March 17, 1977 review: Peter Gabriel at the Century Theater
Peter
Gabriel’s departure from Genesis in 1975 right after “The Lamb Lies Down on
Broadway” shook up fans. Would they still love him as a solo act?
March 17, 1977
Never
Know What’s Up
When Gabriel Blows In
Peter Gabriel’s reputation for
transmogrifying himself is such that nobody in the nearly sold-out Century
Theater Wednesday night is sure what form he would assume to make his entrance.
Would he show up as a monster with a
skin problem, as he did when he sang with Genesis? Or might he lurk in the
shadows, waiting to zap you with his reflectorized contact lenses, as on his
new solo LP?
When the lights dimmed, the answer was
neither of the above. His fans rose to see a figure not much different from
Paul Simon at the piano. A robust, athletic Paul Simon in sneakers and a gray
warm-up suit accented in white with colored stripes at the elbows.
* *
*
WITHIN
THREE numbers, he amazes the place. First, there’s his energetic pantomime.
Then there’s the way he can change his voice until it sounds like the Hulk’s.
And, most incredible, there are his bold forays into the audience.
The spotlight finds him and his
wireless mike in a box seat between the balcony and the floor. A few minutes
later, he’s walking down the center aisle, singing and shaking hands with
friendly aplomb.
His expeditions give him a chorus of
stubborn shouters, but his endless mimicry is unaffected. He sings about a man
with no teeth as if he has no teeth. He recreates the Kinks’ Ray Davies in “All
Day and All of the Night” and ‘60s pop stars in Motown’s “Ain’t That Peculiar.”
* *
*
THE
BAND reinforces Gabriel’s fanciful funning. Bassist Tony Levin takes a tuba
solo. Guitarist Steve Hunter prowls in a leather suit under blond curly hair.
Percussionist Jimmy Mahlen bounces on his toes like a boxer, between swipes at
two big Chinese gongs suspended above his head.
At one point, the four of them don
mustaches and sing barbershop harmonies.
For his encore, Gabriel makes his only
costume change. Recognition of the leather jacket and jeans of the hero from
Genesis’ “A Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” is instantaneous.
* *
*
OPENING
WAS the
Standing woodenly as they delivered
their angular tunes, they were like nihilists let loose in the worldly splendor
of Gabriel’s equipment and hanging lamps.
Lead singer, guitarist and songwriter
Tom Verlaine, dressed in a black and two-tone blue shirt of aging rayon,
appeared to be watching something crawling up his microphone as he spat out his
chants.
Verlaine is a fine guitarist despite a
tendency to meander without regard to time or harmony on solos. The group’s
blockish phrasing and atonal breaks built the proper intensity only once – in
“Elevation” from their debut album. It was more than most of Gabriel’s fans expected
of them.
* *
* * *
IN
THE PHOTO: Peter Gabriel on the first date of his tour in 1977.
* *
* * *
FOOTNOTE:
Peter Gabriel released his first solo album in February and began touring for
it at the Capitol Theatre in
Gabriel’s band was a killer. One of
the guitarists was Steve Hunter, who producer Bob Ezrin had brought in for that
first solo album and who had played with Mitch Ryder, Alice Cooper and Lou
Reed. The other was playing under the assumed name of Dusty Rhodes and hid
behind a curtain or offstage on all the dates. He was none other than Robert
Fripp and he needs no introduction. Neither does bassist Tony Levin.
Doing synthesizers was Larry Fast, who
had worked with Yes, while Phil Aaberg, who is best known for his subsequent
albums on Windham Hill, did the other keyboards. Drummer was Allan Schwartzberg,
an extremely well-traveled session player who already had backed up James Brown,
Harry Chapin, Tony Orlando and Dawn, plus Gloria Gaynor on what was considered
the first disco record, “Never Can Say Goodbye.” Percussionist Jim Maelen also
was much in demand as a session player and would go on to work with Roxy Music
and John Lennon.
As for Television, they had released their breakthrough album, "Marquee Moon," on the same date Gabriel's LP came out and their label put them on the Gabriel tour, hoping for some exposure. Gabriel's fans didn't like them. By May 1977, they were touring England with Blondie, which went much, much better.
Here’s the Peter Gabriel setlist from setlist.fm.
Here
Comes the Flood
On
the Air
Moribund
the Burgermeister
Waiting
for the Big One
Indigo
Excuse
Me
Solsbury
Hill
Ain’t
That Peculiar (Marvin Gaye cover)
Why
Don’t We
Humdrum
Slowburn
All
Day and All of the Night (Kinks cover)
Here
Comes the Flood
Modern
Love
Down
the Dolce Vita
(encore)
Back
in N.Y.C. (Genesis song)
No Television setlist for this show on setlist.fm. Here's what they played the previous night in Cleveland Music Hall:
See No Evil
Venus
Friction
Elevation
Prove It
Marquee Moon
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