In September 1994, Sónia Tavares, Nuno and John Gonçalves, Miguel Ribeiro and Ricardo Braga enrolled in the Bar Ben Music Competition in Alcobaça and took second place in the competition, to everyone's great surprise, given the band’s 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, “Digital Atmosphere” 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 Belém Cultural Centre and the Alcobaça 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.
Sónia Tavares, The Gift - photo by João Loureiro
In November 1998, the band’s first true record “Vinyl” is released. "Vinyl" combined the potentials of new technologies (samples and synthesizer) with classical instruments (violins, cellos, trumpets, saxophones etc.). “Vinyl” , which was fully funded by The Gift themselves, was named Album of the Year by the Diário de Notícias newspaper a first for a Portuguese independent band and began courting the attention of the labels that previously ignored The Gift’s 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 “Ok! Do You Want Something Simple?” 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 band’s career outside Portugal.
In early 2000, the band closes the “Vinyl” era, simultaneously releasing the photo book “A Single Diary” (by Ana Pereira) and the video “Single Hand Camera Documentary” (by Gonçalo 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 band’s first mini-tour outside Portugal, including dates in Germany (Expo 2000 – 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 “Film”, The Gift’s second album released again through theirown label, La Folie Records. The band shows its “Film” 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 TV’s launch in Portugal, live for Sic Radical channel, and radio Antena 3.
“Film” goes Gold at 25,000 units and The Gift win several more awards for its videos (“Waterskin” and “Question of Love” – the album’s first two singles). At the end of 2001, the band was once more invited by Cap Magellan to promote “Film” 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 Hôtel 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 Leão and Pedro Oliveira) concerts are a highlight (first at the nightclub Lux, and later at the Frágil 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 “AM-FM”.
“AM-FM” was released in November 2004 with great expectation from the group's fans, who rapidly sold out the presentation concerts in Alcobaça, Lisbon and Porto (a few days after the band's shows in London, New York and Los Angeles. A week after the retail release, “AM-FM” 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 Fácil 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 Praça [Plaza]and Fernando Ribeiro record and tour with their side project Hoje’s: 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 “savagery and war and the final triumph of piece” (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 “domestic violence, again seeking solace in the human spirit” (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 “complex time signatures, wild key changes and ambitious concepts.”
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.
Dream With Someone Else's Dream
The Gift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wake up at night
Feeling so scared
So why cannot find
So why cannot find
The true love of mine?
How many times
I waited to share
But you were not there
So why cannot find
The true love of mine?
How many tears
Fell down from my eyes
How many fears
Grew up in my mind
So why cannot find
The true love of mine?
How many times
I waited to share
This kind of feelings
But you were not there
So why cannot find
The true love of mine?
I wish you could see
I wish you could feel
I wish you could be
I wish you could be
The true love of mine
How many times
I wake up at night
Feeling so scared
So why cannot find
So why cannot find
The true love of mine?
How many times
I waited to share
This kind of feelings
But you were not there
So why cannot find
The true love of mine?
I can't take it anymore
I can't take it anymore
I'll not have you anymore
The lyrics to The Gift's song "Dream With Someone Else's Dream" depict the struggle of the singer to find true love. The repetition of the question "how many times" emphasizes the feeling of hopelessness and frustration. The singer wakes up scared and unable to find the love that they desire. They have tried to share their feelings with someone, but that person was not there for them. The repetition of the phrase "the true love of mine" highlights the idea that the singer is searching for something specific and meaningful.
The lyrics also suggest that the singer has been through a lot of pain and sadness. They mention tears and fears that have grown in their mind. They wish that the person they are searching for could see, feel, and be the true love they seek. The repetition of the questions and phrases throughout the song emphasizes the singer's longing and desperation.
Overall, the song is a powerful expression of the struggle to find love and the pain that comes with that search. The soaring melody adds to the emotional quality of the lyrics, creating a beautiful and poignant piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
How many times
The singer is wondering how often a certain feeling occurs in their life.
I wake up at night
The singer wakes up in the middle of the night from this feeling.
Feeling so scared
The singer is feeling afraid, related to their lack of finding true love.
So why cannot find
The artist is wondering why they haven't been able to find true love yet.
So why cannot find
The artist repeats the question, emphasizing their confusion and frustration.
The true love of mine?
The singer is seeking a genuine and lasting love connection.
I waited to share
The singer has been waiting for an opportunity to express their feelings about love.
This kind of feelings
The artist is referring to their romantic emotions.
But you were not there
The artist is disappointed that someone, possibly a specific person, was not present when they wanted to share their feelings of love.
The true love of mine?
The artist is repeating the question again, as they still haven't found their true love.
How many tears
The singer is again wondering how many times they've shed tears due to their lack of finding love.
Fell down from my eyes
The artist has cried countless times over this issue.
How many fears
The singer is also curious about the amount of fear they've accumulated towards finding true love.
Grew up in my mind
The singer's worries and concerns about love have escalated and become bigger over time.
I wish you could see
The singer is addressing someone, hoping they could understand their emotional plight.
I wish you could feel
The artist is conveying that they want others to empathize with their challenge of finding true love.
I wish you could be
The artist wants someone special to fulfill their desire for true love.
I wish you could be
The singer repeats this sentiment for emphasis.
The true love of mine
The singer is searching for a true and meaningful love connection.
I can't take it anymore
The artist is at their wits' end and cannot handle feeling alone anymore.
I can't take it anymore
The artist reinforces their previous statement, indicating their emotional distress.
I'll not have you anymore
The artist may have been relying on or holding out hope for someone's love, but has decided to move on and not wait any longer.
Contributed by Skyler W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Miguel Ferreira
Ao nível ou melhor que Portished...
Inês Santos
Sou grande admiradora de Portishead. Fantástica "comparação" nunca tal me tinha ocorrido. Só de imaginar um dueto....dá arrepios!
Telmo Couto
Foi uma das minhas primeiras músicas favoritas da banda na altura em que comprei o Vinyl :'-)
Antonio Tavares
Foram estas primeiras musicas de qual me apaixonei por vocês, um muito obrigado por tudo de bom que tem feito;
Luis Costa
A melhor de todas...
sara Silva
estou a reviver o passado...e a recordar a segunda vez que vieram ao Funchal na pontinha dessa vez ja tinha devorado o Vinyl e esta musica é daquelas que nunca devia de terminar...navegamos ao seu som Nuno funchal
Luna Nunes
Adoro! <3
hzgzr
Música ideal para se fazer a barba ao acordar.
Bruno Espadinha
♥