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Thursday December 12th 2002 01:28 PM PST

Last night i made the trip from Culver City to Pasadena, just to get back in the car to go to Staples Center to see Peter Gabriel. jen's dad got us the company suite, and the VIP parking pass, so we parked about 40 feet away from the door into the arena. We got there A LONG TIME before the show started. The place was really really really EMPTY. So we got a few drinks and food and sat down in the suite. We were in A level which is the 1st of three levels of suites at Staples. So we were high above the crowd but not in nose bleed seats. As we were eating, Peter Gabrield comes out to introduce the two opening acts. I thought it was a nice touch. The first thing out of his mouth is, "Ok, thers is going to be some discussion here as to the propper ettiquite of when to arrive at a show." Everybody laughs, and i think at that point, there were only about 1/10th the seats occupied. So he introduces the Blind Alabama Boys,who, just like it says, are a bunch of guys from Alabama that are blind. DUH. These guys put on a incredible vocal performance topped by the lead singer being led into the crowd while still singing and shaking peoples' hands. It had a very very deep south male choir sound to it. Very impressive. You might have heard them sampled by MOBY. Following them, there was a short act of two men, and i won't try to spell their names or try to remember how they are spelled. I'll look em up later and post the name. They played native insturments from (i don't know) and it sounded fuckin great. So then Peter Gabriel's set was a good mix of old and new. Blue Sky and Growing Up off the new album and then a large selection of songs from just about every album. Red Rain, Salsbury Hill, In Your Eyes, Shock the Monkey jst to name a few. The show was a "center stage" rig. They had all the musicians and hired muscle all in the center of staples with a "20 ton" lighting rig above their heads. Fron the lighting rig emerged a large selection of toys for Peter to play around on. There's a huge flower like thing that "gives birth to the moon". Then a circular catwalk that he and his daughter walk upside down on for "Downside Up" equiped with harnasses and cables. Then on top of the catwalk he has a video camera on a tripod that he dances around with pointing at the crowd as the video is projected on screens high above. Then the Moon actually turns into.... and I AM NOT BULLSHITTING YOU.... a HUGE PETER GABRIEL HAMPSTER BALL. Yup that's right, he gets inside it WHILE STILL SINGING... and runs and HOPS around stage in it. I have to say there was not enough energy in the crowd. I felt bad, cause i was having a great time, but most people just stayed in their seats. I've been to a lot of shows and i think the ones that the performers really have a good time at are where the crowd REALLY gets into it. Anyway, Will went and sat in closer seats AND got his camera in. He's got some unfuckinbelieveable shots on his site

Will's Pictures of Peter Gabriel

Then i also started to look at PeterGabriel.com to find the names of the opening acts. I couldn't find em right off, but i did find the tour video diary, that has some really cool footage of the set and the performace.

Peter Gabriel Moonclub Tour Diary

Comments:

Wow! That sounds so amazing! That must have bee so fun for you guys! How come I never get invited to anything like that? Where's the love?

Posted by: Anne