About
The Gears
Founded in March 2003, The Gears have more than paid their dues on theToronto indie rock scene and their raw and edgy sound, coupled with a
frenetic and unpredictable live show , has been tearing up audiences all
over southern Ontario. Showcases at the North by Northeast festival and
Canadian Music Week have helped to fuel industry buzz around the band's
self-titled debut EP and set the stage for the release of their full
length debut entitled "EPISODES."The 13 song album is intended to serve as soundtrack for their original
TV series entitled GEARS TV - a semi-fictional scripted 'surreality' series
developed and shot entirely independently by the band.
RECENT PRESS
"This Torontonian quartet really give you a slab of old school punk rock with
jagged guitar riffs reminiscent of Killing Joke and the Dead Kennedys
enjoying deep sea diving in a keg of beer.
These guys won't be touring with Good Charlotte anytime soon. It's not due
to a lack of catchy songs but because they'd probably threaten them for
their beer and make them cry. The Gears leave it up to the front man to
entertain and his mission was to see how pissed he could get. I have to say
that they kept it together quite well considering the singer got more drunk
as the set wore on. Mall rock bands can't serve up this kind of
entertainment. These guys rock. The lead singer's rock stance reminded me of
Jim Morrison, John Lydon and Jello Biafra mixed together. He stumbled, fell
over, hid behind the bass cabinet to drink some more beer and knocked over
anything that came within arms length, and it was bang on. He delivered and
they were tight. They even incorporated ballsy melodies.Great band to watch!
" - Chart Magazine
"Straight outta Toronto THE GEARS swoop down offering a sweat-soaked slab of
jagged rawk. Their second single "Crabs" more than capably announces the
arrival of this radio ready outfit."
-
Exclaim
"Billy Minx takes the forum of live performance and turns it into
rock'n'roll hurricane hijinks...the audience unwittingly oscillates between
pure excitement and down right terror...you're left not knowing if he's
about to tear off all of his clothes or start a brawl, or BOTH!!!! Fantastic
entertainment!!!" - Umbrella Music
The GEARS TV - SERIES SYNOPSIS
TRAILER PARK BOYS meets THE MONKEES in this new surreality series,
as fate brings four delusional misfits together to form The GEARS, a rock
band with visions of stardom in their heads and precious little else. From
small-town beginnings, the band stumbles through a series of bizarre
adventures to gain glittering fame and fortune, only to see their dreams
come crashing down in a firestorm of sex, drugs, rock and roll, and their
own bizarre personalities.
Conceived in a combustible mix of malt liquor and paranoia in the
head of founder and guitarist RENE LEDUC, the GEARS features vocalist
WILLIAM L. MINKLESON, a mild-mannered occupational therapist whose alter-ego
BILLY MINX may just be the ultimate rock superhero; the devious lowlife,
petty criminal, and kick-ass drummer LOWEELOR; and the hulking mute bassist
PINTO. Each is looking for his own piece of the rock and roll pie, whether
it's Rene dreaming of liberating mankind through the music, Billy Minx out
to push his body and his mind to the limit and beyond, or Loweelor just
looking for the next score. Their competing aspirations at turns propel the
band towards stardom or threaten it with outright collapse, as they travel
up that stairway to rock and roll heaven.
Along the way, the gang meets an assortment of demented
characters, from the fearsome moral crone MOTHER SUPERIOR to the famous
record producer and reprobate LENNY FIDEL, all of whom use and abuse the
band for their own twisted ends.
Part satire, part psychedelic romp, The GEARS TV liberates the inner rock
star, and promises to have everyone believing in Rene's prime directive:
"ROCK AND ROLL 'TILL YOU DIE!"
The GEARS TV - Main Character Breakdowns
Rene Leduc - Mastermind or Moron?
This booze guzzling delusional has dreams to fulfill. Armed with a cache of
ground breaking rock tunes, Rene is ready to lead his own revolution,
liberating mankind through rock 'n' roll - just as soon as he can ditch his
dead end job.
William L. Minkelson, a.k.a. Rock Superhero Billy Minx
This painfully unadventurous occupational therapist is the last person on
earth you would expect to become the ultimate rock star. With Rene's help,
William smashes out of his shell and become The Gears' lunatic front man,
Billy Minx. But Rene had best be warned - creation and control are two very
different things!
Loweelor the Dealer - Angry Young Drummer
From stolen tropical fish to fur coats in July, if you need a line on
something shady, Loweeler is your man. His firecracker temperament and keen
sense of rhythm make him a prime candidate to aid in Rene's revolution - but
will he stick it out to the end, or ditch the boys for a shot at the
ultimate score?
Pinto - Silent yet Deafening
Born without a tongue, this hulking mute must bear a constant
onslaught of abuse for his silent curse. But there's something the taunting
townsfolk have yet to discover. The bastard son of local head nun, Mother
Superior, he may well be the devil incarnate, biding his time before
unleashing his wrath on an unsuspecting world.
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