I'm a freelance writer. For the past three weeks or so, I've been suffering from writer's block. I won't bore you with the reasons why. In order to keep my creative muscles in shape, I decided to learn how to make videos for YouTube. This took a staggering amount of time and at least five software downloads. Whenever you hear or read that it's easy to make your own movies or music videos for YouTube, don't believe it. It takes BLOODY ages and a lot of screaming at the computer screen.
My Mom likes them, but I'm not satisfied with the results. Anyway, here they are. They were done on Windows Movie Maker. Episodes of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes were downloaded using at least one program called iLivid. The first one is from one of my favorite scenes in the entire series. It's whopping 45 seconds long from "The Second Stain."
And something a little more detailed, "Give Jeremy Brett Your Undivided Attention." I arranged the clips into a very rough narrative, to make a four minute Sherlock Holmes "episode."
I do have other videos planned. My ultimate goal (besides to get rid of this damn writer's block and start making some money again) is to make videos using images from the Sherlock Holmes episodes set to Peter Gabriel songs or songs covered by Peter Gabriel.
Well, my mental breakdown is continuing to go well. Instead of being able to write the same piece of advertising copy 100 different ways, I'm creating demotivational posters featuring Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes. You're welcome. And here are my Peter Gabriel demotivational posters.
Yes, I still post about Peter Gabriel. He's been doing some promotion lately, including a semi-big interview with Mojo. He revealed that he was pissed off with Joe Strummer who he worked with for Big Blue Ball. So why was PG POed? Gabriel pointed out that Strummer hid his upper-class background in order to appear more like the average person. Gabriel himself, a graduate of the prestigious Charterhouse School, still gets branded as a "snotty rich kid."
Well, Peter did come from an upper middle-class background, which (to my considerable knowledge) he has never tried to hide. He did go through pretty tight times when in Genesis (which only began making a profit after Gabriel left.) PG is currently rich. How rich? He has his own studio and his own hotel in Sardinia. I'm sure he can wipe his tears away with his money.
However, no matter your background or financial status, you can still make good art, like music. The art itself should be judged for what it is and not the background of the artist.
PG also revealed that he occasionally develops a phobia of flying after nearly crashing in a Pan Am decades ago (although he didn't give a specific date.) He says he still flies, though. But you have to wonder if this is one reason why Peter takes such a long time between albums after 1986.
I'm 43. That's a long time to be a woman. I could use a change. And not the change that my body is currently going through and will probably go through for the next 30 years or until I drop dead, whichever comes first.
Menopause is absolutely hammering me. I'm exhausted, I have more headaches than ever, I barely sleep, I have hot flashes (and there's nothing like having a hot flash during a heat wave to make you wish you were a man) my appetite has vanished but my libido has made a scary reappearance after a long absence.
It's like my body is a terrorist to my mind. I never know when the next explosion is going to happen.
So I want to be man. A gay man. Not that I can afford sex change surgery and I don't want to sleep with women, but perhaps I can pretend to be a 50-year-old man. Specifically, Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes. (Yes, I know Brett was bisexual and not gay, but I really don't advise you arguing with me at this point.) Brett's Holmes is "the dark side of the moon" (as Brett himself described Holmes) but at least he doesn't have to worry about hot flashes.
I've already chopped my long unruly hair off and slick it back with hair gel like in the photo of Brett's Holmes here. I've started sipping wine since Holmes drinks occasionally. I'm gradually losing weight to appear more angular, as I did when I was in my 30s. Hey, it's a start. Next I need to work on the voice. Hell -- I might even take up pipe smoking (although it won't be tobacco I'd be smoking.)
I mean, just LOOK at him and LISTEN to him in the video clip below. Old age would be a lot more exciting if one day you woke up and transformed into this:
At the age of 43, I have finally decided what I want to be when I grow up. At first I wanted to be Doctor Who and then Doctor Who's crankier sister, but that never worked out (especially when they started casting Doctors half my freaking age. That and my acting career tanked before it ever got started). Then I wanted to be Peter Gabriel, but he does such a good job at it that the world would be best off if he kept at it.
Now -- I finally FINALLY know what I want to be: Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes. I don't want to be Jeremy Brett (who sadly died at the age of 59 in 1995) and I'm not smart enough to be Sherlock Holmes so I won't even try. But being Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes -- well that's another creature entirely. Here are my top 10 reasons why:
Ten: Cool Outfits
I mean, come on, just look at them! Although the suits Mads Mikkelsen wears in Hannibal are pretty drool-worthy, men's fashion peaked in the Victorian age. Watches on gold chains! Walking sticks! Tucked in shirts!
I also can never get my hair right. Ever. If I was Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes, all I'd need to do is slick back my hair with gel and stick on a top hat.
Nine: I'd Get to Watch My Best Friend Sleep as Much as I'd Like
Case in point, this scene from "The Speckled Band" (first aired 1984.)
