ISS Dome, Düsseldorf, Germany
16th October 2013
Peter Gabriel - “Back to front” Tour
The sensation was perfect! With his legendary "Back to Front" tour to celebrate the 25th jubilee of ground breaking 'So' album, the British musician PETER GABRIEL also visits Germany for five concerts in October 2013: Leipzig (11.10., Arena), Stuttgart (13.10., Schleyerhalle), Düsseldorf (16.10., ISS Dome), Hamburg (18.10., O2 World) and Berlin (19.10., O2 World). Also sensational is the fact, that the tour is be presented in the original 1987 line-up!
During the shows, PETER GABRIEL was not only coming up with the original 1987 line-up of the ‘So’ album consisting of David Rhodes (guitar), Tony Levin (bass), David Sancious (keyboards) and Manu Katché (drums), he was also playing the full ‘So’ album live, extended by several more hits of the singer. Anything was crowned by a sensational and well-choreographed production. As addition to the band line-up, two singers Jennie Abrahamson and Linnea Olsson were supporting him on stage. Both artists have stepped in as support act for the current tour where Jennie was accompanied by cellist Linnea and first played a few songs before the Peter Gabriel show started. The response when the shows were announced was great and so, the Düsseldorf show was with 10,000 people sold-out long before. http://petergabriel.com / https://www.facebook.com/PeterGabriel
Music & Performance
The start of the concert was a bit troublesome… meaning delayed. There were heavy traffic problems around the venue and people did not reach the hall in time. So Peter and his team decided to start their show little later so anyone who bought a ticket had the chance to see the show at full. Nevertheless the evening started with Jennie and Linnea presenting some of their own work as kind of support program. It was finally nearly nine when the master himself entered the stage for an announcement in German, telling his fans what to expect today: a three course menu with appetizer, main course and dessert. As appetizer, we were served an acoustic part, main course and electric part of some of his songs and as crowning end, there was the fill ‘So!’ album played, not to forget about two extra encores at the very end. 
Announced as a delicious meal, the entree was served with the acoustic song ‚OBUT‘, a new and yet unfinished song, accompanied with gentle piano play and the bass play of Tony Levin. The unplugged part, performed still in bright hall light, gains little more drive with ‘Come talk to me’. Peter Gabriel, star of the evening, shines with his extraordinary, perfect voice. ‘Shock the Monkey‘ as last acoustic song followed and then finally during the first song of the electric part, ‘Family Snapshot’, the lights in the hall were cut down and soon, a well-choreographed light show emerged, a light show with moving light cranes and a huge round light element in the middle over the stage, at one time even swallowing Peter. The following songs, like ‘Digging on the Dirt’ or wonderful ‘Solsbury Hill’, were like a journey into the past.
With ‘Red Rain’, already the dessert and first ‘So!’ song was reached, showing that drummer Manu Katché is surely one of the best in his profession. ‘Sledgehammer’ from this album is surely one of the highlights of the evening and was loudly hammering out of the speakers. Then, the volume was reduced and wonderful ‘Don’t Give up’ followed, a duet of Peter and Jennie Abraham, sending shivers down the spine. Perfect! The wonderful ballad ‘Mercy‘ was theatrically staged with Peter lying on the floor in the centre of stage, the already mentioned round light element above him. Above him was also a camera transporting this picture onto two screens on both sides of the stage. ‘Big Time’ afterwards left the calm seas bringing some funky elements in. Last song from ‘So!’, ‘In Your Eyes’, was also the last song of the concert.
But like with a good meal, the dessert cannot be the end, there is always room for some digestif or coffee. This final part of the meal was served with two encores, ‘The Tower That Ate the People’ when you had the impression that out of Peter a white, huge sculpture was growing, and finally Peter’s classic protest song, ‘Biko’ with a final personal announcement in German. Once more Peter Gabriel proved that he’s one of the real stars in business, presenting a well-choreographed show without over-dimensional effects and impressing with his attitude and fantastic voice. Accompanied by excellent musicians, perfect sound and light, he made this evening a special one for ten thousand people. Peter Gabriel, always again!
Setlist
-Acoustic-
01. OBUT
02. Come Talk to Me
03. Shock the Monkey
-Electric-
04. Family Snapshot (1st half semi-acoustic)
05. Digging in the Dirt
06. Secret World
07. The Family and the Fishing Net
08. No Self Control
09. Solsbury Hill
10. Why Don't You Show Yourself
-So-
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
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20. The Tower That Ate People
21. Biko
Rating
Music: 10
Performance: 9
Sound: 9
Light: 9
Total: 9.5 / 10
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.black-cat-net.de/ / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
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