The Good Peter Gabriel News: BBC 2 Concert

Peter Gabriel and the BBC Orchestra recorded a free concert at the Mermaid Theatre on 19 October. An edited version of the concert was aired 20 October and will online from BBC iPlayer until 27 October. In a pleasent suprise, many PG fans living outside of the UK were able to hear the broadcast -- including me. I still haven't come down yet from this unexpected PG high!

This concert is such a treat. Yes, there are some audible glitches, but they give a live gig it's charm, don't they? Yes, four songs were cut out from the final broadcast. But what remains is still crackin' good stuff with lots of passion, tension and release. If you are a PG fan (and I know you are) drop everything and go hear this. (Torrents of the concert may also be available on Genesis -- The Movement.)

It's been a roller-coaster of a year for this Peter Gabriel fan. I got a new CD New Blood and news of a tour of North America -- and could not afford tickets; Mom got very sick and now has osteosporosis; and I just received a temporary diagnosis of adenomyosis. I got banned from the PG Facebook page but was allowed back on the PG Forums. I've received some information from sources I will not reveal that this year that my Internet writings have managed to piss off:

1) Dickie Chappell, Real World's head engineer and part-time photographer
2) Rachael H., PG staff member
3) Peter Gabriel -- yeah THAT Peter Gabriel -- the same guy I've been in love with since June 15, 1986

Ooops.

And yet, there has been this lovely concert dropped into my lap for free. Sure, I wasn't in the audience, but the sound was INCREDIBLE. Thanks to lucky audience member and long-time Gabriel fan David Gurl for providing me the public link to BBC iPlayer and posting this photo on his Facebook page. Listening to this concert was having Halloween, Christmas and losing my virginty all at once.

Off to bask in the afterglow (pun intended.)

The Bad Peter Gabriel News: No More Solsburyhill.org

About 17 years ago, a Peter Gabriel and Apple fan forever to be known as MacCat started what was then the web's first comprehensive Peter Gabriel fan site. It preceded Radio Real World and Petergabriel.com. Many other sites have come and gone (including my short lived site, "In rraven's Eyes".) But after 12 or so years of doing free work and having to quickly find another server, MacCat had to call it quits. Life just gets complicated that way.

Others tried to take it on, but trying to run a free fan site can be terribly stressful. Trust me -- I know. I considered taking over the site and realized that with my poor health and my Mom's poor health (and accidentally pissing off Real World engineer Dickie Chappel), I couldn't do a good job of it. The last admin, Jakks, let the domain expire. Why -- I don't know. Solsburyhill.org is no more.

Solsburyhill.org included extensive information on PG news, music, the unparalleled Peter Gabriel Scrapbook and unmatched humorous bits. MacCat, who wrote as the head of a fictitious "Solsbury Committee", took snark to a whole new level years before the word "snark" became common slang. MacCat published some of my criticisms of PG's music (I was the one who wrote "I Go Swimming: Lost PG Gem or Just Something to Do?") as well a humorous bit comparing Peter Gabriel to guinea pigs (and there are a hell of a lot of comparisons.)

MacCat (and Stephen King) both heavily influenced my writing style. Even though my writing career has temporarily stalled due to the worldwide economic recession, I still had a few years where I paid my bills doing what I loved -- writing. Thank you, MacCat, wherever you are.

With Solsburyhill.org gone, it's like losing the last part of my childhood. I am now truly old.

Peter Gabriel Doing a Whole Mess of Promos for New Blood

If you're a Peter Gabriel fan and did NOT know that his new album New Blood was released last week you offically live under a rock. The last time Peter and his team campaigned so hard on an album was Up (2002.) He's probably been interviewed by journalists from other planets by the time you are reading this. Some highlights:

* Pt 2 of Rolling Stone Interview
* The Arts Desk interview
* PG being stroppy Also note the facepalm-worthy caption that the ever-so-sharp Express put under his photo.

I was hoping to put a link here to my review of New Blood, but my client has been sitting on it for over two weeks. I think I'll just ask the client to delete it since everyone else's reviews have been published.

Overall, I'm disappointed with New Blood. It suffers in comparison to the live shows. If you haven't seen the live shows, then you're in for a treat. Only 3 songs on New Blood are worth the money:

* Red Rain
* Intruder
* Mercy Street

Jury's still out on Darkness and Wallflower. All of the others just do not touch the live versions.

I'm also pissed off that PG wrote a really soppy dedication to his second wife in the liner notes. The last time he dedicated an album to his wife, So (1986) she asked for a divorce about a year later. And no, I don't want him to go through another divorce (like I ever had a shot.) The first divorce put him in therapy for about 15 years -- a second one would probably kill him.

In personal news, my mysterious menstrual pains have returned. It feels like two people are inside me trying to tear my intestines open. (You gotta read a lot of Stephen King to come up with that similie.) I wish I could afford a hysterectomy because this suffering shit gets really old fast.

But let's end on a happy note. This is the world's shortest version of Wallflower, recorded earlier today. The heavily pregnant background singer is Melanie, Peter's second child and youngest daughter. Until next time:

BBC Be in the Audience Contest for Peter Gabriel 19 October (For UK residents only)

That's right. BBC2 has very quietly announced that Peter Gabriel and the New Blood Orchestra will do a one-off on 19 October to be broadcast on BBC2on 20 October. 225 pairs of tickets are being given away.

You only have until 5:20pm on Monday 3 October (yes, TOMORROW) to enter. Contest is open ONLY to UK residents. BBC notes that "you must make your own way to and from the event."

You.
Lucky.
Bastards.

2-Part Post: Peter Gabriel New Blood Played Free on Real World Oct 3 & Why It Sucks to be Me

Hello again, PG fans. New Blood now has a release date of Oct. 11 but you may hear to get to hear it for free on Monday, October 3 at Petergabriel.com. Starting at noon GMT (which is about 7am EST) Petergabriel.com will play one track per hour. I'm not sure how this will work out and, odds are, neither will Real World. Good luck!

PG is doing his "traveling salesman" bit in doing tons of promo for New Blood. Here's a list of some of the more notable interviews:

* National Public Radio (a half-hour interview)
* Rolling Stone (just a snippet of the as-yet-to-be-published full interview; unfortunately it's only the usual "when is Genesis getting back together" crap)
* PG interviewed by Elbow's lead singer, Guy Garvey
* ABC (American) interview

That should keep you busy for a while.

Now the part about why it sucks to be me. PG fans can stop here if they are looking for more PG news.

I've basically had a headache since August. My strong anchor of a Mom has drastically deteriorated and keeps deteriorating before my eyes. I'm doing most of the household chores, taking care of the pets and my Mom. There's not much energy left over to making money by writing. Not surprisingly, this has lead to an upsurge in my major depression symptoms and well as a more-or-less total liquidation of my bank savings. The good part is that my doctor increased my dosage of two medications and that leaves me stoned until my body adjusts to the dosage. The bad part is that eventually my body will adjust.

Now is a good time for PG's version of Arcade Fire's "My Body is a Cage", filmed at Berkeley in 2011: