The Dead Poets

The Dead Poets

The Dead Poets are a Portuguese goth rock band from Portugal, formed in 2003 under the name The Dead Poets Society by Chaves and Zé Santos. They begin with performances in music shops and arts centres before splitting in 2004 because of personal incompatibilities, which leads to a number of side projects.

Reformation and line-up changes

The band returns in early 2005 with Chaves and Zé Santos at the core. Gomez joins on keyboards, while Nelo takes the drums for a year before Nuno Carvalho replaces him. For an 80s Portuguese bands tribute show, they borrow bass player Paulo Dumonte from the goth band Noctivagus. Samurai later takes over bass duties.

Live work and early recordings

This line-up makes its live debut at Semana Académica de Lisboa in front of a large university audience, then plays Seixal Goth Fest alongside the North American act The Crüxshadows. The band records its first single, Forever, which Necrosymphonic Entertainment releases freely online. The track receives radio play across local and national stations and reaches more than 1,200 downloads within four months. It also appears on the soundtrack to the film Mandatory Overtime by Tampa Bay indie company Sev Inc. A video is made for the song, mixed in Florida by Tony Armer, and included among the extras on the film’s commercial edition.

Media attention

The Dead Poets gain coverage in newspapers, magazines and music websites, and are included in the playlist of cotonete.iol.pt, described as a major music portal in Portugal. In the summer of 2006, they perform at the Portugal a Rufar Festival to an audience of around 2,000 people, and continue working on further studio recording.