Eight: I'd Stop Swearing So Much
I admit that one of my many character flaws is a propensity to swear. I even swear in my dreams. Brett's Holmes has a great way of putting people in their place without swearing. For example, when he wants someone to leave, he dryly remarks, "Please vanish." He even does this to Watson and is able to get away with it. When he's absolutely furious, he snorts like a pig.
Seven: I Could Roll My R's Without Anyone Staring at Me
And really, isn't this what we all want out of life?
Six: I'd Get to Ride or Drive Some Pretty Horses
And really, isn't this what we all want out of life? Well, that and rolling your R's.
Five: I'd Have My Own Pet Watson
Dr. Watson fills many personal holes in Holmes' life. He's a companion, a physician, a confidant, a dynamite publicity agent, fellow smoker and someone to bully around without actually being harmful.
Although there has been many speculations that Watson was also Holmes' secret lover, I don't subscribe to the theory because Holmes shied away from sex or personal affection. In Doyle's stories and in Brett's interpretation, Holmes never fell in love with anyone other than himself.
Four: Those Cool Pipes
I'm not a smoker. I don't advocate smoking. Brett reportedly smoked about 60 cigarettes a day (which contributed to his tragically early death.) But DAMN, look at those pipes! They give your hands something to do when you really want to smack someone across the mouth. During filming the series, one of Brett's pipes was stolen from the hotel he stayed at.
Three: That Voice
A lot of misery in my life could be erased if, one day, I suddenly woke up with Jeremy Brett's voice. Imagine going to the post office and asking for a book of stamps using this voice.
Two: That Gaze
You could even stare a cat down with that gaze.
And the number one reason why I want to be Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes:
Anyone else besides me remember that great video POV? It was the first official Peter Gabriel concert released in a visual medium. It consisted of a concert filmed in Athens in 1987 with some funky 1988 video made at Real World and some of Peter's home movies thrown in.
But then videos and VCRs died. However, this concert was not made into a DVD until it was included in PG's So 25th anniversary mondo box-set. It only featured concert footage with all of the extra bits tossed out. At the time, PG stated that there were no plans to release POV separately.
So, of course, about a year later, POV is released separately. Hey, that's how PG rolls, folks. He hasn't a clue. He just sings about them. And even though this is being billed as "the complete concert", it isn't. Red Rain was recorded but ditched for some reason. It's being released on September 17. It apparently will not contain any "cookies" but will contain Play, which was originally released back in 2003. Super Deluxe Edition website is pretty pissed off about it. (Yeah, they seem to get pissed off pretty easily there, but it's still an amusing read.)
I'm not getting the box set or the separate DVD release. I want the original POV back. What was wrong with that? I guess leaving it alone made too much sense.
As to my getting ready for the PG concert in Leipzig in October, plans are coming together veeerrrryyy ssssllllooooowwwwwwllllyyy. It's not quite as slow as PG speed but it's getting pretty close. My Mom lost 10 pounds and has some of her coordination back. She is also having less pain. But she needs to have cataract surgery later this month. The good news is that her brain scan showed that she has a good brain and so does not have Lou Gehrig's disease or anything like that.
Still, I'll probably spend all of the trip to Leipzig, the soundcheck and the concert worrying about Mom. And the dogs. And the fish. And whether or not the house will explode while I'm gone. Oh, what a fun trip this is turning out to be.
If you're sick of reading my posts about PG and/or Mom, feel free to check out my Vincent Van Gogh blog.
He was supposed to be off until September, but Peter Gabriel has gone back to work making music. During his hiatus, which he's called "The Year of Interesting Things" he has managed to slip in some interviews and spoke at the big TED conference. But now he's making music again.
About damn time. And good on Peter for going back to work sooner than he said he would.
Peter's making an original song for an anthology film called Words With Gods, which will consist of nine short films by nine different directors. The song is set to be played during the final credits. It's tentatively scheduled to be released in 2014.
Speaking of PG movie music, here's the song he completed before he went on his around the world vacation, for The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
Mom recently bought a tablet. I hate the damn thing. Mom's been going back and forth on getting a tablet or an iPad for about a year. Then she finally decides to get one, I go choose it and get it, hook it up to the Internet and then hear her complain about the tablet for weeks on end. Whenever I suggest taking the tablet back to the shop, she gasps, "Oh, NO! I love it!"
In order to get the tablet working, I had to log onto my Google account. Now, Mom wants her own Google account. I don't know how to do this. So, she keeps complaining that she's getting ads aimed for me and not her. (No, I don't know why this is a problem, but anyway --) Finally, one day she wailed while holding the tablet, "I just can't get rid of you!"
Thanks, Mom.
Here I was worried about her turning into Stephen Hawking with the spine and neurological problems that I was considering cancelling the trip to see a Peter Gabriel concert in Germany. Looks like I'm going.
