Billy Bond

Billy Bond y La Pesada del Rock and Roll (also known as La Pesada del Rock and Roll or La Pesada) was an Argentine supergroup that pioneered hard rock and psychedelic rock in Latin America. It was formed in 1970 by producer Jorge Álvarez (co-founder of the Mandioca record label) and singer and producer Billy Bond, who would become the band's leader. Many renowned Argentine musicians such as Pappo, Luis Alberto Spinetta, Javier Martínez, Claudio Gabis, Alejandro Medina and David Lebón, among others, took their first steps in rock music in La Pesada. The band also collaborated in the recording of several albums by various artists, among them Vida, the first album by Sui Generis. A concert of theirs at the Luna Park Stadium on 20 October 1972—the first rock concert in the history of the stadium— ended amidst fights, riot police, and Bond being arrested. This adversely affected the band's future opportunities. They continued releasing albums, both their own and those of other artists, and split up in 1974, with Billy Bond moving permanently to Brazil. However, the main legacy of the band, to have served as the launching pad for the careers of many musicians who would go on to become emblematic figures in the history of Argentine rock, had already been fulfilled.