3/11/2005

AQUILES PRIESTER’S 2005 WORLDWIDE TOUR

Mapex Drums’ active endorser Aquiles Priester will be touring with his Angra in February and March of 2005. Aquiles will be traveling to Europe, playing in countries such as Greece, Italy, Switzerland, France, Spain, Belgium and the UK. He will then fly to Asia with tour stops in Taiwan, Australia for concerts.

Born in Otjo, South Africa, Aquiles moved to Brazil when he was five. In 1985, during the first “Rock in Rio” festival he built a drum set out of cans, ice cream bowls and gas gallon containers. Aquiles reveals, “Since then my life changed and I would only dream of becoming a great drummer.” His first drum set included a snare, a tom which he borrowed from the school band, a bass drum, a high hat, and a cymbal which hung from the ceiling.

Aquiles started playing professionally in 1986 and was the drummer for bands such as Spartacus, and Hora H and Lucas Scariotys. In 1992, Aquiles decided to take drumming classes to improve his technical skills and studied under Mimo Aires, Thabba and Kiko Freitas. Two years later he was playing with bands such as Infra Blue and Apocalipse Now. Inspired by the band Angra, Aquiles formed the band Hanger in November of 1997. Less than a year later, Hangar was opening for Angra and in 2000 Aquiles was invited to join Angra, his dream band.

In 2002 Aquiles was elected the Best Heavy Metal Drummer by the leading Brazilian drumming magazines and also by “Burrn!” magazine of Japan.

Aquiles’ Mapex drum kit configuration includes: two 22”x18” Bass Drums; 10”x9", 12”x10" and 13”x11” Rack Toms; and 14”x14" and 16”x16" Floor Toms. He also uses different sized Mapex and Black Panther snare drums for various types of music and venues.

Dates and locations of Aquiles’ 2005 Worldwide Tour:
Europe
Wednesday - 03/February - Departure from Brasil
Thursday - 04/February - arrival Milano
Saturday - 05/ February - MILAN(I) / Rainbow
Sunday - 06/ February - PRALTEN (CH) Z 7
Monday - 07/ February - LYON (F) / Transbordeur
Tuesday - 08/ February - STRASBOURG (F) / La Laiterie
Thursday - 10/ February - MADRID (S) / Arena
Friday - 11/ February - BARCELONA (S) / Razzmatazz 2
Saturday - 12/ February - VITORIA (S) / Azkena
Sunday - 13/ February - TOULOUSE (F) Havana café
Tuesday - 15/ February - MONTPELLIER (F) / Rockstore (long trip after the show)
Wednesday - 16/ February - PARIS (F) / Elysée Montmartre
Thursday - 17/ February - RENNES (F) / L'Antipode
Friday - 18/ February - BRUSSELS (B) / Ten Weyngaert
Saturday - 19/ February - TOURS (F) / La Pleiade
Monday - 21/ February - LONDON (UK) / Mean Fiddler (with Dragon Force)
Thursday - 24/ February - Promo day in Athens (TBC)
Friday - 25/ February - show ATHENS (G) - Rodon Club Show (TBC)
Saturday - 26/ February - show ATHENS (G) / Idrogios Club (TBC)
Sunday - 27/ February - Return to Brazil Asia

JAPAN Trip
Saturday - 12/March - OSAKA (J) / Nanba Hatch
Sunday - 13/March - FUKUOSA (J) / Zepp Fukuoka
Monday - 14/March - HIROSHIMA (J) / Quattro
Tuesday - 15/March - Travel day
Wednesday - 16/March - TOKYO (J) / Shibuya-AX
Thursday - 17/March - TOKYO (J) / Shibuya-AX
Friday - 18/March - NAGOYA (J) / Zepp Nagoya

Asia Trip
Sunday - 20/ March - Show TAIWAN - Taipei (TBC)
Tuesday - 22/March - Show Australia - Sydney (TBC)
Tuesday - 24/March - Show Australia - Melbourne at the Corner Hotel.