In September 1994, SΓ³nia Tavares, Nuno and John GonΓ§alves, Miguel Ribeiro and Ricardo Braga enrolled in the Bar Ben Music Competition in AlcobaΓ§a and took second place in the competition, to everyone's great surprise, given the bandβs short time in existence.
The band performed its first show at the Alcobaça Monastery in July 1995. This was followed by the Belém Cultural Centre (Lisbon) in September 1996 and the Labirintho Bar (Porto) in November 1996.
The Gift masterminded their first record, with the intention of using it as a demo for the media and labels. From this effort, βDigital Atmosphereβ was born, a six track enhanced CD featuring interviews and videos, recorded at home but not available in stores. In 1997 the band went on the road, playing at over 30 theatres (many of which sold out) and released video at the end of the tour at BelΓ©m Cultural Centre and the AlcobaΓ§a Cine-Teatro shows.
Soon after the Digital Atmosphere Tour finished, Ricardo Braga left the band and The Gift was now a four member group once again. In 1998, they established themselves as an independent band forming g their own label, La Folie with the visionary goal of releasing a next record as independents.
SΓ³nia Tavares, The Gift - photo by JoΓ£o Loureiro
In November 1998, the bandβs first true record βVinylβ is released. "Vinyl" combined the potentials of new technologies (samples and synthesizer) with classical instruments (violins, cellos, trumpets, saxophones etc.). βVinylβ , which was fully funded by The Gift themselves, was named Album of the Year by the DiΓ‘rio de NotΓcias newspaper a first for a Portuguese independent band and began courting the attention of the labels that previously ignored The Giftβs work. In spite of this, the band chose to stay independent, opting to to use distribution contracts.
From November 1998 through 1999, The band performs over 80 shows, including the biggest Summer Festivals, sells out the most important venues in Lisbon and Porto, wins several awards with the first hit single βOk! Do You Want Something Simple?β and sells over 35,000 records.
At the end of that year The Gift performs for the first time abroad, in Paris (at La Cigalle) and a few months later participates in the prestigious music fair MIDEM 2000 (in Cannes), taking the first step towards the bandβs career outside Portugal.
In early 2000, the band closes the βVinylβ era, simultaneously releasing the photo book βA Single Diaryβ (by Ana Pereira) and the video βSingle Hand Camera Documentaryβ (by GonΓ§alo Covacich), two artistic visions and documentary pieces on the Vinyl Tour. Once again, all the, costs incurred were covered by the band establishing The Gift once and for all as a solid DIY band.
The steps taken abroad continued to gain momentum in June 2000 with the bandβs first mini-tour outside Portugal, including dates in Germany (Expo 2000 β Hanover), Macau and again, France (Paris).
At the end of the year The Gift take a break from touring and start writing songs for the next album, some of which are introduced later in 2001 at the Eurosonic Festival in the Netherlands, representing Portugal .
Howie B produces βFilmβ, The Giftβs second album released again through theirown label, La Folie Records. The band shows its βFilmβ throughout the country, playing at the Paredes de Coura Festival, the optimushype@meco Festival (sharing the stage with Howie B and Matthew Herbert), at the Interactive TVβs launch in Portugal, live for Sic Radical channel, and radio Antena 3.
βFilmβ goes Gold at 25,000 units and The Gift win several more awards for its videos (βWaterskinβ and βQuestion of Loveβ β the albumβs first two singles). At the end of 2001, the band was once more invited by Cap Magellan to promote βFilmβ in Paris.
In March 2002, The Gift flies to the United States to enter the South by Southwest Music & Media Conference in Austin, Texas; in June returned to Paris to perform at the HΓ΄tel de Ville Square; in August Popkomm and Musikfest Am-Ring festivals in Germany; Spain followed in September with shows in Barcelona; in October the band was back in the USA for a short tour in a few north-American cities New York); and in November its first concert in Madrid, Spain, took place.
Of the few performances in Portugal, the Manchester Mad Remixers (which featured The Gift together with Rodrigo LeΓ£o and Pedro Oliveira) concerts are a highlight (first at the nightclub Lux, and later at the FrΓ‘gil and the Clinic bars). This was a project specially created for the "24 Hour Party People" film's premiere.
