From 1999 to 2005 GÂte was one of the greatest norwegian rock bands. They played all over the country and also in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Faroe Islands, Netherlands, USA and even Zimbabwe. In 2003 they received the award ""Spellemannsprisen" (Norwegian Grammys) for best new act of 2002. They were nominated again in 2005, but didn't win. The band has sold over 100 000 copies of their two full length albums "Jygri" and "Iselilja". All in all, GÂte experienced a lot as long as they existed. In August 2005 the band decided to take a break and played their last show on New Year's Eve 2005.
The band started out with two siblings; Gunnhild and Sveinung Sundli. They both grew up with Norwegian folk music and had performed both together and by themselves since their childhood. In 1999 they got an opening gig for the Swedish folk rock band Garmarna. After this gig Per Tronsaune (former manager for WannskrÊkk, now known as DumDum Boys) contacted them and wanted to get them started and be their manager. They already had the name "GÂte", from a former high school project Sveinung had. After the gig with Garmarna the Sundli siblings found some musicians to play with; Halvor Hoem (guitar) and Martin Langlie (drums). Gjermund Landr¯ was a guest artist on the demo recording, playing saxophone (the bass is programmed and played by Sveinung), but later joined the band on bass. After playing together for a while Halvor found out that he didn't want a career in the musicbusiness and got a job working with TV in Tr¯ndelag. A friend of Martin wanted to jam, and with Magnus B¯rmark impressing the rest of the band, GÂte was now complete.
In December 2001 they recorded their first official EP. The producer was none other than Alex M¯klebust, best known as the vocalist in Seigmen and Zeromancer. He had seen the band live and wanted to help them further. He produced "GÂte EP" that came out in 2002. The EP sold over 5000 copies and the band received a Gold record already on their first release. Later that year he also produced their debut album "Jygri" in Sweden. After the release of "Jygri" they toured all over Norway and in 2003 they played at Roskilde Festival with over 8000 people in the crowd. In the summer of 2004 they recorded their sophomore album "Iselilja", this time produced by KÂre Vestrheim. They didn't play a lot of shows during the summer, but they played at Sveinung's new project, StorÂsfestivalen. They went on a tour again late fall 2004. Before the release of "Iselilja" Martin broke his arm and GÂte used guest drummers on some shows. During this short period he found out that GÂte could make it without him. He played the whole tour in Norway but had his last GÂte concert in Trondheim at Rosendal, November 27th 2004.
Taking over for Martin Langlie was former Dadafon-drummer Kenneth Kapstad. Ironicly, Martin started playing drums in the band Kenneth quit, Dadafon. When Kenneth started playing drums in GÂte, they also started playing more in other countries. In 2005 they played in Netherland, Finland and Germany. In August, after playing in Germany, the band talked about touring more in Europe and getting together another album to promote. Gunnhild then came with shocking news for the band and the fans, she wanted to quit the band and do other things. The rest of the band had to accept her wish and after playing a show in USA they toured Norway for the last time in December. They played two shows in Trondheim, one in Oslo and the last one in Hovden in Setesdal on New Year's Eve.
After GÂte the band members have done a lot of different things. Gunnhild has become an actress and been on theatre shows like Olav Engelbretsson, CafÈ isogaisa, and is currently working at Tr¯ndelag Theatre in Trondheim. This fall she is going to play in a new Norwegian play called "Tyskert¯s" Website: www.gunnhildsundli.com
Sveinung has continued with the StorÂsfestival, which started in 2004 with GÂte as one of the headliners, and the festival has just grown more and more the last couple of years, but experienced financial problems in 2008. This lead to Sveinung leaving the festival after someone else took over. He has also started a club in Trondheim called StorÂs Utested. On April 1st 2009, the bar changes name to "FAMILIEN", since it is no longer affiliated with StorÂsfestivalen. He has also played together with different artists from Italy, India and Sweden, but he is mainly focused on making the music scene in Tr¯ndelag better. He was the one that started 22 after GÂte, but didn't continue in the band after the vocalist from Italy went back home. Website: www.storasfestivalen.no , http://www.familien.in
Gjermund played in a new band called New Violators together with members from Cadillac and The Moving Oo's. They have played at many festivals and are currently working on their new album. Gjermund has left the band, and is now going to architecture school in Oslo.
Magnus has been an owner of a vegetarian restaurant in Trondheim called Persilleriet, but is now focusing on his new band 22, that was originally started by Sveinung. Magnus produced some songs for the band, and was going to join, when the vocalist left. He then contacted his old guitar techichan Mats Paulsen and they started the band that is called 22 today. They've released the EP "ESP" that is well worth checking out and they played at by:larm in Oslo 2008. Website: www.2-2.no
Kenneth plays in a lot of different bands at the time. He played in Animal Alpha after GÂte, but quit in 2007 to play in Motorpsycho. He is also in a two-man project called Monolithic, and a caveman-metal band called Goat the head. He has also recorded the drums on the "22 ESP" that is the name of 22's debut EP, that was recored even before they had a drummer and vocalist. Website: http://www.motorpsycho.fix.no , http://www.goat.as/ ,
Martin left GÂte and joined Dadafon after Kenneth left Dadafon to play drums in GÂte. He has also played in a project called NOIA, but is now touring with a folk music based band known as Valkyrien allstars. Website: http://www.valkyrienallstars.com/
Who knows what will happen to the members of GÂte, maybe they will get together in the future as a band, but that is for time to tell. In the meantime we can follow the band on their different paths, and updates will be made on this site and news will be brought to the fans. Stay in touch and follow on which bands that makes top on this site, most of them are GÂte-related.
