Tony 'Nitro' Dijan -
Tony 'Nitro' Dijan is the guitar wizard Phenomenon that carries Spoonful-O-Blues to new levels with every show. His Rock and Blues roots go as deep as the waters of the Amazon, and his playing and stage presence have been unleashing a 'shock and awe' campaign upon the masses like something never seen before...
Tony's musical journey can be described in one word..... PASSION. Being a third generation musician, Tony had a great foundation to light this fire, and this passion would carry him through to this day and beyond.
As a young boy in the early 60's, he would listen to his older brother Sam playing The Ventures, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, the Yardbirds and the Doors in the family garage. This cemented Tony's love for the guitar driven sounds of the golden age of Rock and Roll. From the age of 12 Sam would take Tony along to concerts to see artists such as Mahavishnu, John McLaughlin and Frank Zappa. But everything changed for Tony in the summer of '73 when he was taken to see Led Zeppelin from the 15th row orchestra seat at Madison Square Garden (ticket price was $8.50).
Being in the presence of the what Tony sees as the world's greatest Rock-and-Roll band in their prime (especially Jimmy Page Tony tells us) made such a huge impression on young Tony that he immediately begged his cousin Peter for his long dormant 1965 Gibson Melody Maker and Univox Tube amp. Peter generously gave Tony the guitar and amp, and Tony began his lifelong musical journey.
Tony started formulating chords and solo structures entirely by ear, and soon was playing the songs of his heros. Not too long later he would get deep into the music scene, getting a taste of the limelight and getting the attention of the opposite sex. He then began being in demand by many bands touring at the time such as Razar, Soldiers of Fortune, Cowhouse, Fortress, Monolith and many others.
Now being a professional recording artist and with management teams backing him up, he was touring all over, playing such places as Max's Kansas City, the legendary CBGB's in NYC, Great Gildersleeves, My Father's place and many others.
Tony, a long time Harley Davidson rider, knows that he has to listen to his passions for his music to be great. As such, fans now and then catch him in NY music stores, searching for the latest hot guitars to purchase. One such fan would find Tony in early 2009 and change his life..... that man was Bruce Austin, Singer and Bass player for Spoonful-O-Blues.
Bruce was on a mission to find just the right guitarist to fill the void in the Spoonful-O-Blues lineup. He would travel to music stores all over, listening in secret to established players and up and coming players alike. But no one was right until he heard Tony. Says Tony, "Bruce heard me wailing from across the store on a $600 Epiphone Korean made SG. Bruce introduced himself and pretty much hired me on the spot for the guitar position in Spoonful-O-Blues. "
Tony continues, "Being very flattered by the offer, I jammed a couple times with Bruce and Drummer Ken Flint. Then I knew that these guys shared the same musical passion and history that I have. I am very much looking forward to my next musical chapter with these great guys."
One and Only Ponyman at Yahoo.com