The band performs in numerous places, Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Bilbao, Vigo, New York City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Boston, San Diego, London, Caracas, Dunkirk, amongst many other cities.
The Gift was invited to open for The Flaming Lips and Cousteau, and at the end of the year, in December 2003, get an invitation to perform for the recently launched Portuguese MTV, recording one of the first MTV Live shows in the history of MTV Portugal.
In 2004, The Gift celebrated its first 10 years in music and returned to album releases. By the end of the recording sessions, The Gift was faced with a double album, where two distinctive but complementary environments surfaced (one more intimate and introspective, the other more euphoric) and in which duality was the key word. The new relese, the first in three years, is entitled βAM-FMβ.
βAM-FMβ was released in November 2004 with great expectation from the group's fans, who rapidly sold out the presentation concerts in AlcobaΓ§a, Lisbon and Porto (a few days after the band's shows in London, New York and Los Angeles. A week after the retail release, βAM-FMβ goes Silver and not long after Gold, selling more than 25, 000 copies.
In 2005 they won the MTV Europe Award for Best Portuguese Act.
The album FΓ‘cil de Entender, their first live album was released in 2006. Sells over 25,000 units.
The Gift acted with great success on the Expo 2008 Zaragoza, the day of Portugal at the exhibition.
In 2008 and 2009, The Gift's Sonia Tavares and Nuno Goncalves along with fellow musicians, Paulo PraΓ§a [Plaza]and Fernando Ribeiro record and tour with their side project Hojeβs: Amalia Hoje. Amalia Hoje garners triple platinum status selling over 85,000 units and is the Portuguese runaway Album of the Year.
2010 The Gift returns to record Their 5th Album explode and invite Ken Nelson [Coldplay, Gomez, Kings of Convenience, Badly Drawn Boy to produce the Album. The Gift spends three months in Madrid recording
2011 is the year of Explode. Explode is released in Portugal on 1 April and immediately goes to number one in the charts where it holds top ten for over 10 weeks.
Explode is scheduled to be released in North America on 27 September 2011
www.gift.pt
2) THE GIFT are a Symphonic Prog band from, London, formed after Mike Morton (vocals, 6/12 string acoustic guitar, piano and string arrangements) and Leroy James (lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals, samples, effects and programming, piano and string arrangements) came up with the idea of creating a band and making a concept album at the same time.
The concept was devised by Mike Morton and was initially meant to be just one piece.
They brought in other musicians to help with the recording, viz. Jim Thomas (bass), Rod Haverhill (keyboards) and David Storey (drums) and THE GIFT was born.
The band made some initial demos and pressed on with the idea. They sent the demos out to various places and general opinion was positive. So positive in fact, that the Cyclops label (responsible for bands such as Mostly Autumn, Pineapple Thief, Saens and Tr3nity) gave them a deal.
THE GIFT had the desire and conviction to record the album itself. The idea initially was to record one multi-themed piece (a suite called Awake and Dreaming), about βsavagery and war and the final triumph of pieceβ (as their MySpace biography notes), but Cyclops felt it need to be longer and asked them to record a slightly extended finish. This ended up as another suite (of 30 minutes in length), called Fountains of Ash about βdomestic violence, again seeking solace in the human spiritβ (from their MySpace bio).
Their sound is quite varied, but takes on a definite symphonic rock air to it. They have hard rocking sections, pastoral songs, and βcomplex time signatures, wild key changes and ambitious concepts.β
Their progressive rock influences include Pink Floyd, Genesis (Gabriel era), Yes, David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Porcupine Tree, King Crimson, Tangerine Dream, Rush and Dream Theater. They also take influence from non-prog bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, The Who, Beatles, Massive Attack, U2, Sex Pistols and Prince.
Their debut album (a double CD) Awake and Dreaming, was released on October 9, 2006, by Cyclops.
