Gazpacho (NO)

About

Gazpacho describe their own name as fitting a band that is an unlikely mixture of people, the same way the cold Spanish soup is a meshed up blend of vegetables. That spirit of unexpected combinations runs right through their music too. The Oslo trio of Jan Henrik Ohme, Jon Arne Vilbo and Thomas Andersen built the band's sound around Ohme's vocals, Vilbo's guitar and Andersen's keyboards and production work, later bringing in Mikael Krømer on violin, Robert Johansen on drums and Kristian Torp on bass. Their early connection to Marillion's fanbase gave them a foothold in the progressive rock world, leading to a support slot on Marillion's 31 date European Marbles tour and eventually a deal with Marillion's own Racket Records label. That relationship also landed them a guitar solo from Steve Rothery on the track "Do You Know What You Are Saying". Their 2003 debut Bravo drew the attention of Dutch magazine Oor, who called it "a rare beauty", and the band has kept building on that reputation across albums like When Earth Lets Go, Firebird and Night.