This evening, Peter will play at the Moon & Stars Festival in Locarno, Switzerland, while his old bandmates will rock the Twickenham Stadium in London (UK). We have already a photo from the stage n Locarno for you, more show details will follow, as usual, after the show, including a photo gallery.

Meanwhile (edit 7pm), the band did a soundcheck, playing Rhythm Of The Heat, No Self Control, D.I.Y. and Washing Of The Water

Photo: Axel Beringer
See photos from this morning and the afternoon-soundcheck here - show photos to follow

“b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-big time!”

Peter Gabriel in Gelsenkirchen yesterday - that was something like the utter fulfillment of many fans’ wishes. Some things we had expected, many thing we had hoped for, but what Peter actually presented then surpassed the most daring hopes.

There was (Washing Of The Water excepted) not a single song in the regular set that Peter had played on his previous tour. Instead he gave his fans what they wanted. He really did it. Based on the poll on his website the set consisted mainly on the top 20 of his fans’ wishes, and so it happened that the introduction became the motto of the night: “We do what we’re told”.
The set began with the whine at the beginning of The Rhythm Of The Heat - and Peter was extremely off-key for that. Fuckups were part of the night and Peter kept merrily counting them.
Many classics had been ordered and were delivered, even Moribund The Burgermeister, songs from his second album like D.I.Y. and On The Air, much-demanded and too-long-unheard treats like Intruder oder No Self-Control. Peter even sang some songs in German, viz. Schnappschuss (ein Familienfoto) and parts of Not One Of Us / Du Bist Nicht Wie Wir. One of the most popular songs from his second album, Mother Of Violence, was completely sung by Melanie Gabriel.
It took quite some time before the first real hit - Big Time - was played, and when the regular set came to a worthy finale with Lay Your Hands On Me it would not have taken wonder if Peter had really done it … but he didn’t.
Funnily enough, Peter played three big hits at the end: Solsbury Hill, Slegehammer and In Your Eyes were the encores that did not at all fit with the spectacle that had gone before.
This was really great. Peter played regardless of any mainstream considerations only those things his devoted fans wanted to hear. Joe Ordinary-Concertgoer appeared quite shocked, but for all others it was a feast that can hardly be overshadowed this summer.

seen, witnessed and written down by Helmut Janisch + Christian Gerhardts
translated by Martin Klinkhardt

Check out the photo gallery from the show!

Just a quick news snippet regarding Peter’s forthcoming open air tour - The first Gelsenkirchen Show is now sold out.