While I plan this trip, take care of Mom and try not to go completely out of my tiny little mind, I caught an earworm (you know -- those catchy tunes that just won't leave your head no matter what.) So I thought I'd share my current earworm with you, Gentle Reader. You're welcome.
I can't get away from Peter Gabriel, no matter where I go.
My Mom's been to a lot of doctors recently with her spinal problems. One of her doctors is actually called a "pain doctor" (physiatrist.) He recommended Mom see a neurologist. He suggested two at the same practice, one with Peter as his first name.
"Oh, pick Peter, Mom," I said.
"Ah, you and your Peter, already!"
The doctor raised a quizzical eyebrow.
"Peter is the name of her rock star heartthrob," Mom explained.
"Peter who?" asked the doctor.
"Peter Gabriel," I replied. When the doctor clearly wasn't sure who Peter Gabriel was (sigh), I said, "He did Shock the Monkey."
"Shock the Monkey!"
"Yeah, that's my guy."
He grinned lopsidedly. "When I was in residency at Penn, we were allowed to have a radio on when examining patients. Well, one day, we were testing this patient's nerves, and Shock the Monkey came on. The patient got really offended. As if we called the radio station and arranged to have it played right when we were examining the guy! Anyway, long story short, they took our radio away."
That's Peter for you. Taking radios away from physiatrists since 1982.
Yes, you read that right. Even after shelling out $500 or so for VIP tickets to see a Peter Gabriel concert in Germany, I may have to swallow the loss and skip the trip. (The tickets are non-refundable.)
My Mom received a bad diagnosis. Really bad. How bad? I'm not sure what the actual medical terms are, but after the doctor said, "Her spine is disintegrating," I couldn't think of much to say.
There's not much that can be done, except long and excruciating spinal surgeries. Paralysis is highly possible in her near future. She already is house-bound, cannot use the bathtub, cannot put on her own socks, cannot drive any more and can walk only a few minutes a day -- with a walker or cane. She cannot walk without assistance.
Mom says I should still go on the trip in October. Two neighbors said they'd check in on her while I'm gone but I'm not sure if I should go. Facing a beloved family member's medical crisis (and her eventual mortality) puts things sharply into perspective.
Earlier today, there was an interesting discussion about heroes on Facebook. I came to the realization that I have no heroes because heroes do not exist. More than that, adults shouldn't need heroes to begin with. They should be smart enough to realize that heroes make for great movie plots but do not actually exist in real life.
Heroes will always let you down. Always. That's because a hero is an ideal and not concrete reality. Other examples of ideals that screw us up include:
God
Santa Claus
manifest destiny
Truth, Justice and the American Way
the Roman Republic (yes, I know the Republic ended with Augustus Caesar, but it seems to survive in some current governments such as the one in America. The ideal lives on.)
Now, don't get me wrong. I still admire Peter. I'd take a bullet, blade or blunt object for him. I am in awe of his creativity. I also would love to shag him until one or both of us is in a chocolate-flavored coma but he's not my hero. He's just a guy I really, really, really hope outlives me.
Am I mad at Peter for not living up to my hopes and expectations? Nope. I was the one dumb enough to pick heroes in the first place.
Things that Peter does that do not live up to my hero qualifications includes:
Getting married not just once but twice. What -- he didn't learn his lesson the first time around that marriage sucks?
Betting on horse racing. Horse racing is nothing but animal cruelty sanctioned by the filthy rich. How does Peter not get that? How does anyone not get that, for that matter?
It's been a fucking stressful week. How fucking stressful was it? On Monday, my Mom turns on the fucking television to watch Ellen Fucking DeGeneres and Brian Fucking Williams of NBC Fucking News pops in with a red border (and with a red border you know the shit you're going to hear next is gonna suck big time). Well, Mr. Brian Fucking Williams didn't fucking disappoint.
"That sucks," I said to Mom. See? I could be news anchor.
Mom then quietly informed me that THREE OF MY FUCKING COUSINS WERE AT THE MARATHON (one running and two of her kids to cheer her on.) After I got over the shock that anyone in my family had athletic inclinations, I told Mom, "FUCK! GET ON THE PHONE AND FIND OUT IF THEY'RE STILL ALIVE!"
It took a couple hours for my Aunt Margie in Florida to track them down, but they are all okay. Shaken and confused more than usual, but okay. By the way, my Aunt Margie (mother and grandmother to my cousins) rely watches television, so it was up to Mom to act as a pseudo-Mr. Brian Fucking Williams.
THAT'S what kind of fucking stressful week it's been.
Now I'm going to try and fucking relax by watching a show about cannibals. I can wax nostalgic about the good old days when serial killers would murder their victims one at a time.
I'm starting to dread my trip to Leipzig, Germany later this year to attend a Peter Gabriel soundcheck and concert. I'm not dreading the plane flight, the language barrier or the music -- it's paying for it all. Earlier this year, I needed fillings in 3 front teeth. Unknown to me, my goofy health insurance no longer covered fillings in the front teeth. I wound up having to shell out $100 per tooth.
