PETER GABRIEL // OVO HYDRO, GLASGOW
PETER GABRIEL BRINGS HIS ‘I/O: WORLD TOUR’ TO GLASGOW’S OVO HYDRO.
★★★★★ (5/5)
PETER GABRIEL LIVE AT GLASGOW’S OVO HYDRO
PHOTOCREDIT: CALUM BUCHAN
What would have happened if Peter Gabriel had stayed with Genesis? Now, this is a question to ponder. I think it’s more than likely that both sides of the breakup would have struggled to reach such fame without the departure. Wondering may be as pointless as a chocolate eraser; however, looking back at this stepping stone for Gabriel reveals a point where he took reins.
As he exploded into international supernova, Gabriel bathed 80s and 90s prog fans in his outsider pop. With something for everyone in his catalogue, he can be described as the acid trip of listening to Can, Randy Newman, Talking Heads and Nick Cave at the same time. Despite massive hits, collaborations and award-wins, Gabriel has avoided becoming a slave to the media machine; surviving the wild ride of long lasting fame in somewhat of an incognito mode.
Gabriel has confirmed the late 2023 release I/O, an album he has been developing for near a decade and which has been dubbed his solo tenth and first proper release since UP in 2002. Exploring connection, the album sees fans treated to further work with the Soweto Gospel Choir, who Gabriel worked with for the beloved Wall-E song Down To Earth.
To showcase his new work, Gabriel and his team have created a huge show which he is touring in
Europe and North America. Glasgow’s OVO Hydro arena was the luckily Scottish host for the night. Chirpy, sun-blushed faces filled the scene as a large clock display ticked down the coming magnum opus.
Not but a second late, Peter Gabriel flourished on stage, jovially laughing with the fans about the here and now. Exuberant warmth streamed from him throughout the evening and it filled the room like vapour. Opening with Washing Of The Water, Gabriel stood as the servant of ecstasy in an arena of love. Seamlessly, the tempo slithered and coiled into Growing Up a blues brothers track from his early 2000s release which pairs perfectly with the next, newer, track Panopticon which is a modern progressive slick black hole that sucked the Hydro in.
The set showed off a large body work complete with jaw dropping visual displays and incredible staging. Gabriel’s long standing trio of Stickaman bassist Tony Levin, regarded drummer Manu Katché and devoted guitarist David Rhodes mashed into melodies effortlessly as if they are of one mind. Fan favourite Sledgehammer is used to close the first section of the set and it sees the stage explode in risqué imagery and free love feelings.
Continuing sharply, the night was pushed on with pace as it was clear that there was still a lot in store. Gabriel showed no signs of struggle with the demanding task of an almost 3 hour set. His voice had all the deep pillows of tenderness that he first struck fame with.
The beautiful Don’t Give Up was a 20 minute journey that soared through the room with a strength that’s been building since creation in 1986. Dealing with his own nervous breakdown and ongoing trials in his marriage, Gabriel has stated that song is about handling failure and surviving a painful world, which, at the time, saw Thatcher driving the country off a cliff of unemployment and inequality. Singer and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson took on this duet with Gabriel at the Hydro. Filling the shoes of Kate Bush is no small task but if Witter-Johnson was nervous then she hid it well. She delivered her lines with a trembling poignancy that left the crowd goose-bumped and in silent awe.
Florescent colours light the musicians as the night slowly rumble towards its closing numbers. Gabriel showed his appreciation for his fellow musicians throughout the set and was not shy at bringing them to the forefront of the stage. Live and Let Live sits like a blooming flower beside the fully blossomed classic anthem Solsbury Hill. After an epic 20 song set, Gabriel performs two encores comprising of the romantic In Your Eyes and the radical stomping anthem Biko. As voice joined to sing in solidarity, a powerful feeling of unity surrounded one and all.
Peter Gabriel may have changed production pace since his early days however on all other accounts he is firing on all cylinders. His tour saw a tale that carried you through a history of human experience and connection. With deep rivers of emotion and with golden light, Gabriel continues to create musical experiences that tap into something primal.
