Sergio Vega (born August 25, 1970) is an American musician. He is the bassist of
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...
band
Quicksand
Quicksand is a colloid
A colloid is a mixture in which one substance consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a ...
, former bassist of
alternative metal
Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music
Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With r ...
band
Deftones
Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by Chino Moreno (vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first five ...
, and a solo artist.
Sergio Vega has been a member of
Quicksand
Quicksand is a colloid
A colloid is a mixture in which one substance consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a ...
since 1990 and appears on all releases including ''
Slip
Slip or SLIP may refer to:
Science and technology Biology
* Slip (fish), also known as Black Sole
* Slip (horticulture), a small cutting of a plant as a specimen or for grafting
* Muscle slip, a branching of a muscle, in anatomy
Computing and ...
'' (1993) and ''
Manic Compression
''Manic Compression'' is the second studio album by American post-hardcore band Quicksand. It was released in 1995 on Island Records. The album influenced many post-hardcore and alternative metal bands. It peaked at number 135 on the ''Billboar ...
'' (1995). He began playing with
Deftones
Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by Chino Moreno (vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first five ...
in 2009, replacing
Chi Cheng. He has appeared on four albums with Deftones: ''
Diamond Eyes
''Diamond Eyes'' is the sixth studio album by American alternative metal band Deftones, released on May 4, 2010, by Reprise Records. It was the first album to feature bassist Sergio Vega, who replaced original bassist Chi Cheng. An album tenta ...
'' (2010), ''
Koi No Yokan'' (2012), ''
Gore
Gore may refer to:
Places Australia
* Gore, Queensland
* Gore Creek (New South Wales)
* Gore Island (Queensland)
Canada
* Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community
* Gore, Quebec, a township municipality
* Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manitouli ...
'' (2016) and ''
Ohms'' (2020) until departing the band in early 2021.
Biography
In 1988 he became the bass player for a New York hardcore band Collapse which released a demo and contributed a track on the 1988 New Breed cassette compilation released by Freddy Alva of Wardance records. In 1989 Sergio Vega replaces Alan Peters (ex-Agnostic Front bassist) in the New York hardcore band Absolution... In 1990, Sergio Vega was instrumental in forming the new post-hardcore band Quicksand; at the time Vega was a prominent bassist of the
genre
Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
. Quicksand released their debut album, ''
Slip
Slip or SLIP may refer to:
Science and technology Biology
* Slip (fish), also known as Black Sole
* Slip (horticulture), a small cutting of a plant as a specimen or for grafting
* Muscle slip, a branching of a muscle, in anatomy
Computing and ...
'', on February 9, 1993. On February 28, 1995, Quicksand released their second album, ''Manic Compression''. Later that year, Quicksand disbanded, and Sergio Vega began to DJ around New York City and Japan. The band reunited briefly in 1997 and toured with Deftones the next year. After this tour, the band desired to write a followup to ''Manic Compression'', although tensions between bandmates caused the band to split up permanently. In 1999, when Deftones bassist
Chi Cheng was unable to perform onstage during a Deftones tour due to a toe surgery, Vega filled in for him on bass.
In addition to his career with Quicksand and Deftones, Vega has released solo material. He released his first solo
EP entitled ''The Ray Martin Sessions'' through the indie record label grapeOS in 2000.
Vega's solo work was more similar to melodic pop-rock of
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
than his heavier,
hardcore
Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to:
Arts and media Film
* ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film
* ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott
* ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
- and
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
-based work in Quicksand and Deftones.
The EP was well received by music critics, the success of ''The Ray Martin Sessions'' allowed Vega to tour the US and UK. He toured with former
Orange 9mm
Orange 9mm was an American post-hardcore band from New York City formed in 1994 by Chaka Malik and Chris Traynor after the breakup of Malik's band Burn.
History
Chaka Malik and Chris Traynor began writing songs together in 1992, releasing a ...
/
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...
guitarist
Chris Traynor
Chris Traynor (born June 22, 1973) is an American guitarist, bassist, and studio musician. He has played with Orange 9mm, Helmet, Bush, Rival Schools, Institute, Gavin Rossdale, and High Desert Fires.
Traynor has performed live with the Britis ...
, bassplayer/supermodel
Sibyl Buck
Sibyl Buck (born May 27, 1972) is an American musician, yoga instructor, and fashion model.
