Saturday 5 July 2008

An Alternative Biography

David Gate was born and raised in Harrow, North London. He didn't do too well at school and, not fancying a decade working in a call centre, decided against university. Whilst still at school David wrote a couple of songs that ended up on a worship album. It was probably a fluke.

In 2000/01 David spent a year at Bible College learning about theology, the Bible, how to be eternally pedantic and cynical whilst continually developing his smug persona. Due to the fact that he didn't want to gain 10 grand more debt, and wanted to keep any last piece of goodness left in his soul, he left Bible college after a year. Without a degree.

By now Emilie had swept into his life and the next few years were spent earning money to get married, getting a place to live and filling a home full of flimsy Ikea furniture. This period included a spell working for J.John which involved trying to sneak on the internet instead of lifting heavy boxes up two flights of stairs. By now David had recorded the Emerge album 'Redemption'. Which was an interesting experience.

In 2003 Team Gate upped sticks and moved to Northern Ireland (Norn Iron) where they were greeted with indifference. Whilst in Carrickfergus, David led at such major events as the 'evening service at church' and 'home group'. 2004 saw the birth of Ethan and the end of trips to the cinema and lie-ins. The following year was busy, relocating to East Belfast to join Willowfield Church, which involved moving house twice. During the moving of houses, David 
recorded his first full length CD 'Unapproachable Light'. Many droll people now call it 'Unlistenable Shite' - which isn't entirely fair. It's actually somewhere between the two. More importantly Liverpool won the Champions League in Istanbul which remains, to this day, the best day of David's life. (Not the most important, special or significant, obviously, but definitely the best)

Zachary was born in June 2006 just before the Gate clan headed back to England to begin life in Cheltenham Spa, working for Trinity Church. This also involved moving house twice - the flimsy Ikea furniture now inhabits a landfill somewhere in Gloucestershire. In 2007, and at the end of his publishing deal, David left the 'Survivor' record label to release his records on the famous 'Trinity' label - home to such genre defining albums as 'Garments of Praise' and 'The Family Album'. 

2008 sees the imminent release of David's 3rd album 'Nothing to Fear'. David elected to produce this himself to save money. Brian Eno and Nigel Godrich will still be sleeping safe in their beds. David still hasn't won any awards or bothered the upper (or lower, for that matter) reaches of the CCLI charts. Though his family still love him and Trinity keep paying his salary, so he must be doing something right. One can only imagine the success to come..... 

14 comments:

Chris Beaumont said...

To be fair I only called you album that once to your face!

Anyway who needs a degree to succeed? You just have to look at you, me and Widdecombe to see that a degree isn't necessary.

David Gate said...

we are more like the 3 stooges that the 3 wise men....

The Great DK said...

Cheers for that, as a Trinty newbie its good to know the story behind the faces. I sat near the back for the fisrt few weeks, and though you and Bennetts were the same person (or father & son!?), so nice to set the record straight.

Do I take it from the comment from Chris that Ann Widdecome also comes to Trinity? She must be an evening service gal since I've not seen her yet.........

David Gate said...

i am about 4 stone lighter neil

The Great DK said...

I was practically on the back row.....honest

David Gate said...

i'll let you off then

Neil Bennetts said...

Yes but I have got a degree.

David Gate said...

touché

The Great DK said...

Again apologies to Neil B, I really couldn't tell from where I normally sit......

Styx of Rock said...

Accademic qualifications only show that you can put down what the examiner wants to see, not that you know the subject! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. A nice concise read, so different from the slick pr material usually put out, which you and Neil are rebelling against. You appear to have glossed over your footy career, was this deliberate, or could you not contain the hyperbole in a post of this nature?

David Gate said...

I'm not sure I can say I've ever had a footy "career".

Anonymous said...

Thankyou for writing that I love it, seriously. Too many people these days blag (and blog) on about their acheivements overselling themselves... drives me nuts... everything is about marketing these days!
So thanks for that it made me smile, and think better about life in general :-)

David Gate said...

.... i wrote this after reading someone else's biography praising to the high heavens all their glorious "achievements" and "successes".... the church is truly blessed to have such wonderful people serving it!....
i hope that 99% of my achievements and successes are only seen by those closest to me and not the whole web and blogosphere....

Anonymous said...

Good post.