When: 29/11/14
I was looking forward to this one, having had a brief surge of re-involvement with his back catalogue of late, invigorating enough to extinguish my memory of an over-long and over-pompous slot at Glasto twenty odd years ago. And this was to be playing, as is the current style, his 1986 masterwork, "So", front to back, or as the tour legend proclaims, back to front, which it wasn't. With the original players, apparently. Were we to get Kate, I wondered, or Youssou N'Dour?
Arriving at the NEC I was swiftly reminded, yet again, why I always vow never to return, parking in a far distant carpark and following the hordes, refugee like, massing towards the distant arena. The unwelcoming hall of budget food and liquid, all pitched at lowest common denominator taste for top end wedge, resulted in a foamy pint and a plastic pino. The evening could only improve.
Missing the support slot, we fought our way to our terrace, the lottery having granted us quite a decent view of a busy looking stage. Shortly before the expected start time a stocky fellow shambled onto stage, house lights undimmed, and wandered over to the piano set stage right. The shock of recognition filtered through the nearer seated, for it was he. He introduced a show of three parts, some quiet, some experimental and So, and kicked off right into a new song, accompanied by cello and the electric stand-up bass of long term sideman, Tony Levin. His voice, pitched a tad below memory, was immediately stunning, cracking into the sustained notes he is rightly acclaimed for. Glorious. A few more band members appeared, drummer Manu Katche, another blast from the hoped for past, loyal guitarist David Rhodes and, a surprise for me, ex early Springsteen alumnus, David Sanctious on keyboards, accordion and guitar. Another girl singer, to complement the cellist, also snuck on, one Jenny Abrahamson. With Gabriel still on piano, the group played a further few songs, including a particularly affecting "Talk to Me".
The lights abruptly went down and we were into part two, industrial noise, flashing lights, camera trickery aplenty, from the sometimes intrusive banks thereof and a bludgeoning canter through his catalogue from Solsbury Hill to Shock the Monkey. All very 1984 as imagined in the 70s. Alternating between prowling the stage and electronic keyboards, this was powerful stuff, the thumping drums being particularly memorable. The frontline of Gabriel, Levin, Rhodes and the backing vocalists sporadically dipped into little choreographed routines, the Shadows inspired through Hawkwind, that were maybe more amusing than meant to be. Even Gabriels utility wear of cagoule cannot disguise he is now of somewhat portly proportion.
The segue into part three announced only by the stage lighting switching dramatically into red, for Red Rain, it soon became obvious how known and loved is this body of work, the audience afeet and adulatory. Smashing into and through Sledgehammer, anticipation began to arise as the mournful and haunting synth chords of Don't Give Up pierced the gloom. With clearly no Kate, it was down to Abrahamson to deliver her part, a thankless task, which is the kindest thing I can say about her thin vocal. I am not sure why "Mercy Street" was delivered flat on his back, but it was, being a good enough song to survive that shenanigan. (Pompous? Soi?) Onward, and even the two songs nobody remembers, middle to end of side two are their presence, punching beyond their weight. Edging toward the two hour mark, it was finally into the home strait with"In Your Eyes", presented masterfully and emotionally. On this occasion Abrahamson was in far safer territory, relaxing into N'Dours keening coda. Applause aplenty and off, via an atypical and appreciated exhortation of praise to the crew responsible for setting up and putting on this enterprise. I wondered even if he would come back, but he did, with a new song and the inevitable "Biko", he seemingly unable to ever stop playing this, for me anyway, stodgy dirge, however worthy. I think even Bono might find the sentiment cloying, but I am sure I am being unfair; this had been a stonking show and I was delighted he can clearly still pull it off, voice unbowed.
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