, Illinois – 7 August 2008 |
| Lene Lovich | 1990 | March |
| Lewis Taylor | 2000 | Lewis II |
| Lewis Taylor | 2005 | In Session |
| Lisa Stansfield | 1997 | Never, Never Gonna Give You Up (Live) |
| Lisa Stansfield | 1999 | Swing – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| Manfred Mann's Earth Band | 1996 | Soft Vengeance |
| Manolo García | 2002 | Nunca el Tiempo es Perdido |
| Marco Tafelli | 2010 | Reset |
| Mick Karn | 1995 | The Tooth Mother |
| Mieko Shimizu | 1990 | A Road of Shells |
| Miss Thi | 1991 | Lover |
| No-Man | 2008 | Schoolyard Ghosts |
| OSI | 2009 | Blood |
| OSI | 2012 | Fire Make Thunder |
| Paolo Gianolio | 2009 | Pane e nuvole |
| Paolo Gianolio | 2012 | Tribù di Note |
| Patty Pravo | 2002 | Radio Station |
| Paul Cusick | 2011 | P'dice |
| Paul Young | 1995 | Grazing in the Grass Live |
| Peter Cox | 2001 | Flame Still Burns |
| Porcupine Tree | 2002 | In Absentia |
| Porcupine Tree | 2003 | Futile |
| Porcupine Tree | 2003 | XM |
| Porcupine Tree | 2004 | The Sky Moves Sideways reissue |
| Porcupine Tree | 2005 | Deadwing |
| Porcupine Tree | 2005 | Up the Downstair reissue |
| Porcupine Tree | 2005 | XMII |
| Porcupine Tree | 2006 | Rockpalast |
| Porcupine Tree | 2006 | Arriving Somewhere... |
| Porcupine Tree | 2007 | Fear of a Blank Planet |
| Porcupine Tree | 2007 | Nil Recurring |
| Porcupine Tree | 2009 | Ilosaarirock |
| Porcupine Tree | 2009 | The Incident |
| Porcupine Tree | 2010 | Anesthetize |
| Porcupine Tree | 2010 | Atlanta |
| Porcupine Tree | 2022 | Closure/Continuation |
| Progetto Cavani | 1993 | Alza la testa |
| Raf | 1993 | Cannibali |
| Richard Barbieri/Tim Bowness | 1994 | Flame |
| Richard Barbieri | 2008 | Stranger Inside |
| Rob Cowen/Beverley Craven | 2004 | Lady Advertiser |
| Sam Brown | 1987 | Stop! |
| Sarah Jane Morris | 1988 | Can't Get to Sleep |
| Saro Cosentino | 1997 | Ones & Zeros |
| Shari Belafonte | 1989 | Shari |
| Sharon Rose | 1994 | Never Be the Same |
| Sheila Nicholls | 2002 | Wake |
| Shooter | 1999 | ...And Your Point? |
| Shooter | 1999 | Life's a Bitch |
| Stefano Panunzi | 2005 | Timelines |
| Steve Thorne | 2007 | Part Two: Emotional Creatures |
| Steve Thorne | 2009 | Into the Ether |
| Steven Wilson | 2008 | Insurgentes |
| Storm Corrosion | 2012 | Storm Corrosion |
| The Kings of Oblivion | 1987 | Big Fish Popcorn |
| Three Blind Mice | 2007 | Good Grief |
| Tom Robinson & Jakko Jakszyk | 1988 | We've Never Had It So Good |
| Yasuaki Shimizu | 1989 | Aduna |
| Zerra One | 1986 | The Domino Effect |