Peter Gabriel's Back To Front Tour

I learned something incredibly awesome this weekend: not only is Peter Gabriel playing a live show in my town this fall, he's playing the entire So album from top to bottom with most of the band members from the original So tour! It's the 25th anniversary of that classic album, so Peter's doing a ton of stuff to celebrate.

It's called the "Back To Front" tour. Tickets are on sale now for many cities so check out the full details at the official Peter Gabriel website.

And yes, I just bought tickets because my show just went on sale. Excuse me while I squeal like a fangirl!

Peter Gabriel Contest: Win A Live Blood CD

Peter Gabriel is releasing a two-CD concert disc, Live Blood, today and the fine folks at Eagle Rock Entertainment have given us a copy to give to one lucky Culture Brats reader!

First a bit about the CD: the show was recorded at London's Hammersmith Apollo on March 23, 2011 and featured Gabriel and a 46-piece orchestra. They perform the hits ("Biko," "In Your Eyes," "Solsbury Hill") and even a few covers, like Paul Simon's "The Boy In The Bubble."

Interested? We make it quite simple: if you're at least 18 years of age and a resident of the United States and you'd like to enter, just send us an email. We'll pick a winner at 10:02 PM on Thursday, May 3rd.

Good luck!

DVD Review: Peter Gabriel, New Blood Live In London

My immediate reaction upon hearing that another popular longstanding music giant is cobbling together orchestrated versions of their hits to serve up on a fancy plate to longtime fans is a big loud sigh. Normally, this is a sign that things are getting stagnant and that new ingredients are needed to spice up the stew and get people listening again. I start sweating, worrying that I'll be riding in an elevator one day with "The Girl From Ipanema" oozing softly through the speakers and then BLAM out comes a kinder, gentler version of my once face-melting rock anthem. Sad face all around.

Anyway, if there's anyone who might be able to pull something like this off with resounding success, it would be Peter Gabriel. Over the course of his career, the sixty-one-year-old former Genesis front man and solo dynamo has transformed himself from yellow flower wearing lunatic into a global music phenomenon. I was correct not to underestimate him.

Peter Gabriel's New Blood Live In London was filmed over two nights in March of 2011 at London's Hammersmith Apollo minus guitar, bass and drums and featuring the forty-six members of his New Blood Orchestra--and it is fantastic. I actually got up out of my seat to get closer to the speakers so I could soak up the new arrangements and further enjoy Gabriel's vocals which still make the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention.

Watch The Monkey Get Hurt

Let me set the scene for you.

I'm in the sixth grade, it's early in the morning in the dead of winter, and our two-hundred-year-old farm house though outwardly charming and quaint, is lacking in all things modern and necessary.

Things like heat and hot water are rare and fleeting occurrences so it is with stealth and urgency that after a half hour or so of frantic wrestling under my electric blanket that I am able to pull on my jumper and peter pan collar shirt without losing any body parts to frostbite.

As my head emerges I hear a warm and familiar voice broadcasting over the radio waves of New York's WNEW about to debut a new song from that guy who used to sing for Genesis. What's his name again? Oh yeah, flower petal guy! Peter Gabriel!

I couldn't be more stunned if the guy were jumping up and down on my bed with those crazy pre-Pixar lifelike lamps bobbing and weaving to the beat of this song.

The entire day passes and the music won't leave my brain.



I know we've paid homage to Mr. Gabriel here before, but this song was a game changer in my life. It was so new and raw. I'd never heard anything like it in my years and it still stands up well today.

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Peter Gabriel, "In Your Eyes"

From 1986, here's Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes."

Enjoy!