Coupled with the sudden increase in food prices, pet food prices and my health insurance premiums (yes -- the same damn company that would no longer cover fillings in my front teeth -- ALL HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE EVIL), my bank account is severely drained. I've been working hard to try and afford this trip. Unfortunately, most available work is low-paying, so I'm back to churning out large quantities of web content, including (I kid you not) how to be a financial dominatrix. (Look it up.)
Things I do to see a Peter Gabriel concert.
Image nicked from the web somewhere. It may have something to do with being a financial dominatrix; I don't know. I'm kinda hoping he lives in Leipzig.
Back in the late 1990s, there were shovelfuls of websites and fan pages devoted to Peter Gabriel and/or Genesis. I had one of them but it went down after I ran away to the UK because of a mental breakdown. Anyway, just about all of those websites are gone.
Here's another one to add to the list -- Meek's Genesis Cafe. The site owner but this announcement up today on Facebook:
I would like to take a moment to say goodbye to the Genesis Community as I know it. It really is time for me to gracefully decline. There will no longer be Meek's Genesis Cafe on FB or anywhere else as my radio will also close soon. If ever I do come back it won't be for Genesis Only..I would like to thank those who have been so supportive of me (not always easy) through the years. I have built many relationships that I would like to keep so if you want to continue those relationships (you all know who you are) https://www.facebook.com/michael.carzo . Everything will be closing shortly...carry on.
This was a real quality site and it has no substitute. It's a sad day for Peter Gabriel and Genesis fans. I guess it's back to where we were in the 1980s where we just sat in our rooms and imagined stuff about our favorite man and our favorite band.
Peter Gabriel was recently at NASA headquarters, where he talked to three astronauts up on the International Space Station (pictured). An 11-minute film of the exchange is up on Peter's Facebook page, where the four Gabriels play happy families why the astronauts talk a bit about zero gravity, building with water and Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Peter is still on his year-long sabbatical. According to his Facebook page, he spent his birthday in Mexico.
He is now in California for the TED conference thingy. I've never understood what the big deal was about TED (people go up on a stage and talk for 20 minutes in front of an audience. Ooo. Ahhh.) but occasionally there's a gem of a talk, such as the one done in February 2002 by evolutionary biologist and bestselling author, Richard Dawkins. Even Peter's talk in 2008 couldn't get better than that.
An article about Peter at this year's TED conference round table called "Interspecies Internet" appeared on TED's website. Peter apparently is concerned for elephants and bonobos, but has no concern whatsoever for horses (since a couple of years ago (around the time of the Melbourne Cup fiasco) he admitted that he frequently bets on horse races.)
ANYWAY...
(Now comes the bit about me, so if you're only reading this for PG news, you can go now)
While Peter's off, I'm working as hard as I can. I had a nice little nest egg saved for my trip to Germany later this year to see PG in concert, but then it was mostly wiped out from my most recent trip to the dentist. Turns out my health insurance no longer covers fillings to front teeth and since they decided not to inform me of this change, I had work done on three of my front teeth. Perhaps I'll just sleep on a park bench in Leipzig instead of staying at a hotel.
As well as working for my Mom, working for my pets and working for my clients, I'm also trying to make a go of my blogs, all of which have been recently updated. They are:
Well, last week I blogged about the new Peter Gabriel Channel at the new Suite 101. It was going to be a great new resource for Peter Gabriel fans. (Note: PG Channel is now off line.)
I wrote too soon. Yesterday, the head honcho at Suite 101 has decided that the site will get rid of all channels and, in March, no longer will accept new articles.
It goes to show that when life gives you lemons, split 'em in half, douse them with hydrochloric acid and mash them into someone's face.
So, it's Valentine's Day again and I'm alone again, naturally. Well, except for me and my Peter Gabriel fantasies, anyway. Or Peter Gabriel with Stephen Fry fantasies. Hey, I'm more mature now, so the fantasies have to grow with me.
Here's one of the best songs ever written about love, "Crazy" by Willie Nelson, who originally was going to entitle the song "Stupid." When it comes to love, crazy = stupid.
Peter's 63rd birthday isn't until Wednesday, but I look to be incredibly busy that day, so I'm doing the annual PG birthday post now. Peter and his family are currently on a trip round the world, but Peter is scheduled to do another TED talk next month, so he'll either need to be in California then or will Skype it in.
Since there was a slow-down in PG news and in orders from my clients, I took the down time to start writing again over at the revamped Suite 101. Articles devoted to (mostly) the same topic are now grouped under "Channels." I am the Channel Manager for two channels so far -- The Guinea Pig Channel and the Peter Gabriel Channel.
