Peter Gabriel — 'Back To Front' Encore Series 2013 [O2 Arena, Prague, Czech Republic] (October 10, 2013)

 

Peter Gabriel — 'Back To Front' Encore Series 2012 [Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles]
Sound: The drums are continuously in the fore, frequently along with the guitars, which makes for a  strong rock sound.
Fuck-Ups: None, though the band seem to lose some of their focus towards the end.
Special events: John Cusack has a cameo for In Your Eyes. He cannot be heard, but he is announced. Right before Shock The Monkey someone shouts: „Change the lights! Ridiculous!“
Other information / comparison to other Encores:
♦  The show is very spirited and has a strong groove.  Are they all making a special effort because the whole world of show biz is watching in LA? Even the last third is not as tired as in other shows. Come Talk To Me, Digging and Secret World are brilliant, lively performances with a good urge forward courtesy of the drums. No Self Control is another good piece. Even the difficult Big Time and That Voice Again have their day here. Sometimes, however, there is too much power in it and then it all begins to sound rough and brutal (Sledgehammer, This Is The Picture).
Summary: A special show. If you enjoy rock and a band that has fun playing, then this is for you.
Birth name: Peter Brian Gabriel
Born: 13 February 1950, Chobham, Surrey, England
Location: Woolley Valley near Bath, Somerset
Album release: 2012
Recorded: October 6, 2012 at Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles
Record Label:
Duration:     61:29 + 74:52 => 136:21
Tracks:
CD1:
01. Intro      (2:04)
02. O But      (5:16)
03. Come Talk To Me      (5:33)
04. Shock The Monkey      (5:29)
05. Family Snapshot      (5:04)
06. Digging In The Dirt      (6:57)
07. Secret World      (8:59)
08. The Family & The Fishing Net      (7:18)
09. No Self Control      (5:57)
10. Solsbury Hill      (4:53)
11. Washing Of The Water      (3:59)
CD2:
01. Intro      (0:40)
02. Red Rain      (6:25)
03. Sledgehammer      (5:46)
04. Don't Give Up      (7:47)
05. That Voice Again      (4:47)
06. Mercy Street      (6:57)
07. Big Time      (5:13)
08. We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)      (4:34)
09. This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)      (4:18)
10. In Your Eyes      (13:36)
11. The Tower That Ate People      (5:09)
12. Biko      (9:40)
Line-Up:
♦  Peter Gabriel: Vocals, Keyboards
♦  Tony Levin: Bass
♦  David Rhodes: Guitars
♦  David Sancious: Keyboards
♦  Manu Katché: Drums
♦  Jennie Abrahamson: Vocals / Background Vocals
♦  Linnea Olsson: Background Vocals
Band:
♦  The fans were equally surprised and delighted to hear that Gabriel would play this tour with the same band as on the So concerts in 1987. It is particularly great that he managed to get Manu Katché who has become a respected artist in his own right in the meantime. Though he does not play as furiously as back then he still drives the songs forward with his trademark elegance. David Sancious, whose jazzy influence left a strong mark on the 1987 performances, remains a bit more unobtrusive. There are few moments for him to shine. Old hand Tony Levin grooves with lots of soul, as is his wont, and still finds the time to shoot photos for his website. David Rhodes and his guitar work have, surprisingly, been moved to the fore in the mixes. His input had not been heard so clearly so far. The 2012 tour brings in „two new friends“, too. Jennie Abrahamson and Linnea Olsson take over backing vocal duties. Linnea joined the band at very short notice when Ane Brun got sick, and Jennie was promoted to „backing vocalist with solo duties“.
Full setlist:
06/10/2012 LOS ANGELES
Acoustic session:
01 O But
02 Come Talk To Me
03 Shock The Monkey
04 Family Snapshot
Full band:
05 Digging In The Dirt
06 Secret World
07 The Family And The Fishing Net
08 No Self Control
09 Solsbury Hill
10 Washing Of The Water
So live:
11 Red Rain
12 Sledgehammer
13 Don't Give Up
14 That Voice Again
15 Mercy Street
16 Big Time
17 We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)
18 This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)
19 In Your Eyes
Encore:
20 The Tower That Ate People
21 Biko
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Shows 2013:
♦  28/09/13  Herning - Jyske Bank Boxen, Denmark  
♦  30/09/13  Amsterdam - Ziggo Dome, Netherlands  
♦  01/10/13  Brussels - Vorst Nationaal, Belgium  
♦  03/10/13  Wien - Stadthalle,  Austria 
♦  05/10/13  Zagreb - Arena, Croatia  
♦  07/10/13  Milan - Mediolanum Forum, Italy  
♦  08/10/13  Geneva - Le Grand Saconnex, Switzerland  
♦  10/10/13  Prague - O2 Arena, Czech Republic  
♦  11/10/13  Leipzig - Arena,  Germany 
♦  13/10/13  Stuttgart - Schleyerhalle,  Germany 
♦  15/10/13  Paris - Palais Omnisport Bercy France  
♦  16/10/13  Düsseldorf - ISS Dome   Germany 
♦  18/10/13  Hamburg - O2 World,  Germany 
♦  19/10/13  Berlin - O2 World,  Germany 
♦  21/10/13  London - O2 Arena, UK
♦  22/10/13  London - O2 Arena,  UK 
♦  24/10/13  Glasgow - Hydro,  UK 
♦  25/10/13  Manchester - MRC Arena,  UK 
For more details: http://www.genesis-news.com/c-Peter-Gabriel-Back-To-Front-So-Anniversary-Tour-s476.html
Site: http://petergabriel.com/
WOMAD: http://www.womad.org/
REAL WORLD: http://realworldrecords.com/
WITNESS: http://www.witness.org/
THE ELDERS: http://www.theelders.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeterGabriel
TheMusic.com/Shop: http://www.themusic.com/encore/peter-gabriel-2012-live-encore-series/
Genesis news: http://www.genesis-news.com/Links.html
♦  Real World Productions and the Encore Series team at TheMusic.com have joined forces once again to create the Peter Gabriel 'Back To Front' Encore Series 2012. Each show of the Peter Gabriel Back to Front Tour will be recorded live from the soundboard, mixed by Peter's 'Front of House' Engineer, Ben Findlay.
