Peter Gabriel is entertaining fans on lockdown by offering up a classic concert on the Real World Vimeo channel.
Gabriel was recovering from a cold when he performed at the Arena di Verona in Italy with an orchestra 10 years ago, but he still considers the show one of his favourites – and he asked his daughter, Anna, to film it.
Gabriel has now uploaded the rarely seen Scratch My Back concert film, urging fans who watch to consider donating to the Italian Red Cross and Italy’s Civil Protection Department.
“For almost fifty years I have loved Italy, the people, the culture, the food, the history and more recently the island of Sardinia,” he writes in a statement. “Italy offered us work when there was none, especially each summer in the 70s, gigs were always found and some of our best and most chaotic tour experiences were when we were driving ourselves all over the country for a hodge-bodge (sic) of brilliant gigs, from seaside discos to football pitches in the mountains.
“Both Genesis and my music found wonderful and passionate audiences that used to sing along with us throughout the gigs and whenever I was doing a live album I would always ask first whether it could be arranged in Italy. I speak some Italian – really badly, but enough for it to feel like our home from home. It really hit us hard as a family, to watch the daily reports of deaths and devastation that this brutal virus has brought.
“Ten years ago, I asked my daughter Anna to film the show that we were planning to play with an orchestra at the Arena di Verona, which is an extraordinary place in which to be able to perform. Although I was recovering from a cold and not quite hitting the notes as I wanted, Anna did a wonderful job with her collaborator Andrew Gaston, and a great team, in capturing a very special night.”
Peter concludes his statement by writing: “We are thinking of all our friends and fans and everybody who has been hit in one way or another by this virus in Italy and around the world. We are also worried we are not far behind you in the U.K. Really looking forward to seeing you all when this genie is back in the bottle.”
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