Unfortunately, Suite 101 is still in beta testing (and has been since October 2012) so they are not allowing any new members to write articles or even comments as yet. As a result, I am (blush) the only member of the two channels that I manage. I have to write new material for Suite, so I cannot just cut & paste one of my numerous articles on either topic elsewhere on the Internet.
Right now, there are a whopping two (count 'em -- TWO) articles in The Peter Gabriel Channel. My personal goal is to add an article a week to the channel, but since the pay is almost nonexistent, I may not be able to stick to this goal. As of now, the two articles are:
Unfortunately, I can no longer upload images from my hard drive onto this blog or any of my Blogger blogs. I can still add images, but they have to be links from other websites. This sucks, because most of the Peter Gabriel images I place on this blog are uploaded from my hard drive. This means that until this issue is resolved, my blog posts are going to be a bit bare.
Anyway, Peter Gabriel is still on vacation and knowing his luck, he has the flu. Hope he doesn't though. Staying home with the flu is nightmarish enough without having the flu while going on international flights. If he does have the flu, chances are good that he will have mostly recovered by the time he appears at the big TED conference in Long Beach, California in late February to early March of 2013.
This will be his second TED appearance. Image above is from his first talk back in 2008. What do you want to bet that he'll give the exact same talk? TED talks only last about 18 minutes and the odds are really good that it will go up on TED's YouTube channel, so unless you live within driving distance of Long Beach, it's not worth forking out the dosh to go. Yes, I know other people give talks during the conference (Bono is currently scheduled to speak in 2013) but, quite frankly, who cares about them? I know PG loves these TED conferences, calling them "brain food" which goes to show that he never went to college or university. I, on the other hand, suffered through four year of higher education and consider sitting through a series of lectures about as pleasant as having a Japanese beetle fly into my ear.
Peter has also submitted a song for a benefit album, Home Recordings, Vol. 1 being put together by his daughter Anna's charity, The Voice Project. PG submitted to a phone interview with Rolling Stone about the charity and the album. I guess interviews do not count as "work." I'd sure as hell count it as work -- whether I was the interviewer or the interviewee. But then again, that's me.
Since Peter Gabriel's on sabbatical, I can't blog about him so I'll blog about this:
I got a Christmas present for my tropical fish. Let me back up -- I was at the pet store anyway getting dog food, fish food and presents for the dogs, so I thought, "Oh, what the hell" and got a present for the two tropical fish in the 20 gallon hexagon aquarium my Dad gave me. I didn't get any presents for the goldfish. Heck, that would be too weird.
Anyway, I got a hollow, aquarium-safe log. It's marketed for bettas (also called Siamese fighting fish) but my common plecostomus, Mr. Big Fish, is getting a kick out of it. too. He likes to chew on it and push it about the tank surface, ramming it into the walls, the heater and so on. Dragon, the betta that the log is supposed to be for, sometimes swims inside if it and stays there, tooling around his territory in his log-tank.
But so far, it seems to be Mr. Big Fish enjoying the floating log more than Dragon the old, blue dragonscale betta.
And it shows you what my generation is like when I see that log and can't stop thinking
"All kids love Log!
What rolls down stairs alone or in pairs
Rolls over your neighbor's dog?
What's great for a snack and fits on your back?
It's Log, Log, Log!
It's Log, Log, it's big, it's heavy, it's wood.
It's Log, Log, it's better than bad, it's good!
Everyone wants a log! You're gonna love it, Log!
Come on and get your log! Everyone needs a Log!"
every single freaking time that log floats into view. I have tried to stop the song from entering my head but so far, no good. The song is not to be denied -- a tidal sound wave of epic proportions that will smash down any resistance. It's only been 8 days since I gave the little log to the fish. Let's see how long I can last before I finally toss the thing out so I can finally look at my tropical fish tank in peace.
So, anyway, this is what life for me is like right now while Peter Gabriel takes his sabbatical. If he decides to extend it, I'm going to be really pissed off.
Boxing Day is my Independence Day. On this day in 2004 (same day as the Asian Tsunami, coincidentally) that I left my abusive boyfriend for the final time.
Since then, I've felt the past chase me similarly to how the horse is chasing the dog in this picture. These two are just playing, but you get the idea.
I know that after so many years, my ex is not going to come after me (that would take valuable time away from drinking) but I still feel as if I have to keep a watch out for him wherever I go.
Anyway, back to my usual Peter Gabriel-flavored blog posts next year. In the meantime, you can check out my new Vincent Van Gogh blog, Why Van Gogh Matters. Thanks and have a stress-free New Year.
Danish Peter Gabriel fans have probably already bought their tickets for 28 September, but just in case you haven't, here's the link to Ticketmaster Danmark. There may be more dates available in the New Year, but who knows?
And did you know that Denmark has an official website? How cool is that? Even America doesn't have it's own website. Sure, there's an official site for the American government but that's not the same thing. No wonder Americans don't know what's going on most of the time -- we don't have one definitive official website for US. Wouldn't that be great? Can't you just imagine it?
