Peter Gabriel Says "So"

Peter Gabriel recently announced his “Back To Front” tour, featuring start-to-finish performances of his classic 1986 album, “So”.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the album that included “Red Rain,” “Sledgehammer,” “Big Time” and “In Your Eyes,” Gabriel begins the journey in mid-September, accompanied by members of the original "So" touring band. 

Coinciding with the tour, the LP will be re-issued as a CD, a special edition 3-CD set and a super box deluxe set.

Here’s the US schedule:

Sept. 21 – Philadelphia, Pa., Wells Fargo Center
Sept. 23 – Wantagh, N.Y., Nikon At Jones Beach Theater
Sept. 24 – Boston, Mass., TD Garden
Sept. 26 – Auburn Hills, Mich., The Palace Of Auburn Hills
Sept. 27 – Chicago, Ill., United Center
Sept. 30 – Morrison, Colo., Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Oct. 2 – San Jose, Calif., HP Pavilion At San Jose
Oct. 5 – Las Vegas, Nev., Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
Oct. 6 – Los Angeles, Calif., Hollywood Bowl
Oct. 9 – Santa Barbara, Calif., Santa Barbara Bowl

Gabriel has indicated that it is likely that more dates will be added.

Member Review: Peter Gabriel

Subscriber Buenavista sent us this detailed review:

If you weren't a hardcore Gabriel fan, this show may not have been for you.

The adventurous and challenging 61-year-old Brit is currently touring with The New Blood Orchestra in support of his 2010 covers album, Scratch My Back.

What made the show so unique was that there were no guitars and no drums. PG did bring some major strings, horns, and woodwind players, conducted by Ben Foster, along with two female backup singers - his daughter Melanie and Norwegian opening act Ana Brun - to perform alternately somber and dramatic orchestral arrangements of some of his best known songs and covers while stunning visuals were provided on multiple LED screens at the front and back of the stage.

Backstage, Gabriel, dressed in a black vest and pants, explained to me his idea behind Scratch My Back. He sees it as a songwriter’s exchange that will eventually see those artists whose songs he covered, cover his songs.

Then he adds, "Hopefully. Herding songwriters is a bit like herding cats”.

In the meantime, a new album called New Blood, featuring orchestral arrangements of Gabriel songs, many that he performed at the show, is due this year.

Opening with a very serious, sad, slow and almost completely unrecognizable version of David Bowie’s Heroes, it took a few songs for Gabriel and the New Blood Orchestra to hit their stride with Paul Simon’s The Boy In The Bubble and Arcade Fire’s My Body Is a Cage as he grew stronger vocally, hitting some mighty high notes, and the arrangements became more powerful.

He even screwed up the opening of the second song, Wallflower, and joked about it before beginning again.

But nothing could prepare the audience for the tearjerking presentation of Father, Son that followed as Gabriel explained how he had spent a week with his 99-year-old father and a yoga instructor and had burst into tears at one point but his father had caught him and held him.

“What do they say about country music? Three chords and the truth? That was my country moment,” said Gabriel.

As he sang the heartfelt song, black and white film of him and his father together was shown on the LED screens, and there was barely a dry eye in the house.

Gabriel is such an emotionally open and soulful singer that his vulnerability can be truly overwhelming at times.

Still, famously known as a theatrical performer, he was much more static alongside the New Blood Orchestra - with Foster a much bigger presence - until he broke out his South African protest song, Biko, at the end of the first set and got everyone standing on their feet with one arm raised and singing along.

After a short intermission, Gabriel returned for a much stronger second set with such highlights as Digging in The Dirt, Signal To Noise, Downside Up, and Rhythm of the Heat, but they were trumped by awe-inspiring versions of Mercy Street, Red Rain, In Your Eyes, and Don’t Give Up (with Brun taking over Kate Bush’s part) - all from his album So which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year - and the really creepy but effective Intruder.

Gabriel even broke out the tambourine in the second set and finally skipped around the stage during Solsbury Hill right before the encore and not a moment too soon.

SET LIST:

Heroes (David Bowie cover)

Wallflower

Après Moi (Regina Spektor cover)

The Boy in the Bubble (Paul Simon cover)

My Body Is a Cage (Arcade Fire cover)

Father, Son

Darkness

Washing of the Water

Biko

INTERMISSION

San Jacinto

Digging in the Dirt

Signal to Noise

Downside Up

Mercy Street

The Rhythm of the Heat

Blood of Eden

Intruder

Red Rain

Solsbury Hill

ENCORE:

In Your Eyes

Don’t Give Up

The Nest That Sailed the Sky

Let me tell you how great it was to spend some time with someone who has been such an inspiration to me and my songwriting. Without BackstagePassDirect, I doubt that this ever could have happened.

Thanks guys.

Thank you, Buenavista. We appreciate your keeping your brothers and sisters here informed.

If you want to spend some tme and space with your "inspiration", we can help make it happen. Go to BackstagePassDirect and sign up today.

Peter Gabriel Announces Summer Tour

Following the success of last year's sell out concerts Peter Gabriel returns to the USA for an 11 date tour with the New Blood orchestra. On the last outing Gabriel redrew the works of Lou Reed, David Bowie, Radiohead....this time out he applies the orchestral makeover to his own back catalogue. The stunning musical backdrop leaves Gabriel's vocals centre-stage and bare, stripped of the usual rock'n'roll clothing, no loud guitars or booming drums to hide behind.

Raw and soul-baring yet passionate and often joyous, Gabriel's classic songs here take new shape and extra meaning.

This tour is an opportunity to experience the reinvention of an iconic song selection - from Red Rain to San Jacinto, Digging in the Dirt to Don't Give Up - before the album release of 'New Blood' later this year.

Dates are:

Fri 06/10/11         Berkeley, CA     University Of California    

Sat 06/11/11         Santa Barbara, CA     Santa Barbara Bowl    

Mon 06/13/11         Morrison, CO     Red Rocks Amphitheatre        

Wed 06/15/11         Grand Prairie, TX     Verizon Theatre At Grand Prairie        

Thu 06/16/11         The Woodlands, TX     The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion        

Sat 06/18/11         Kansas City, MO     Starlight Theatre        

Mon 06/20/11         Chicago, IL     United Center    

Fri 06/24/11         Mansfield, MA     Comcast Center        

Sat 06/25/11         Camden, NJ     Susquehanna Bank Center    

Mon 06/27/11         Saratoga Springs, NY     Saratoga Performing Arts Center    

These limited engagement tours bring out the loyalists in large numbers so request your passes today.