Gabilliam
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Gabe Saporta/William Beckett |
| Alternative name(s): | Gabe/William, Gabilliam |
| Gender category: | m/m slash |
| Fandom: | Cobra Starship / The Academy Is... (Bandom) |
| Canonical?: | no |
| Prevalence: | common |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Gabilliam (a portmanteau of Gabe/William) is the pairing name for the real-person fiction pairing of Gabe Saporta (of Cobra Starship) and William Beckett (of The Academy Is...) (TAI), two of the "second tier" Bandom bands.
Ship history
William met Gabe in December 2004 on a small tour along with Fall Out Boy, Midtown (Gabe's band), Gym Class Heroes and The Academy Is.... at this point in time William was a big fan of Midtown which only drove them to meet further. Not much is known about this time other than Gabe finding TAI's first album 'Almost Here' as "a record that really defined a certain time for me" and that they were good friends at this time. Midtown broke up in 2005 and their last show was at Warped tour 2005 along with FOB, MCR and TAI. Then later in 2005, Cobra Starship was formed and in 2006, TAI was offered to do a song for a movie (Snakes On A Plane) and offered to Cobra Starship to then help launch their career further. During the shooting of the music video for the song, Gabe wrote an entry on LiveJournal of him having to stay with William after the shoot for an extra night. This was because of (in a series of following lies) the hotel had kicked him out/didn't have any more pringles for him to eat and he didn't have the money to pay it back, but the truth was he wanted snuggle with William. Claiming "It's not gay if you don't cum".[1]
In an interview referencing track 5 of While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets: 'It's Warmer in the Basement', Gabe in an interview with Ryland (Fellow Cobra Starship member) mentions "(...) Sometimes I keep William Beckett locked up in the basement for a while. So no one else would see him. I want him all to myself. Little snuggle buddy." as a reference to the song which is about wanting to keep a girl in your basement until she loves you.[2]
Around the same time Gabe was passing around a link of fanfiction he'd posted on LiveJournal where he'd written of William and himself and they were in a life-long partnership where William is his Secretary of the Interior and he is the president. He describes William as having large doe eyes and having feminine traits that he'd also commonly compliment when in interviews generally and by fans.[3]
For awhile the ship was prolonged by random Gabilliam posting from William mostly on his Instagram and barely Gabe until recently (2020s). Gabe and William announced they'd be playing a show together in Chicago as TAI and Midtown along with Jon Walker (Panic! at the Disco) in 2022. The poster provided a photo of Gabe and William kissing but at a different angle to the iconic one known today which means two kisses are publicly known between the two.[4] During 2023, they also shared a performance for Emo Nite.[5]
The ship was and is still reinforced by several other members of the scene, including Gabe and William themselves.
Theories
After the Last Midtown Show
Gabilliam tinhats suggest that "After the Last Midtown Show" by TAI was written in reference to a possible past relationship/hooking up phase from William's point of view. During the the real last Midtown show it's believed at that point Gabe and William were hooking up as the song lyrics provide insight into emotions they were both experiencing. Mainly the lyric "I know there must be some things I missed" when sung live replacing the original lyrics "Is there anything I missed?" as seen in different performances.[6] It can be seen as a petty reaction from William and a conscious choice of when to use the wording.
Winter Passing and Wet Hot American Summer
"Winter Passing" by TAI was released in 2008 and based on a relationship forming during the winter which was also the same season as when he and Gabe first met. This song also emphasizes the emotions of what a couple used to have between each other in the winter (same season that they met). "Wet Hot American Summer" by Cobra Starship is about regretting your decisions and trying to move on from your mistakes from a past relationship. But also references having fun in the summertime which is at the same time as Warped tour and the Honda Civic tours. These songs mirror off each other and can be connected via Gabilliam.
Seed
"Seed" is the 8th track off TAI's 2nd album Santi in 2007. The song discuses a messy relationship in which William talks about "[how] I wanted it so desperately to be real," keeping your feelings to yourself, hiding secrets and running away. Then it can be interpreted that when Gabe's isn't on tour with William, he acts distant. The lyrics go on to sing about "I'd been planning on someone else but you found me out instead" by this point in time William was engaged with his high school sweetheart and about to have a baby. This theory is proven further by Gabe interviewing William if he likes the song in an interview on the MTV VMA's red carpet. This song was never a single or promoted outwardly so it's a surprise it was brought up at all while William was promoting TAI's new single "40 Steps."[7]
Gabe & William's Response
Both Gabe and William have been good-humored about and even supportive of the Gabilliam ship.