Biography
Born in Versailles, France, Buck started her modeling career in 1992 and has worked for Yves Saint-Laurent, Chanel, Jean-Paul Gaultier, A ...
and Charlie Walker (
Split Lip
Split Lip is a band responsible for the Midwestern emo-core sound, together with bands like Endpoint, and a group they inspired, The Get Up Kids. After gaining acclaim in the small international hardcore community for their debut album, the b ...
)on drums.
The band Champions of Sound was formed as an off-shoot of Vega’s solo project, and they produced a self-released a gate-fold 7” ep, as well as an unreleased full length record, Champion Love, with the participation of numerous former members of the NYC hardcore and post-hardcore scene.
On November 4, 2008, Deftones bassist Chi Cheng was seriously injured in a car accident in Santa Clara, California, and entered a coma-like state following the accident. Vega played in Chi's place at
Bamboozle Left The Bamboozle Left was an annual two-day music festival held in California from 2006 to 2009, based on The Bamboozle festival on the Atlantic coast.
2006
The 2006 festival was held at the Cal Poly Pomona Athletic Field in Pomona, CA, on October 15 ...
with Deftones, and continued to fill in for him as Cheng's condition remained the same. When his accident occurred, Deftones had just finished writing and recording songs for what was to be their sixth studio-album, ''
Eros
In Greek mythology, Eros (, ; grc, Ἔρως, Érōs, Love, Desire) is the Greek god of love and sex. His Roman counterpart was Cupid ("desire").''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', The Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215. In the earli ...
'', although they decided to shelve the album indefinitely. This decision was made due to Cheng's condition, and also was a creative decision, as the band stated that they didn't feel that ''Eros'' "best encompassed who they were currently as people or as musicians". Deftones began writing a new album from scratch in June 2009 with Vega on bass. The album, titled ''
Diamond Eyes
''Diamond Eyes'' is the sixth studio album by American alternative metal band Deftones, released on May 4, 2010, by Reprise Records. It was the first album to feature bassist Sergio Vega, who replaced original bassist Chi Cheng. An album tenta ...
'', was released on May 4, 2010. In November 2012 the group released their second album with Vega, named ''
Koi No Yokan''. According to Deftones frontman
Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno (born Camillo Wong Moreno, June 20, 1973) is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist, primary lyricist and contributing guitarist of the metal band Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project groups Team Sl ...
, Vega made a bigger contribution to ''Koi No Yokan'' than he did to ''Diamond Eyes''.
In June 2012, Sergio and Quicksand would secretly reunite to play a surprise set at Revelation Records' 25th anniversary show. This performance was followed by an appearance on the Jimmy Fallon Show as well as two sold out headlining shows at The Bowery Ballroom and The Music Hall of Williamsburg in August 2012. Quicksand would later act as one of the headliners at California's FYF set. In January 2013, Quicksand embarked on their first tour since the late 1990s. They released their third album, ''
Interiors
''Interiors'' is a 1978 American drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. It stars Kristin Griffith, Mary Beth Hurt, Richard Jordan, Diane Keaton, E. G. Marshall, Geraldine Page, Maureen Stapleton, and Sam Waterston.
Allen's first ful ...
'', on November 10, 2017. The band released their fourth full-length album ''
Distant Populations
''Distant Populations'' is the fourth studio album by American post-hardcore band Quicksand. The album was released digitally on August 13, 2021 through Epitaph Records.
Background
The band's previous studio album, ''Interiors'', was released o ...
'' in 2021.
On March 9, 2022, Vega announced in an Instagram post that he had departed from Deftones. In a video explaining his departure, he cited a contract dispute as the reason for leaving, saying, "Our respective management had a conversation to discuss a new contract, and they offered me the same deal... At that point, it was clear there was no opportunity for growth for me. So I declined the offer. And then I called the guys immediately to see where the miscommunication was to resolve it, but there was no response. A couple of days later, I received an email from their lawyer that their offer was withdrawn, and that they wished me the best.”
Vega follows a
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...
lifestyle.
Equipment
![Deftones Rock im Park 2016 (11 von 14)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Deftones_Rock_im_Park_2016_%2811_von_14%29.jpg)
With Quicksand, Vega played a variety of basses. For his first two albums after joining Deftones, Vega used
Fender Jaguar Bass
The Fender Jaguar Bass is an electric bass guitar currently manufactured in Mexico by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.
