PLEIADES

PLEIADES The new age of rock Within only two years and a half, the rock’n roll band made by teenagers conquers Brazil - The Pleiades, made by teenagers, takes the place as the young music revelation. After getting the 9th place on a contest made by the BBC, in London, the group presents with veterans such as Deep Purple and Sepultura. - Hard Rock and pure energy on stage. That’s the purpose of a group of musicians at age gap between 13 and 21, which conquer the scene of national rock. Bringing attitude and personality, Cynthia Mara, 17 (vocals), André Mendonça, 14 (guitar), Caio Porto, 22 (bass), and André Bastos, 20 (drums), integrate the rock band Pleiades. In good voice, the group conquers the admiration of the young public and veteran fans with their thrilling sound. The thrilling hard rock band has already called the attention of an eminent fan. We are talking about the Brazilian musician Sérgio Dias, The Mutantes founder: “I love it. Great raw rock’n roll with strong keyboards and bass”.Still as children themselves, whenever on stage, the Pleiades play just like experienced adults. On the beginning, the group played songs by rock’n roll idols like Metallica, AC/DC, Kiss, Ramones, Joe Satrianni, Deep Purple and others. Nowadays they are working on their new songs and already composed: ‘Freedom’; ‘Mesmo que seja normal’; ‘Nobody buys me earings’; ‘Demons and snakes’ and ‘Look inside yourself (Mirror)’. “We are not kidding with music. We are professionals. Even being young, we are feeling absolutely mature and ready to conquer our goals in the world of rock”, says the older boy from The Pleiades, the drummer André Bastos.The Pleiades were formed in October, 2005, in the city of Belo Horizonte. The idea came from the guitar player André Mendonça, who was 9 at that time. As a music fan, especially as a Rock’n Roll fan, the boy asked his father, Francisco Penteado, today the producer and businessman for the band, to form a group. His dad would play the keyboards; his mom would play the flute and his sister, the bass. Francisco told him that this could work out if he played with kids at his age. Right after that, the producer proposed to Pro-Music, where the members study music, this idea of creating a young band. The school accepted and supported the idea indicating the best students there at that age gap. - Deep Purple The band’s first time on stage was on the event ‘Domingo no Rock’ (Sunday Rocks) and, right after, they played for more than 1,500 at ‘Camping Rock’ – one of the biggest rock events in Minas Gerais. Nowadays, with around one year and a half, the group has presented more than 40 live performances in Minas Gerais and São Paulo, emphasizing a great one which they opened up a Deep Purple’s concert in December 2006, in Belo Horizonte. Around 4,000 people watched them playing besides wonderful successful rock songs, 2 own songs: ‘Freedom’ and ‘Mesmo que seja normal’. In January, 2007, the band filled more than 3,000 people with enthusiasm at the Motorcyclists reunion ‘Ibira Moto Point’, that happened at the parking lot of Ibirapuera Gymnasium in São Paulo. - Sepultura Recently, the band presented with the greatest Brazilian rock band, famous in the whole world, Sepultura, at the 9th edition of Roça’n Roll Festival, in Varginha – considered by specialized critics as one of the most important rock events in the back country. The band was the one which had more people in front of the stage; there were around 5 thousand people. The teens had the opportunity to play for the first time 3 of their new own songs: ‘Demons And Snakes’, ‘Nobody Buys Me Earings’ and ‘Mirror’. “Sharing the stage with Sepultura was a band’s dream that came true”, says André Mendonça, that realized that his guitar one day belonged to Andreas Kisser, Sepultura’s guitar player. - BBC Radio in London Their success doesn’t stop by now. In November, 2006, The Pleiades were placed 9th on the contest made by the BBC in London, ‘The Next Big Thing’ – the search for the best young band of the world, with their song ‘Mesmo que seja normal’. The band was chosen between 1,100 independent groups, from 34 countries all over the world with musicians until the age of 18. “They bring the noise with a raw sound and raging fury that is pure taurine for the hearing impaired. An aural head rush of crunching guitars, blistering vocals, and massive aggressive tempos, Pleiades displays a dizzying array of deft punk skills that are way beyond their peers and definitely way, way, way beyond their years” says one of the judges of the contest, VJ Bernie, MTV Asia. The same opinion is shared with the English journalist specialized in music, Miranda Sawyer: “Pleiades are more energy than all the rest put together”. - Contact Pleiades Band: Francisco Penteado: [email protected] - PLEIADES - Mirror - Roca'n Roll - maio/2007
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