♦  In keeping with Peter Gabriel's work as a pioneer of digital distribution of music, each show can be purchased as a high-quality manufactured 2-CD set (not CD-Rs) or you can get digital delivery of the show via custom USB stick in the shape of a microphone.
♦  Shows can be purchased separately, or for the ultimate fan, can be purchased as a complete set (all 16 shows) in either our Collectors Edition Box Set or Deluxe Limited Edition numbered Road Case.
♦  For those unable to attend one of the concerts on this tour, the Encore Series offers a chance for you to experience Peter’s Front to Back tour from home, and for those of you that do see a show, an opportunity to relive the experience again and again...
♦  Description: This deluxe package collector's item includes: all 15 concerts* in 2-CD sets from the 2012 Back to Front Tour and exclusive photos, all in a miniature road case. This collector's item is hand-numbered and limited.**  It is a must-have for every die-hard fan - the ultimate collector's item.
♦  * Due to arena restrictions, the Santa Barbara show will not be part of the Peter Gabriel 2012 Encore Series. The Hollywood Bowl show will still be included as a 'free bonus'. Two previous Peter Gabriel Encore Series CDs - the 2004 Nice, France show and the 2007 Werchter (Leuven), Belgium show along with a miniature tour book from the Back to Front 2012 tour have been added as bonus with each box set.
♦  ** Road Case color and artwork subject to change.
Note: Deluxe Edition Road Case will ship approximately one month after the end of the tour. 
The Peter Gabriel Encore Series Team
In french:
♦  Peter Gabriel est "reparti au front", en commençant par une tournée nord-américaine pourl'anniversaire de son album fétiche "So". Autour de lui, on retrouve pratiquement le meme groupe qu'a l'origine.
♦  Pour l'occasion, une série spéciale de CDs  est éditée a la suite de chaque concert et en vente en ligne.
♦  Ici, c'est le concert donné a l'Hollywood Bowl de Los Angeles, un spectacle émouvant... Pour le vieux continent, il faudra attendre l'année prochaine!
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♦  Peter co-founded the group Genesis in 1966 at school. He went on to make 7 albums with Genesis. He left in 1975, but returned to music a year later, since when he has made 11 solo albums.
Personal life:
♦  Gabriel has two daughters with his first wife Jill Moore: Anna-Marie (born 26 July 1974) and Melanie Gabriel (born 23 August 1976). Married on 17 March 1971, they divorced in 1987. Moore's father was Lord Moore of Wolvercote.
♦  Anna-Marie is a filmmaker and Melanie is a musician. Anna-Marie filmed and directed the Growing Up On Tour: A Family Portrait and Still Growing Up: Live & Unwrapped DVDs. Melanie has been a backing vocalist in her father's band since 2002.
♦  In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Gabriel lived with actress Rosanna Arquette but they never married.
♦  Gabriel also has two sons with Meabh Flynn: Isaac Ralph (born 27 September 2001) and Luc (born 5 July 2008). Gabriel and Flynn have been married since 9 June 2002.
♦  Gabriel has resided for many years in the county of Wiltshire in England, where he also runs his Real World Studios. He previously lived in the Woolley Valley near Bath, Somerset. In 2010 he joined a campaign to stop an agricultural development at the valley, which had also inspired his first solo single "Solsbury Hill" in 1977.
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Discography:
♦  Peter Gabriel 1 (Car) (1977)
♦  Peter Gabriel 2 (Scratch) (1978)
♦  Peter Gabriel 3 (Melt) (1980) / Ein deutsches Album (1980)
♦  Peter Gabriel 4 (Security) (1982) / Deutsches Album (1982)
♦  Birdy (1985)
♦  So (1986)
♦  Passion (1989)
♦  Us (1992)
♦  OVO (2000)
♦  Long Walk Home (2002)
♦  Up (2002)
♦  Scratch My Back (2010)
♦  New Blood (2011)
With Genesis:
♦  From Genesis to Revelation (1969)
♦  Trespass (1970)
♦  Nursery Cryme (1971)
♦  Foxtrot (1972)
♦  Genesis Live (1973)
♦  Selling England by the Pound (1973)
♦  The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974)
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♦  Peter Gabriel has brought out another Encore Series from his Back To Front tour 2012. Soundboard recordings from all shows (except one) are officially available from the website themusic.com, which makes them something like official bootlegs. Each show can be bought individually as a 2CD set. You can also buy a North American Collectors' CD Box in a cardboard box and a North American Deluxe CD Road Case. To top even that, you can get all shows and cases with microphone-shaped USB sticks instead of CDs.
