1. alternative… Read Full Bio ↴There are several bands called The Gathering is an:
1. alternative rock / progressive rock formed in Oss, the Netherlands, in 1989. Similar to: Anathema (mid/late albums), Pink Floyd, The 3rd and the Mortal (late), Radiohead, Portishead, Piano Magic, Talk Talk (late), Motorpsycho. However, in their first albums they were more similar to Anathema (early), Paradise Lost, The 3rd and the Mortal (early), Type O Negative, Dead Can Dance, Theatre Of Tragedy (early), My Dying Bride, Tiamat.
Initially, at the start of their career, they were a gothic metal / doom metal band. Their most successfull album in this period is their 1995 release "Mandylion". However, they shifted towards their current form, incorporating many influences from atmospheric rock, trip hop, space rock, dream pop, post rock, pop rock, alternative rock, with their 1998 release "How to Measure a Planet?" . Their historical singer was Anneke Van Giersbergen , who joined in 1995 for the album "Mandylion" but left the band in 2007 after the album "Home". She was later replaced by Silje Wergeland , who debuted in the album "The West Pole".
The band announced a hiatus in 2014, which was later interrupted in 2022 with the release of "Beautiful Distortion". The current line-up consists of Silje Wergeland (lead vocals), René Rutten (guitars and flute), Frank Boeijen (keyboards), and Hans Rutten (drums). The band had some line-up changes during the years, the most notable being Silje Wergeland replacing in 2009 the former singer Anneke van Giersbergen (who was a member from 1994 to 2007).
Initially they were in the vein of bands like Paradise Lost, Anathema or The Third and the Mortal.
Their first two albums, Always... (1992) in the death metal/doom metal style of the era and Almost a Dance (1993) that, though always regarded as a failure, played a part in the formation of gothic metal, were recorded with four different vocalists. Their subsequent release, Mandylion (1995), on which Anneke van Giersbergen sang for the first time, was a dark, haunting, and emotional piece of music. It was also one of the first albums of its kind in respect to female fronted metal bands, and it is still considered a standard by many female fronted metal bands.
Nighttime Birds (1997) continued in the same vein.
How to Measure a Planet? (1998) signed a departure from their previous style, while adopting an atmospheric sound with roots in space rock, shoegaze, trip hop, progressive and alternative rock. Their following studio albums if_then_else (2000) and Souvenirs (2003) showed progress and maturation of the band.
There is also an electro-acoustic live album Sleepy Buildings: A Semi Acoustic Evening, which was released in 2004, and was followed by a similar semi-acoustic tour.
Their 8th studio album, Home, was released in April 2006. The Gathering has promoted this album with a tour and festivals for the rest of 2006-2007.
Last March 24th, in Santiago, Chile, the band recorded a live DVD entitled "A Noise Severe" more rock oriented, to complete the previously released DVD "A Sound Relief", which featured a more acoustic set. It was released with little delay at the end of November 2007, together with live 2CD from same place.
On June 5, 2007 it was announced that Anneke is going to leave The Gathering in August 2007 to focus on her new project, Agua de Annique and her family.
After van Giersbergen leaving, the band started working on new songs and finding new singers. With finding Silje Wergeland from Norway the band again completed the line up. Silje has been the singer of the Norwegian band Octavia Sperati for 8 years including several other projects. 9th album The West Pole also includes two very talented guest singers: the Dutch Anne van den Hoogen and Mexican Marcela Bovio (from Stream of Passion). The West Pole is a very vital, atmospheric and extravert rock orientated album, with all the quality and power the band is so famous for, also with many new elements. The sound is guitar driven, alive and urgent; a strong and beautifully coloured album with haunting female vocals. It’s produced by guitar player René Rutten and mixed & mastered by Zlaya Hadzich, who also did the production of Souvenirs.
10th full length Disclosure was released in September 2012.
They released Afterwords in 2013. ]Marjolein Kooijman (bass) left only a few months later.
http://www.gathering.nl
2. Gothic Rock band from Pretoria, South Africa, active in the second half of the 1980s. The Gathering released the 7inch single "Night and Day/Falling Crimson" and a handful of compilation tracks, e.g. "Perfect Souls" and "Wooden Walls" in 1988. The Gathering’s only full-length album, titled 'In the End", is a labour of love that’s taken the better part of 23 years to realise.
KEVIN
The Gathering Lyrics
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And little feet play with the ground
beneath him
While up in the sky is where he wants to be
Time will fly
And the wind plays with him
The night will give him its charm
While he walks home
His head's up in a cloud
He feels his pores fill up with fresh air
And there's no doubt
That one day he will be
Where the eye of his telescope has already been
Night will pass
But he's a lot faster
No one can do him any harm
The above lyrics from The Gathering's song Kevin's Telescope depict a person who wants to be in a place where he is not currently. A child named Kevin is portrayed who desires to be up in the sky where the telescoped objects are. The first verse describes his physical appearance as he has his hands hidden in his sleeves while his little feet are playing with the ground beneath him. In the next verse, Kevin's urge to reach up to the sky is reflected. Time passes swiftly, and the wind keeps blowing and amusing Kevin. When night falls, it adds a magical charm to Kevin's dreams.
In the third verse, Kevin is walking back home with his head in the clouds. The fresh air fills his pores, and he feels at peace. Kevin's desire to reach where his telescope has already been is crystal clear in his mind. He believes he will reach up there someday, and nothing can stop him. In the end, the lyrics show that Kevin believes he is faster than time, and no one can harm him.
Overall, the lyrics to Kevin's Telescope depict the human yearning to explore and journey beyond our current reach. Kevin is determined to reach the skies, and the lyrics implore us to follow our dreams and believe that we can achieve anything we set our minds to.
Line by Line Meaning
His hands hide inside a sleeve
His hands are tucked away from the cold inside his clothing.
And little feet play with the ground beneath him
The kid is standing there playful and carefree, moving his feet around.
While up in the sky is where he wants to be
The kid has his eyes on the sky as the place where he wants to go.
Time will fly
The time will pass quickly.
And the wind plays with him
The wind is blowing around him, playing with him.
The night will give him its charm
The night will offer him its enchanting wonders to explore.
While he walks home
As he's walking home.
His head's up in a cloud
He's lost in thought and daydreaming.
He feels his pores fill up with fresh air
He feels invigorated by the fresh air filling up his pores.
And there's no doubt
He's confident about his future.
That one day he will be
He envisions himself being.
Where the eye of his telescope has already been
He aspires to travel and explore the places that he has already observed through his telescope.
Night will pass
The night will end.
But he's a lot faster
He progresses a lot faster than his surroundings.
No one can do him any harm
He is fearless and protected by his confidence and aspirations.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Anna Van Giersbergen, Franciscus Boeijen, Hendrikus G J Hans Rutten, Hugo Prinsen Geerlings, Rene C.f.j. Rutten
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind