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.
Front Of
The Gift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stop breathing allow me to repeat
Keep breathing I guess it would disturb
Keep breathing the road is getting long
Maybe I will find you in another place
Maybe I will find you with somebody else
Keep breathing life is hard to play
Keep breathing we haven't find the way
Stop breathing
Maybe I will find you in another place
Maybe I will find you with somebody else
The things that they said us
The things that we run off
Though we try to move over
After all that we saw
The stage is clear, the view is soft
But it's so cold, warm enough
The game is set, and too much players again,
And here we are, in front of them again
Keep breathing, I'm glad to see you back
Keep breathing I thought we would give up
Stop breathing their eyes will catch our soul
Stop breathing their ears will break our mind
Keep breathing and join the carrousel
Stop breathing pretend a pantomime
Keep breathing today we woke up blue
Stop breathing perhaps we lay down dark
Keep breathing I'm trying to get some sleep
Stop breathing allow me to repeat
Keep breathing and join the carrousel
Stop breathing
And dark, and blue, and again
Maybe I will find you in another place
Maybe I will find you with somebody else
Keep breathing I'm trying to get some sleep
Stop breathing allow me to repeat
Keep breathing this game it makes no sense
Stop breathing
Maybe I will find you in another place
Maybe I will find you with somebody else
The Gift's song "Front Of" is a hauntingly beautiful composition that deals with the complexities of relationships that are coming to an end. The lyrics speak of a couple on the verge of a breakup, and the conflicting emotions that they are experiencing as they try to come to terms with their feelings. The song explores themes of loss, regret, and the fear of moving on.
In the opening lines, the singer pleads with their partner to stop breathing so that they can get some sleep. The repetition of this phrase adds to the sense of desperation and frustration that the singer is feeling. They are conflicted between their desire to be with their partner and their need for personal space and rest. The singer then goes on to suggest that maybe they will find their partner with someone else - a haunting thought that cuts deep into the emotions of the song.
The central theme of the song seems to be the idea of breathing and its symbolic significance in relationships. Breathing is a natural part of our lives, but in this song, it takes on a deeper meaning as a metaphor for the ups and downs of romantic relationships. The repetitive use of this word ensures that the listener is reminded of its significance throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Stop breathing I'm trying to get some sleep
Please be quiet because I am trying to sleep
Stop breathing allow me to repeat
I am asking you to stop making noise so that I can repeat myself
Keep breathing I guess it would disturb
You can keep breathing, but it might be noisy and bothersome for me
Keep breathing the road is getting long
You can keep breathing, but we still have a long way to go
Maybe I will find you in another place
I might locate you in a different location or situation
Maybe I will find you with somebody else
I might find you with another person
Keep breathing life is hard to play
It's challenging to navigate life, but don't hold your breath; keep going
Keep breathing we haven't find the way
We haven't found the path we should take, but don't stop breathing
Stop breathing this game it makes no sense
This situation or game seems pointless, and I want you to stop making noise and distracting me
Stop breathing
Once again, I am begging you to stop making any sound
Keep breathing and join the carrousel
Don't hold your breath and join in with the spinning ride, regardless of the uncertainty
Stop breathing pretend a pantomime
Please stop making noise and act like you're in a silent performance
Keep breathing today we woke up blue
We woke up feeling down, but don't hold your breath and keep going
Stop breathing perhaps we lay down dark
Maybe we are in a depressed state, and I'm asking you to stop making noise because it's aggravating me
The things that they said us
The things they told us
The things that we run off
The things we tried to forget or escape from
Though we try to move over
Even though we have tried to move past these things
After all that we saw
After everything we have experienced
The stage is clear, the view is soft
There's nothing obstructing our view, and everything appears relaxed
But it's so cold, warm enough
Despite the calm scene, it's still frigid, even though it should be warm enough
The game is set, and too much players again,
The game has begun, but it appears there are too many players involved
And here we are, in front of them again
Once again, we are in front of these people, ready to commence the game
Keep breathing, I'm glad to see you back
Don't stop breathing; I'm happy to see that you've returned
Keep breathing I thought we would give up
I believed we would quit, but don't hold your breath; keep going
Stop breathing their eyes will catch our soul
Please don't make noise; otherwise, these people will see into our innermost selves
Stop breathing their ears will break our mind
If you make noise, it may cause a psychological breakdown for us
And dark and blue and again
We feel depressed again, just like before
Maybe I will find you in another place
I may locate you somewhere else
Maybe I will find you with somebody else
I may find you in the company of another person
Keep breathing I'm trying to get some sleep
Please continue to breathe, but I am trying to sleep
Stop breathing allow me to repeat
Once again, I am pleading for you to stop making noise and allow me to repeat myself
Keep breathing this game it makes no sense
This game or situation is illogical, but don't hold your breath and keep going
Stop breathing
For the last time, I am requesting that you do not make any noise
Maybe I will find you in another place
I could potentially locate you elsewhere
Maybe I will find you with somebody else
Perhaps I will find you in the company of another person
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tania Lopes
This is the Most Beautiful Song I Ever Heard!!!
Inventor
Una vez fuí a Barcelona, salí del tren, entré en el Fnac, ví unas cortinas negras y gente curioseando, llegué justo al momento en que empezaba el concierto, me senté en primera fila a un metro de la cantante, me quedé hipnotizado que hasta lloré por las notas, nunca un grupo desconocido me había causado tan larga emoción musical con la piel de gallina y amandoles instantáneamente sin necesidad del reconocer previo que es una condición absoluta que requiere el amor, este flechazo para mí fué un hecho insólito pues soy hiperexigente. Les felicité al finalizar y aquel día especial aprendí que es posible una música muy guay y me ha alentado en estos 25 años de soledad musical y es que tener la suerte de ver una estrella fugaz a tu lado sin verla por la tele marca una impronta en el alma imposible de borrar. Haber vibrado en consonancia por simpatía debido a coincidencias estilísticas armónicas fué un placer de afinidad que ha reforzado la difícil de describir y a menudo borrósamente olvidada historia de las influencias del pasado que me completan.
Bruno Espadinha
f*cking beautiful ♥
Natura Delice
uau uau uau uau uau uau uau :) :) :)