Gerard is a Japanese Neo-Prog band, an Austrian rapper, and also an American rock band from the 1970s led by British-born singer/songwriter Gerard McMahon. 1) The first album by the Japanese Neo-Prog band was formed in 1984, and their latest in 2010. They have been labeled Neo-Prog, symphonic/progressive rock and hard progressive. In the mid-1990's, a line-up change brought a heavier sound, with the release of "The Pendulum" in 1996. At the same time they removed the guitarist spot, making Gerard a keys/bass/drums power trio. The leader of the band, keyboardist Toshio Egawa, has been the only permanent member of the band. The bass chair has been handled by Yohei Kawada, Yasumasa Uotani, Toshima Nagai, and Atsushi Hasegawa; drummers have included Masaharu Sato, Masaki Tanimoto, Kota Igarashi, Masuhiro Goto, and Kenichi Fujimoto; vocals have been handled by Robin G. Suchy, Simon Nakaji and Yasuo Sasai as well as various of the instrumentalists. During the times when guitar was included, it was played by Yukihiro Fujimura. 2) Gerard (formerly Gerard MC) (*1987; born Gerald Hoffmann) is an Austrian rapper from Wels (Upper Austria), who has lived in Vienna since 2006. In 2003 - at just 16 years of age - Gerard had his first track published on a hip-hop compilation. It was followed by other releases through to the album 'Blur' in 2009, which was produced by Maeckes (die Orsons) and recieved positively. Gerard's songs are melancholic, dreamy, processed with refined rhymes and British breakbeats and reflects the disorientation a young generation resists. He has had numerous performances as on the Danube Island Festival in Vienna, the Splash, Europe's biggest hip-hop festival or as support of Prinz Pi und Die Orsons. The new album, 'Blausicht' was released in 2013. 3) The American rock band led by Gerard McMahon was short lived. Their self-titled 1976 album was released on the Caribou/CBS label and featured support from the horn section of the group Chicago. McMahon would go on to become a successful songwriter, penning tunes for Kiss, Carly Simon and Roger Daltrey, among others. His connection with Chicago would endure through collaborations with Robert Lamm on his solo recordings. Today McMahon goes by the moniker "G Tom Mac."