3) The Gift is a funeral grunge band from Washington, DC featuring members of Turboslut, Exosus and Tradition Dies Here. Their debut LP "Mostly in Sickness" is out now on Amor y Lucha Records, www.amorylucha.org. Free tracks can be downloaded and streamed at their website, www.thegift.bandcamp.com.
Are You Near?
The Gift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I began to say that nothing is about love
Intelligent and lovely persons, like those films we watched on TV
Intelligent and lovely women, like we watched on TV
Those murders during the night, stupid life, drugs of all kind
Do you wanna see me like them?
So tell me baby please, are you near? Are you near?
So tell me one more time, are you near? Are you near?
So tell me one more time, are you near? Are you near?
Sometimes I know you're not as I wish
And I look at your window, there's a light, something in...
I pass by and buzz around your corner
The telephone rings, you didn't answer... please
So tell me baby please, are you near? Are you near?
I beg you one more time, are you near? Are you near?
Tell me one more time, are you near? Are you near?
So scream at your window and tell me that you're near...
And I wonder if you told me that...
like in 'Lost in Translation' - please do that!
They look at those neon lights, the love on their face
And loving all life, loving or lie, just one more lie...
Tell me baby please, are you near? Are you near?
So tell me baby please, are you near?
Cause I don't know, are you near? Are you near?
So open your fucking mouth, are you near?
And I
Love you more
Love you more
'Cause you're near
'Cause you're near
In the song "Are You Near?" by The Gift, the lyrics explore the idea of love in a world that is often filled with chaos and darkness. The singer appears to be disillusioned with the concept of love, perhaps a result of too many life experiences that ended poorly. As a result, the singer begins to believe that "nothing is about love," and that the happy endings we see in films and TV are nothing more than just that - fiction.
However, despite this darkness and cynicism, the singer still longs for love and connection. They wonder if their love interest is nearby, and plead for them to answer the phone or scream out the window to let them know they are near. Despite their doubts and suspicions, the singer still loves this person, and yearns for their presence.
Overall, the song seems to be a meditation on the complex nature of love in modern life. It acknowledges the violence and pain that often accompanies love, while still holding out hope for something more.
Line by Line Meaning
Because everything had to be a happy end
There was a need to make everything look happy and perfect, even if it wasn't.
I began to say that nothing is about love
Love was absent in everything around.
Intelligent and lovely persons, like those films we watched on TV
Those perfect people we enjoyed watching on TV with their intelligence and aura.
Intelligent and lovely women, like we watched on TV
Beautiful and smart women we fantasized about, like the ones we saw on TV.
Those murders during the night, stupid life, drugs of all kind
The dark and miserable aspects of life, including murder, drugs, and stupidity.
Do you wanna see me like them?
A rhetorical question, pondering whether the listener wants the singer to become like those who indulge in negativity.
So tell me baby please, are you near? Are you near?
Pleading with someone to reveal if they are present or not, out of concern or desperation.
Sometimes I know you're not as I wish
The person being referred to sometimes fails to meet the singer's expectations or desires.
And I look at your window, there's a light, something in...
The sight of a light in the listener's window makes the singer stop and ponder.
I pass by and buzz around your corner
The singer goes by the listener's location multiple times.
The telephone rings, you didn't answer... please
The singer becomes anxious or desperate when no answer comes after multiple tries.
So scream at your window and tell me that you're near...
A suggestion to declare the listener's presence by shouting out of the window.
And I wonder if you told me that...
A reflection on what the listener would say, reminiscent of a situation in the movie 'Lost in Translation.'
like in 'Lost in Translation' - please do that!
An urge or desire for the listener to behave as a character in a specific movie did.
They look at those neon lights, the love on their face
A reference to a scene from the movie, conveying how the characters look at neon lights as if they're a symbol of love.
And loving all life, loving or lie, just one more lie...
Reflecting on how there's a fine line between true and false love, with the fear of the latter being just another deception.
So open your fucking mouth, are you near?
A way of asking the listener to speak up and let the singer know if they're there or not, with a sense of urgency or frustration.
And I love you more, love you more, 'cause you're near
Affirming affection for the listener due to their presence, and expressing it with repetition.
Contributed by Wyatt D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.