Thursday, February 24, 2011

Throwback Thursday: The Benjamin Gate

The Benjamin Gate is one of my absolute favorite bands! TBG hailed from South Africa, and burst onto the Christian Music scene in 2001 with their debut, "Untitled". Boasting a strong electronic pop/rock sound, they quickly became a favorite in the industry. The band members were Adrienne Liesching (now known as Adie Camp) on vocals, Costa Balamatsias was the bassist, Nick Volsteedt on drums, Marc "Mac" Pautz on guitar, and Chris Poisat, also on guitar.


Their first album, "Untitled", released in 2001 garnered them positive reviews, with Jesus Freak Hideout giving them a 4/5. "All Over Me"  and "Hands" were quite popular, and The Benjamin Gate's unique sound made you want to hear more. They toured extensively, and performed at the now defunct Festival Con Dios three times.


"Contact" followed in 2002, and toned their sound down a bit to make it more radio friendly. It still retained their cool electronic pop/rock vibe, but in a more contemporary manner. "Lift Me Up" was a successful single. As they continued to tour, Adrienne met someone very special. Jeremy Camp. They soon were engaged.  However, Adrienne did not feel like she could keep up with being in a band and being a wife and mother, so in 2003, The Benjamin Gate disbanded after only 2 years of being a signed band. 


Adrienne and Jeremy Camp have two daughters, Isabella and Arianne. Adrienne now goes by Adie Camp, and has released two worship albums, "Don't Wait" (2006) and "Just You And Me" (2010).


The rest of the band members have either moved back to South Africa and England, with the exception of Nick, who moved to Los Angeles to pursue a modeling career. The man behind all their hits, Marc Theodosiou, works in the music industry.




I wish I could have seen TBG perform at least one time. The video above is the only live footage I can find, and it is poor quality. Their lyrics and music are amazing, and would love to see a reunion, even if it was just for one song. TBG was one of the best bands I've ever heard, and their music is greatly missed. be sure to check them out! 

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