American: Hey, what's going on?
Another American: I dunno. Let's check the website. (Checks.) Ahh, here we go!
Anyway, now that Peter is taking a year off to travel the world, I thought I'd start another blog. (No, I don't know how I made that connection, but never mind.) Why Van Gogh Matters is a Vincent Van Gogh fan and reference blog. The blog isn't exactly ready for prime time yet, but hopefully it'll get rolling along smoothly soon.
There are now so many dates for Peter Gabriel's 2013 Back to Front tour that I can't keep up. Remember, the latest dates are usually announced first on Peter's official Facebook Page before his official website. Anyway, here are the latest dates (at least, the latest that I know of):
Sep 30th 2013 - Ziggo Dome - Amsterdam, NL
Oct 07th 2013 - Forum - Milan, IT
EDIT: I had to delete a few posts from 2006 because of problems with the new template and my free photo limit at Blogger.
I tried to update this blog's template and it hasn't gone so well, as you can see. I've somehow lost most of my sidebars. Story of my life.
In other news, I'm going to Leipzig again next October for a Peter Gabriel concert. I'm getting so tired of this freakin' house that if I know there's a vacation from it in the near future, my head will refrain from exploding. My Mom asked me if PG was going to do a different show for the European Back to Front tour than he did this autumn in North America. I looked her right in the eyes without blinking and said, "Yes."
PG will be playing Vienna as well as the UK and Germany in October 2013. If I had known he would do Vienna, I would've went to Vienna instead of Germany. No offence, Germany. I've just never been to Vienna, home of the Spanish Riding School and the incredibly beautiful Lipizzaner stallions (pictured.)
Not that I will have any energy left over from the 12 hour trip, the soundcheck and the concert, and thinking up a lie to tell Mom about PG's show when I get back. Silly me to think of looking at anything else other than Peter, I know.
Meanwhile, Peter is goofing off with his family until about September of next year. No news as to whether any Lipizzaner stallions will be involved.
European fans begged and PG listened. Tickets go on sale this week for Peter Gabriel Back to Front concert tickets (including VIP packages from 300 pounds and up) this week for concerts in October of 2013. At least PG isn't retiring completely as I'd feared.
Check out Petergabriel.com for all of the details. So far, only 4 dates have been confirmed. From PG's oficial website:
"The following dates will be going on sale, with more dates around Europe to follow:
Oct 21st
O2 Arena
London, UK
Oct 22nd
O2 Arena
London, UK
Oct 24th
Hydro
Glasgow, UK
Oct 25th
MCR Arena
Manchester, UK"
Dates for Germany will go on sale this Saturday, 24 November at 9am GMT:
Oct 11th 2013 - Arena Leipzig - Leipzig Oct 13th 2013 - Schleyer-Halle - Stuttgart Oct 16th 2013 - ISS Domeb - Düsseldorf Oct 18th 2013 - O2 World - Hamburg Oct 19th 2013 - O2 World - Berlin
Good luck!
Image is stolen from Rolling Stone's pic of PG's show at Jones Beach, New York in 2012.
I turn 43 today. Whee. One year more than the answer to life, the universe and everything. It didn't help that earlier this month I read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and discovered that one of the main characters dies at age 43.
When you hit 43, you pretty much know how the rest of your life is going to wind up. Most importantly, the rest of my life will in no way resemble Peter Gabriel's. And we all secretly want to be Peter Gabriel, don't we?
When Peter Gabriel turned 43, he was rehearsing for what would be his most acclaimed tour so far, the Secret World tour. He'd already earned more awards, fans and gold albums than a boatload of most other artists. He already had two lovely kids, at least three homes and one incredibly lovely studio (Real World Studios.) At the time he was single, but already had more sexual partners and offers from future sexual partners than the population of some island countries. The image accompanying this post shows what he looked like when he was 43.
In contrast, as I turn 43 I'm 40 - 50 pounds overweight, single and will never, ever have kids because I like kids too much to let me be their mother. The only awards I've won were for a dance contest when I was 4, a couple of blue ribbons at a small horse show when I was a few years older and the "Spread the Word about Knoji" contest earlier this year with this article. You can count the number of sexual partners I've had with one crippled hand. Sadly, Peter Gabriel has not been one of them. I somehow missed his most promiscuous period. Now he's in his 60s and happily remarried and I'm fat and ugly. Not that I ever had a snowball's chance with him, but that's not the point. I should have at least had a chance to have a chance at him, dammit!
Peter Gabriel announced on his website that his father, Ralph Parton Gabriel, died on 9 November. He was 100 years old. Ralph was an engineer with five patents and was one of the forst persons to work on fibre-optic cables, which we take for granted today. For a short while, a cow farmer who piped in music to the milking barn. He leaves behind two children, Peter and his sister Anna, and his wife Irene.