♦  All about that and the shows themselves below.
The exterior
♦  The CD Road case has the tour logo. Apart from that it is the same design as the road cases from earlier Encore series. It is also made by the same company, only it is slightly bigger than, say, the 2003 roadcase, though that had more shows.
♦  In the size of a CD booklet the tour programme has been added as a bonus. Unlike the big programme that was available at the shows it contains only photos that appertain directly to the tour alongside a list of tour dates and nothing about Gabriel's other projects and fields of interest. The box also comes with five tour photos as individual prints.
♦  The CDs come in the same sleeves as the individually available ones. They are made of simple brown cardboard with the five confused faces, place and location. The back shows the track lists in a print that is intentionally lopsided and blurred. The CDs themselves are white with clean black print. The Encore concept that was conceived in 2003 is thus being continued consistently and without major changes.
♦  This time around for the first time the shows are being offered on USB sticks. Unless they are ordered in the Road Case or the Collector's Box they come in a specially made little box with a foam inlay. Cover and tracklist are provided on a separate sheet. The stick is quite heavy, some 3in long (7.5cm) and 1in wide (2.5cm) at the widest point of the mike. The microphone handle has the colour of anodized aluminum. It actually is metal with an engraving (or imprint) that reads So Back To Front 2012 you can just about make out with the naked eye. The USB contact is located in the silver mike head that can be pulled off the handle. The width makes it a bit ungainly, depending on what kind of equipment you use to read the stick and how the USB ports are located.
♦  If you plug the stick into your computer it shows up as "show XX“. It contains full-blown wave files so that the data is lossless. There is a subfolder called PG Tour Bonus Material. In it there are two live shots (one of which has been used several times for promo purposes) and the cover artwork  without the concert engraving. As a nice gesture a 70MB PDF document of the tourbook was included; this is not on the 2CD sets.
♦  The USB sticks leave an excellent impression. Though there were apparently some issues with the first batch the sticks we examined are perfectly alright and of good quality.
Setlist:
♦  Gabriel has played the same set throughout the 2012 tours. In San Jose he began to occasionally drop Washing Of The Water for Humdrum. Apart from that the evening is divided into three courses, as he explains before: The first course begins with an unfinished song without concrete lyrics and leads into two and a half acoustic songs, This is meant to represent the evolution of songs that begin their lives as raw piano versions before they are developed in sessions. The second course consists of pieces in the usual, fully plugged-in arrangements, a cross-section of Gabriel's oeuvre. The third course, the dessert, as it were, consists of the full So album without any announcements in the playing order Gabriel originally intended. Encores comprise The Tower That Ate People and Biko. No songs from Up are played...
Arrangements:
♦  On the whole, Gabriel plays his songs in the old familiar arrangements, which is a bit regrettable because he does not lift the whole potential of his musicians in order to preserve the „Gabriel sound“. Apart from that it is worth while pointing out some other things.
♦  The fact that Gabriel offers acoustic versions of Come Talk To Me and especially Shock The Monkey, a song he has not played regularly for twenty years, may be a result of his work with the orchestral arrangements. With those he has seen that pressure and tension can be created with quiet means, and Shock The Monkey proves the point. No Self Control follows the live version of 1987. It is also one of the few moments where David Sancious can really shine. Jennia Abrahamnson as a duet partner is a piece of luck; she sings a great Don't Give Up, perhaps the best version since Paula Cole's. That Voice Again is played consistently for the first time ever on a tour. It has an austere, too austere, arrangement that does not make full use of the song's potential. Big Time, which returned to set lists in 2007, remains a challenge. The vocals are often a bit muddled. This Is The Picture is back after a long time. It has been given an attractive structure and benefits from the female voices. The coordination amongst the musicians goes wrong in many shows (because of the dance moves?) so that the song begins to wobble a bit.
The recordings:
♦  The sound quality is as excellent as we can expect from the previous Encores. The mixes are basically clear and well-balanced. Sometimes single instruments stick out, particularly keyboards or guitars. The latter really come into their own, though it is also overdone at times. The volume of the audience is much reduced and depends on whether you hear music or an announcement. ♦  There is often an annoying surge in volume for the long applauses before the encores.
It should also be notes that the track marks have been placed with no sense at all so that they cut into the last word of the announcement or even into the first note of the music.
♦  Informations by Thomas Schrage, Volker Warncke, Christian Gerhardts and Steffen Gerlach, English by Martin Klinkhardt
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Peter Gabriel — 'Back To Front' Encore Series 2013 [O2 Arena, Prague, Czech Republic] (October 10, 2013)

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