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Seizing The Day

Mendella [1]

Every once in awhile, we are blessed with the chance to meet extraordinary people. People who work hard and make sacrifices to follow their dreams and passions. People who, every day, wake up knowing that they are doing what is in their heart. Last Saturday I had such a meeting. Scott, Mike and I ventured into Vancouver to cover the final rounds of Tom Lee Music’s Spring Rock Band Championships, completely innocent of the events which would unfold that afternoon.

Soon after we arrived at the music hall Richard Howland, the Market Development & Community Relations Manager for Tom Lee Music approached me to ask if I had received the email update which he had sent out that morning. I hadn’t, as we had left home a bit early in order to stop by Free Geek for a few computer parts. He informed me that a new rock group out of England would be giving a surprise performance during the competition. I will confess that I was feeling a little bad because I had never heard of them. I later conveyed this to the group’s manager, David Matthews. He told me that I wouldn’t have heard of them because they had been kept under wraps until this tour. I think it’s safe to say that Mendella [1] will be very difficult to keep under wraps from here on out.

Mendella On Stage [1]

The young men in the group Mendella are a shining example of those who follow their hearts. Here we have a group of schoolmates who have been making music together for about two years, but according to them, this is what they have wanted to do since the moment they were born. After watching their performance, I have absolutely no doubt that they have a passion for their music. From the moment they took the stage, the young men who are Mendella let that passion loose with such incredible energy and polish that there can be only one way for them to go, and that is up. I asked them how this tour has been for them so far, and I think it’s safe to say that they are thoroughly enjoying themselves. All of the practice and hard work is beginning to come back to them in the way of new fans and attention from record labels – and it is all well-deserved. Their original music sounds fresh, but in a familiar rock and roll kind of way, and their cover of The Who’s My Generation is, I think, Mendella’s way of saying that they are picking up the torch and we can look at them to become the next big stadium power group. The show I saw on Saturday and the entire presence of these young musicians was a quick look into the future, and it all looks good.

Two of their demo singles, Swing With Me and Raindrop were featured on DJ Behemoth’s Saturday night show on Blade Radio [2] and listener reaction to this debut was highly positive, with several listeners wanting to hear the tracks again and again. I think it is safe to say that Blade’s listeners will be eagerly awaiting future single and CD releases from Mendella.

By now some of you may be wondering why we are featuring a rock band on Village Gamer. After a long chat with Mendella’s manager David Matthews, I knew that Mendella was a group which we wanted to help. These young men are a living example of what our philosophy is all about – opening doors for our youth so that they may pursue their dreams. It doesn’t matter to us where those young people are from, whether it’s Vancouver, Canada, North America or any part of the globe. Our future lies with our youth, and if they are making every effort to follow what is in their hearts, then we will have a very bright future indeed. It is young people like the members of Mendella who will shape that future, and now they know that they can count on the support of both Village Gamer and the KillaNet group as they make their way into their destiny.

To that end, we are in the process of making the necessary arrangements for Mendella to appear live at Digital Storm 2008 [3], where they will be giving an exclusive performance for the gamers in attendance as well as for the local media. As I said earlier in this article, every once in awhile you get the chance to meet someone who is working to make a difference, and we now have the privilege of helping – and watching – this special group of young men achieve their dream.

Well done, Mendella – and we are truly looking forward to seeing you again in August.

Article and Photos by Tami Quiring