Warning! Warning! The encircled gas mask logo forewarns listeners that prolonged exposure to the Gate will open eardrums and senses to loud, infectious tunes and hip hop’ish, jump up and down beats that might make you do the aforementioned, maybe even boogie a little. The shackles, chains and locks blast off as it flies open, no slow, rickety creeks or hinges here, as the four musicians within The Benjamin Gate hit the stage with gritty get happy music.
The Gate’s voice is melodic, mesmerizing, beautiful, wide ranged and most important, female. Diva in the making Adrienne Lieshing takes the stage as her own, with no shortage of well-paced energy. During their near non-stop set the four waste no time turning the coffee house atmosphere of The Gathering Grounds into a 3,000 seat arena. They open with the attitude of No Doubt with Gwen Steffani’esque delivery from Lieshing. She continues through the set with Alanis Morrisette high peaks, showing Annie Lennox poise and maturity during the slower numbers. So basically close your eyes, imagine a collage/montage of the above singers plus a nice sprinkling of Natalie Merchant and a Perry Farrel type haircut and you kind of get the idea.
The four South African natives formed in 1998 to honor a fallen friend lost in a car crash. They are musically intense, emotional, energetic and deeply spiritual. The other merry mates include the chord shredding combo of Chris “Vaatsjie” Poisat and Mac Pautz. Sonic bass rumbling is credited to Costa Balamatsias and power percussionist Brett Palmer round out the Port Elizabethian quartet.
Check out their CD and website www.thebenjamingate.com. Among all the cool stuff available their logo is a pretty sweet cross between the Star Gate and former WCW wrestler Glaciers logo with a robot-like gas mask in the center. Their music is filled with Pink Floyd guitar effects and thick, driven, muddy sounds. Pautz and Poisat can bring whale echoes out of their instruments. Certain numbers make you think of that one or two Tool songs you can’t remember the names of while other bring out a Korn bass groove that won’t let your feet stay still.
The year began with shows in California. They returned in March playing Pique on tour with Skillet after a trip home continuing to Canal Fulton in June and Upper Sandusky in July. Check out the site for further news.
