Artist.......: Gem
Album........: Escapades
Label........: Excelsior
Genre........: Indie
Catnr........: EXCEL96098
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Feb-08-2006
str.date.....: 000-00-0000
quality......: VBR/44,1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: http://www.gemmusic.nl/
track title time
01. All I Want Is You 02:18
02. The Subterranean Parade 02:49
03. Go! 02:47
04. Fight On 04:07
05. Strangers In The Night 03:14
06. Talk Talk Talk 03:24
07. Someone 03:08
08. Good To KNow You 02:52
09. Move On 03:39
10. Turn It On 03:04
11. Let it Out Get It Out 02:50
12. Lose The Booze 03:27
Runtime 37:39 min
Size 59,8 MB
Release Notes:
June 2003, GEM have their first gig ever,
supporting The Libertines in front of a sold out
venue. The band is only together for a couple of
months, the 40-minute setlist contains all the
songs the band has, and drummer Ilco Slikker has
been found in a local boozer only a few days before
the gig, giving him time to practice with the band
only twice (but he somehow never left the band
again...). For The Libertines the gig is the
beginning of the end, with singer Pete Doherty not
showing up for one of the first times. For GEM
however, it's the beginning of a true Rock'n'Roll
Blitzkrieg through the Dutch music-scene.
This first sizzling energetic gig ensures the band
straightaway of national press coverage, making
them press darlings number 1 in the Dutch
alternative media almost overnight. With the music
GEM makes, a delicious cocktail of the best
Rock'n'Roll gave us the last decades (Beatles,
Stooges, Ramones, Buzzcocks, The Jam, Sex Pistols,
The Smiths, Oasis) and the best of
"hip-bands-of-nowadays" (Strokes, Libertines,
Hives, Interpol) it offers the Dutch music-scene
something that failed before. Namely, a young, hip,
energetic Rock'n'Roll band, with a firm belief in
their own capabilities, ready to take on anyone and
anything that comes in their way. Not forgetting
their ability to write songs you will find yourself
waking up to, singing in the bathroom, or thinking
of while having hot sex. Yes, it WILL hunt you for
days, and days, and days... Typically the type of
band that will make lots of kids pick up a guitar
and start a band of their own.
Before the year 2003 comes to an end GEM clinch a
record-deal with the prestigious Excelsior
Recordings (Daryll Ann, Zzz and Johan). The
debut-album - Tell Me What's New- is released on
the 24 th of May 2004. Reviews of the album , by
traditional and new media alike, are raving. The
tour that follows takes the band to famous clubs
like Paradiso, Melkweg, Tivoli, 013 and Vera, and
big festivals like Lowlands, Metropolis,
Noorderslag/Eurosonic and The Music In My Head. It
also sees the band support Mando Diao, The Von
Bondies and Eastern Lane. But not only the Dutch
get the chance to enjoy GEM, as the band play some
international festivals like Go North in Aberdeen,
CMJ in New York, Haldern Pop Open Air and the
Popkomm in Berlin. Thanks to these shows GEM sign a
German record-deal to the Haldern Pop Records Label
(Zita Swoon and Das Pop).
Although GEM do play the Noorderslag- and Lowlands
festivals for the second time and support The
Stereophonics in the sold out 5000-capacity
Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, the band focuses
in 2005 mainly on touring Germany and recording the
second album, which is due for release at the
beginning of 2006. In June 2005 the band plays all
over Germany for some weeks, and the response is
amazing, getting once again rave reviews of the
gigs as well as of the debut-album. This ensures
the GEM-tour-van to cross the Dutch-German border
frequently throughout the rest of the year.
The recording of the second album is all on track,
and the band can't wait till the moment it is going
to be released, going out on tour again, playing
all the new material. One of the songs that will be
on the new album is already being used under a
TV/radio-commercial (Randstad). Due to huge demand,
the before-mentioned song, Good To Know You, is
released as a single. It swiftly enters the higher
regions of the Dutch national charts, which leads
to GEM being invited by Top Of The Pops to come
over and play the single. Where does it end? Who
knows? Who cares? It's only Rock'n'Roll, and GEM
likes it!