In a 2006 video when fans explain to Gabe what Treckett means, Gabe replies: "Now my question is, where do I fall into that? 'Cause I don’t see a Greckett, or a Treckgabe..."[8]
Gabe and William have also posed with (presumably fan-made) "I love William" and "I love Gabe" signs, respectively.
In a June 2012 interview, when asked about his "favorite rumor" about himself, William responded: "I love all... all rumors. Particularly Gabilliam ones are pretty funny. They're pretty funny. And... mostly untrue."[9] In 2014, William posted old photos of himself and Gabe with captions "Gabilliam" and "Still shipping." on his Instagram.[10]
Fandom Trends
- Canon-compliant tour fics as well as AUs are common.
- This ship has gained recent support on stan twitter in 2020
- 16 Candles AU is very common for this pairing
Example Fanworks
- Away with the by cupiscent: Gabe must fetch poet!William and bring him to Pete's faery court.
- If Only I Were a Painter, I'd Paint for You the Moon by foxxcub: WWII AU.
- Since we've no place to go by airgiodSLV: fairies Mpreg AU. Podfic by greedy_dancer.
- Straight Up Chicago Style: stripclub AU by airgiodSLV.
- Don't Give a Damn ('Bout My Bad Reputation) by romanticalgirl: an underage William makes out with Gabe after a Midtown show.
- Time by AirgiodSLV: an AU where William and Gabe are immortal; the fic shows times and places throughout history where their lives overlap.
- Always Looking Up by inlovewithnight: Depicts the early days of TAI in an AU where William is a trans guy. William/Mike, William/Gabe.
- We're Like Magnets by adellyna: a futurefic set after their respective bands break up where Gabe and William reconnect.
- Ships That Crash in the Night by iridescentglow
- Five Romance Novel Beginnings Gabe and William Never Had by Rsadelle
- Ask Yourself What Matters by formerlydf: an anti-sex pollen fic
Links & Resources
- William Beckett/Gabe Saporta fanworks and bookmarks at AO3
- Gabe/William podfics on the audiofic archive
- Gabe/William Manifesto by airgiodslv at bandom_ships (February 2008)
- Gabilliam Manifesto (dead link) by rimharry (July 2011)
- gabilliam community on LiveJournal
- gabilliam tag on Tumblr
- an updated gabilliam rec list from tumblr by bilvy
References
- ^ "4:59 am ask, and ye shall receive. new journal entry: where am i ? and how did i get here? i am in la, sitting in william's hotel room and crashing on his couch. ive got some explaining to do: i came out here on monday to shoot a video on tuesday with william and travis for snakes on a plane (more on that in a miinute). i was supposed to leave tonight, but the academy are shooting their video tomorrow so i decided to stay one more day. but i kinda got kicked out of the hotel, so i had to sneak into william's room for the last night. ok, that's a lie. the truth is i ate all the pringles from the minibar and didnt have the cash to pay for it, so they wouldnt let me stay an extra night. ok, that's also a lie. the truth is the hotel was sold out. fine, another lie. if you really want to know the truth, i just want to snuggle next to william. what!? it's not gay if you don't cum."[1]
- ^ "There's a track in Cobra's first cd called "It's Warmer in the Basement," which is where the common joke of "Gabe's basement" comes from in fandom, and maybe why some people wrongly think he's creepy. Anyway, Gabe: "This song is about loving a girl so much you want to keep her tied up in the basement and not share her with the rest of the world. Sometimes I keep William Beckett locked up in the basement for a while. So no one else would see him. I want him all to myself. Little snuggle buddy."[2]
- ^ Full fanfic
- ^ Post
- ^ Article
- ^ 'I know there must be things I missed'
- ^ Interview
- ^ Gabe Saporta Interviews fans at Buzznet. 17 August 2006. (Accessed 08 July 2014.) Dead link.
- ^ William Beckett interview with Pup Fresh. 10 Favorite Things with William Beckett on YouTube (from 3:35). 26 June 2012. (Accessed 08 July 2014.)
- ^ Photo by williambeckett c. March 2014: "GABILLIAM. I miss this guy like no other. #tbt" & Photo by williambeckett c. April 2014: "Still shipping. @gabrielsaporta #wcw".