Over the years, Peter would enjoy telling little stories about his father to interviewers. Ralph liked to do meditation at train stations back when meditation was little known in England. Back in 1999, Peter included a song about his father, Father, Son on the album OVO.
Peter Gabriel's long-delayed So special edition box set was finally released on October 22. This means that Peter has been doing a sudden flood of publicity to flog the expensive mix of vinyl, CDs and DVDs. For example, there is a positive but brief review from the BBC (which makes you wonder if the reviewer actually listened to any of the box set.)
Forgive me for being light on the snark over the individual reviews/interviews but I've been lucky enough to find a couple of new clients. Freelance writing is a feast or famine business and right now I need to take advantage of the feast of work before another famine period sets in.
Let me wrap this post up by explaining about the strange image above and to the left of this sentence. Peter has been saying that after the Back to Front Tour ends (and it did last month) he would "take a year off" to indulge on a round the world trip. PG or someone in PG's camp posted an image from PG's computer screen to show that he is spending a little bit of time working in the studio before going on his trip for PG-only-knows-how-long-and-will-change-his-mind-at-the-last-second. Apparently, the working title of this song is "God Song." Hmmm.
Instead of my usual rambling, sarcastic blog post, I'm sticking up a picture of Peter Gabriel I found on Facebook. No reason; just feel like it.
For those Peter Gabriel fans who want a legal recording of any of the gigs from the recently ended Back to Front tour, they are available for pre-order at The Music. And yes, I ordered one from the Philly gig. It's set to go out on Halloween, so I should get it in time for my birthday.
Perhaps you've read about the Swedish study that links creativity with mental illness, especially bipolar disorder (which neither I nor PG have been diagnosed with.) What hasn't been trumpeted in the popular press is another finding by that same study of 1.2 million anonymous Swedes -- that, out of all the creative arts (including scientists), those that are most likely to commit suicide are writers.
Yikes. I wonder if that's how the term "deadline" got coined.
Eventually, I will recover from the Peter Gabriel concert at Philly last month. Either that or I'll get on better drugs.
In the meantime, the Back to Front Tour has now ended and it seems a good time was had by all. Actor John Cusak showed up at the Santa Barbara Bowl with a boom box to re-enact that bit from a hit movie back in the 1980s that no one remembers -- except for that bit with Cusak holding up a boom box as it plays In Your Eyes.
Peter is now on an around-the-world vacation for at least one year. Whether that actually pans out to one Earth calender year and not one Gabriellian year is anyone's guess.
To soften the blow, Real World and Guitar Center is holding a killer contest where the winner gets an all-expenses paid trip to tour the studios. More details here. And no -- you don't get to meet PG. He's on vacation, remember? You do get a great trip and a lot of cool merchandise. I'm not entering because I don't know if I'm allowed back in the UK.
In the meantime, music lovers can check out Crackerize, where rap song lyrics are translated into middle-class WASP English. Apparently you can win cool merchandise there, too. Due to the nature of rap lyrics, the site is for folks over 18.
You can also check out some great (and some merely good) music videos over at Pinterest boards such as Music Videos or My Favorite Music Videos (put together by yours truly.)
Yea, I even hath givest in to temptation and doubted, but I have verily regained my faith in Peter Gabriel. Say hallelujah, somebody!
The soundcheck and concert on 9/21/2012 at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center turned out to be a lot of fun and much more musically interesting than I expected. There were about 100 people at the soundcheck, so no chance of meeting PG this time around.
But bassist, blogger and photographer Tony Levin (PG's preferred bassist) did an extra-special something for fans. He started this habit years ago, so it won't be news for long-time Tony Levin, Peter Gabriel or King Crimson fans. Tony takes photos during the performance and often takes audience shots. Personally, I think if you are in the same frame with Peter Gabriel un an untouched image, it counts as getting your picture taken with PG.
Tony put a whole page of his Philly concert experience up on his long-running blog. Papa Bear Records. I'm in a few of the shots. I was wearing my raven T-shirt (until Sledgehammer started, then the shirt was tossed off) because my nickname on the web since 1998 used to be "rraven" (yes -- with two "r"s) My favorite photo is one of PG standing at the mike and my face can be seen a little below his black-clad buttocks. There's an epitaph.
More details after I recover. And -- miracle of miracles! Praise Peter Gabriel! -- I picked up a couple of new clients and I've been too busy writing to go into a longer concert review now. Rest assured, any readers having tickets to Peter Gabriel's Back to Front tour are in for a treat. Be sure to bring at least $40 in spending money if you want drinks and a program, though.
Peter Gabriel's Back to Front tour to celebrate some year's anniversary of the release of So launched last night in Quebec. There have been a lot of leaks and spoilers about the tour, but I'm not going to write any here. One big change is that opening act Ane Brun was cancelled because of sudden illness. She's apparently been replaced with a newly-hired PG backup female singer. Personally, I would've preferred no opening act, but I'm weird that way.
