Let me put to you like this - you don't have to be the biggest fan of Peter Gabriel to be in awe of this concert. Yes, at times it seemed that the stage show might overtake the power of the music but after a second viewing, it becomes very obvious how the lyrics and meanings of the songs feed into what is on your screen. I was blown away by watching Peter and his daughter perform "Downside Up" upside down on the vertical portion of the round stage. The use of a center tarp (around the drummer) provides amazing effects with both "Signal to Noise" and "The Barry Williams Show." Still, what I think most people will remember about the show has to be his use of the Zorb...the human hamster ball, only his is filled with LEDs. He said in a commentary that he wanted to recreate his stage dive from the POV tour but was unable to. He wanted to use the Zorb for that instead, but the weight was too high. I'm glad he still kept it since it has to be the highlight of the show and if you've seen the "Growing Up" video, the Zorb makes perfect sense. His usual long-time supporting band is top notch (like usual) and you can tell they just love playing together like they have since he went solo. I'm also glad that even after all of these years, he still takes the time (several times) to introduce them to everyone. Any negatives? Minor stuff. I wish most of his stories didn't start with "Sometimes..." He does have to stall before some songs since the prep work is still going on. His daughter needs a few more supporting songs. Also, it was a little too obvious during some songs that we were listening to a backing track, but it isn't often. Get this DVD. Watch a highly creative person's concert dream come true. Your eyes and ears will be blown away!
Review of Peter Gabriel: Growing Up Live
