The second Boom Boom Prog Rock Festival with The Gift, I Am The Manic Whale, Habu is to take place on May 20. For full details go to Boom Boom
The Gift are regarded by many as underground masters of progressive rock. In 2006 their first album ‘Awake And Dreaming’ took the genre by storm with its heady mixture of ‘70s style and contemporary soundscape. Then there was silence…until recently. Originally signed to Cyclops Records, the band then joined the ever growing Bad Elephant Music roster. Their long awaited second album “Land of Shadows” emerged on the 5th of May last year. It was another ambitious song suite packed with strong melodies, incisive lyrics and instrumental ‘tours de force’. The album takes the listener on a real musical journey with tracks like “The Comforting Cold” – an ambitious epic about the near death experience. As vocalist and principal songwriter Mike Morton says: “Don’t come to us for songs about cars and girls.”

BEM is now about to re-release ‘Awake And Dreaming’ to mark its 10th anniversary. It has been remastered and repackaged with stunning new artwork. To complement this release the band will embark on a series of UK live dates, followed by gigs in the Netherlands and Germany, two countries who love what this band does. In the autumn they will release their 3rd album, with very special guests involved, including Steve Hackett and Antony Phillips.

There is a Progressive Renaissance happening right now and The Gift are at its vanguard.

Lineup – Mike Morton (vocals), David Lloyd (guitar), Leroy James (guitar), Stefan Dickers (bass), Gabriele Baldocci (keyboards) and Neil Hayman(drums).