Design
In appearance, the Jaguar Bass is largely faithful to the original Fender Jaguar, with exception of the ...
es exclusively (tuned CGCF, C#G#C#F#, Drop D, or standard E, depending on the song). For his third album with the band, ''
Gore
Gore may refer to:
Places Australia
* Gore, Queensland
* Gore Creek (New South Wales)
* Gore Island (Queensland)
Canada
* Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community
* Gore, Quebec, a township municipality
* Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manitouli ...
'', Vega used a
Fender Bass VI
The Fender Bass VI, originally known as the Fender VI, is a six-string electric bass guitar made by Fender.
Design concept and history
The Fender VI was released in 1961 and followed the concept of the Danelectro six-string bass released in 1956 ...
on several tracks such as "Hearts/Wires". Unlike
Chi Cheng, who was a fingerstyle player, Vega plays bass with a pick.
His amplifier is an
Ampeg SVT
The Ampeg SVT is a bass guitar amplifier designed by Bill Hughes and Roger Cox for Ampeg and introduced in 1969. The SVT is a stand-alone amplifier or "head" as opposed to a "combo" unit comprising amp and speaker(s) in one cabinet, and was capab ...
Classic Reissue. His effects include
Native Instruments
Native Instruments is a German company that develops, manufactures, and supplies music software and hardware for music production, sound design, performance, and DJing. The company's corporate headquarters and main development facilities are lo ...
Guitar Rig
Guitar Rig is an amp and effects modeling software package developed by Native Instruments. The software can function either as a standalone application, or as a plug-in for other software. It was originally released in 2004.
Overview
The Gu ...
3 software and a
Tech 21
Tech 21 is a New York based manufacturer of guitar and bass effect pedals, amps, and DI boxes which allow the user to emulate the tone of many popular guitar amps and record those sounds directly into a mixer.
Products
Tech 21's core produc ...
SansAmp Bass Driver DI. According to the Fractal Audio Facebook page, Vega is also using the Axe FX Ultra Preamp. His rig was completely changed in 2013, with the Fractal Axe-FX II being the main unit for his sounds, along with a Matrix GT1000FX power amp and 2 Orange 8x10 speaker cabinets for amplification.
Discography
Solo
* ''The Ray Martin Sessions'' (2000, Grape OS)
* ''Fxxxxxk It'' (2014)
* ''Hotel Life'' (2014)
With Quicksand
* ''
Slip
Slip or SLIP may refer to:
Science and technology Biology
* Slip (fish), also known as Black Sole
* Slip (horticulture), a small cutting of a plant as a specimen or for grafting
* Muscle slip, a branching of a muscle, in anatomy
Computing and ...
'' (1993,
Polydor
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
)
* ''
Manic Compression
''Manic Compression'' is the second studio album by American post-hardcore band Quicksand. It was released in 1995 on Island Records. The album influenced many post-hardcore and alternative metal bands. It peaked at number 135 on the ''Billboar ...
'' (1995,
Island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
)
* ''
Interiors
''Interiors'' is a 1978 American drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. It stars Kristin Griffith, Mary Beth Hurt, Richard Jordan, Diane Keaton, E. G. Marshall, Geraldine Page, Maureen Stapleton, and Sam Waterston.
Allen's first ful ...
'' (2017,
Epitaph
An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
)
*
''Distant Populations'' (2021,
Epitaph
An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
)
With Deftones
* ''
Diamond Eyes
''Diamond Eyes'' is the sixth studio album by American alternative metal band Deftones, released on May 4, 2010, by Reprise Records. It was the first album to feature bassist Sergio Vega, who replaced original bassist Chi Cheng. An album tenta ...
'' (2010,
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
/
Reprise
In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repea ...
)
* ''
Koi No Yokan'' (2012,
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
/
Reprise
In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repea ...
)
* ''
Gore
Gore may refer to:
Places Australia
* Gore, Queensland
* Gore Creek (New South Wales)
* Gore Island (Queensland)
Canada
* Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community
* Gore, Quebec, a township municipality
* Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manitouli ...
'' (2016,
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
/
Reprise
In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repea ...
)
* ''
Ohms'' (2020,
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
/
Reprise
In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repea ...
)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vega, Sergio
1970 births
American heavy metal bass guitarists
American male bass guitarists
American musicians of Puerto Rican descent
Hispanic and Latino American musicians
American punk rock bass guitarists
American rock bass guitarists
Deftones members
Guitarists from New York City
Living people
Musicians from the Bronx
Musicians from New York (state)
Post-hardcore musicians
21st-century American bass guitarists