Peter Gabriel and guardian angels

Living the high life

So this was written on my way home from the Peter Gabriel concert. After I finished radiation, a friend gave me a $100 cheque and told me to do something nice for myself. I am on the fan newsletter and had just gotten notification about a Toronto tour date. I could get a presale ticket up in the rafters for almost that amount. His concerts are masterclasses of performance, so I got a ticket.

Flash forward to tonight. On my way, I stop off to pick up snacks at Dollarama, as I have no budget for stuff at the venue. When I get down there, I look at my ticket and it says all gates, so I choose the closest one, the one that is also for premium members. As I’m waiting in line, the guy behind me says, “you’ve got a great ticket. Want to swap?” I laugh and say no, I got presale so it’s pretty good. He says, “You didn’t even ask where I’m sitting.” This prompts a comment from the guy in front of me about my good seat. Turns out I’m in the middle of a group of guys. Then the guy asks me, “Do you want to sit in the third row? I have a free ticket.”

“Yes!”

So I get adopted by this group. They ask me my name but I don’t think to ask theirs, as I figure I’ll be sitting with them and they had someone stand them up. As we get closer, I get told by security I have to toss my snacks. I’m reluctant, so another one of the group (white shirt, easy on the eyes) takes my snacks, says something to the security guard doing our check, and he gets them through.

The guy scans his ticket for me and I get taken through the bowels of the place, through the platinum lounge, and up to the seats. It’s showtime so we’re rushing. We get to the top of the stairs and the group is going to their seats but when it gets to me, I get shown two seats away from them and told to pick one. Just before the lights go down, the guy who gave me the seat comes down and asks if I’m ok and if I need anything, he’s just a few rows up.

My amazing seat just before the concert starts.

Shortly after the concert starts, another couple of guys sit next to me. The one sitting closest to me asks me if I know Bruce, as these are his seats. He saw him in the lounge and just assumed he’d be in the seats. I said I was just given the seat. I mention how a year ago I was going through chemo and he said it was really funny, he was flying out to get his sister from Calgary in the morning to bring her here to see a specialist. They’ve put her on chemo but they don’t know what’s wrong with her. He says it’s amazing that I’m there.

A little later on in the first act, he goes to get drinks and asks me if I want anything. I ask for a bottle of water, which I had wanted to bring but knew I wouldn’t get it through security. At the break, he takes me down to the lounge, shows me where the washroom is, and looks for Bruce. I can’t see a sign of any of the guys I came in with, nor can I find them after the concert. The guy sitting next to me disappears during the encores as well. I’m sad I didn’t get a chance to say thank you. Maybe they were angels after all.

Now to the concert itself. Peter Gabriel comes out on his own and just talks to us. He then lights a bonfire (not really, it’s all lighting) and brings out longtime collaborator Tony Levin. Turns out they met in Toronto 47 years ago while recording his first solo album, something he makes sure to remind the audience. The two of them sit down by the bonfire, with Gabriel playing a keyboard that goes across his lap. (I want one of those!)

They then break into Washing of the Water and I start crying. Why? Because when I was going through chemo the song had particular resonance to me. (I write more about this on my other blog, Song of the Day.) Then he invites the rest of the band out and they sit around the fire. He introduces them and what instruments they play, and then they break out into a version of Growing Up, which makes me laugh because the chorus repeats the phrase, “looking for a place to live”.

After this, they go into the full stage setup. And what a setup it is! There’s a large disc over the centre of the stage that has LED lighting all around its edge and a circular screen that takes up most of the middle that is used for projections. It’s rigged to move up and down and tilt. It’s used to stunning effect throughout the show.

photo credit Didier Debusschere/TVA Nouvelles

There are circular lighting discs in a semi-circle around the stage and they too go up and down and tilt. An effect that really stuck with me were the front 3 on either side coming down and acting as sidelights to cast Gabriel in shadow when he came to sing in front of them.

Here are the 3 discs, as well as the projection screen that flanked each side of the stage. Photo credit Renee Doiron/Soundcheck Entertainment

In the first act, the background uses a cyclorama with 2 long, thin projection panels on each side with a large screen using 3 projection panels. During intermission, the middle panels separate out and all the panels are raised and lowered during the second half. A raised stage came on (used to great effect during two songs, including Don’t Give Up) and in the middle of the cyclorama an opening appears to be used as another projection screen.

Here you can see the projection panels. This photo is also Renee Dorion.

A scrim (more of a translucent screen) also came down to start the second half and he used it for the first two songs. In the first, he uses it to do shadow work throughout the number, freezing moments and replicating them across the screen. In the second, he uses a wand to paint thick colour lines of various colours as he crosses back and forth across the stage.

Honest to god, sometimes it was so hard to decide whether to watch the performance or the staging, my performer and director brains fighting it out. All the videos that were created for the i/o album were projected, while for the songs from Up and Us were more atmospheric and familiar from those tours. In some songs, there were dissolve effects used to track his movements (I’m sure there’s a technical term but I’m not a designer) that were stunning. The staging was so beautiful and when this concert comes out as a recording, I want to add it to my collection of the Us and Up tours.

A few times there was a static image so we could focus on Gabriel himself. I was tickled pink to see him using some of the movements he has used in previous tours, especially when Levin and David Rhodes, his two longtime touring partners, moved their legs in sync with him like they were in Motown.

I really love how he talked to the audience between numbers and how unafraid he is to be dramatic on stage. It’s so inspiring. It was also great to sing full throttle with the rest of the crowd during the final encore Biko. (What an incredible final image!)

There’s a lot of videos on YouTube from the tour and if you’re interested in stage design I suggest you check some of them out - or watch the ones I’ve posted here! I’m so, so grateful for all the things that made it such a special night. Thank you, thank you, thank you.