Free Ticket Giveaway By Real World
This was announced on PG's Facebook page last week, but the link wasn''t working so idiot me thought I'd been blocked from entering as I'd been blocked from commenting. (Yeah, I smell the sarcasm -- like PG's staff has so little to do that they know who I am. I'm fully aware of that, thank you.)
Anyway, there are only three shows as prizes for the sweepstakes -- Boston, Red Rocks (Colorado) and the Santa Barbara Bowl in California. You are responsible for your own transportation, accommodation, sanitation, etc-ation. I entered for Boston and fully expect to lose. You're welcome, Eventual Lucky Bastard Winner!
This Is the Picture
Holy hand grenade, Batman! With Quebec City down, this means that I've only five more days until attending Peter Gabriel's soundcheck and gig at Philadelphia. Well -- hopefully attending, anyway. This electronic ticket thing is nerve-wracking. I've also started a new medication this month which makes me sleep about 13 ours a day (yes day -- I'm up most of the night now. Hmmm.)
Usually, anyone purchasing a Peter Gabriel soundcheck/concert/T shirt package gets all of the info about when to show up and what identification to bring and what not at least a full week before the gig. Not this time. Well, at least the paranoia on concert day should keep me wide awake. That and the migraines. Oh, it'll be a swell time. Nothing like a throbbing migraine at a rock concert to get intimate with one's own mortality. I think that was a line cut out from Shakespeare's first draft of The Tempest.
Can you tell that I'm having a little trouble coming up with a blog post title? I've had a jump in writing orders for the last couple of weeks, so that has sapped my creative energies. Well, that's my excuse. No -- not really -- I've a whole freakin' list of excuses. Just call me Not-My-Damn-Fault Woman.
I'm eating more because of the mirtazapine -- and more -- and more -- and if I don't knock it off soon I'm going to wake up in a dark alley with nothing but a bag of refined granular sugar and a spoon.
I found some work helping a Groupon partner over at Independent Publishing (Go get 'em, freelance writers!) Writer's Access also seems to be getting more clients recently.
In less than two week, I'll be (hopefully) attending a Peter Gabriel soundcheck and concert (with Tony Levin) in Philadelphia. I'm assuming they'll let me through the door. You don't get a paper ticket with these soundcheck packages. According to the links in Excuse #1, not much has been finalized for what is actually going to happen on stage. It's four days before the first gig. Let's see if they can get it together by then.
So, what am I doing to psych myself up for the concert? Listening to David Bowie on YouTube, of course. Here's a tune I can't get out of my head so I'll inflict you with it. Until next time;
Yipperdoodle, the photo shows just about how I'm doing. My health has gone down as my Mom's health has improved. I think my body is like the car at the end of The Blues Brothers. Once Mom started getting better, my body just fell apart.
Later this month I get to see Peter Gabriel in concert and I'm actually not looking forward to it. This is due an increase in migraines. Nothing like attending a rock concert with a thumping migraine to make you be acutely aware of your mortality.
I had hoped that if Mom got better, I could go back to freelance writing. Well, that hasn't happened. I can't get paying clients (for some reason they all want me to work for free.) It's gotten so I don't even WANT to write any more. If I don't get paid for it, doesn't seem much of a point.
I don't know how long I'll keep up my blogs since I don't make any money off of them. I've already cut back on posting. I'm spending most of my "free" time reading. Since Peter Gabriel seems to be retiring (or not putting out any more albums) there goes the overriding theme of this blog. That's the second time this has happened. The first time was when I realized that there wasn't a god and I became an atheist.
It was much easier losing my faith in god than losing my faith in Peter Gabriel.
The first Peter Gabriel album I ever bought was So. I managed to purchase most of the singles, too. Back in 1986, purchasing singles was a minor sport. Last year (or was it the year before?) when PG announced on his website that a special 25th anniversary edition box set would be released, I was excited. It sounded great! And since I no longer own a turntable, I could finally get this stuff on CD.
And then Gabriel gave us a double-whammy:
1) He's taking "a year" (read = "at least two years") off to travel the world (even though he has already done so.) That wouldn't have been much, but since the end of last year, PG has been promising to "soon" release a new album -- perhaps the long-delayed I/O.
2) His website announced the the contents of the box set -- and they contain almost NOTHING of what fans expected. No B-sides, no 5.1 CD and "new" material (apparently demos of 2 songs that were left unfinished back in 1986) only available on vinyl.
I love Peter, but he's really been taking the piss since 1995. There are a lot of character defects I look over when dealing with a man I've fantasized about for over 25 years, but taking the piss is NOT one of them.
Paul Sincliar of SuperDeluxeEdition.com has published an open letter to PG and expects a response. A response from a man who was 25 years in between KIDS? Yeah, good luck with that, Paul.
