VIDEO: Peter Gabriel Unveils Worst Stage Prop Ever at Philadelphia Show


I’ve seen Peter Gabriel three times throughout his post-1980s career, and the man usually has a fine theatrical stage show to accompany his fine repertoire of solo music.

On Friday night at Wells Fargo Center, while Gabriel’s hair and youthful spryness were gone, his all-star live band and 62-year old voice were beyond reproach. But as for the stage show, well… Maybe I’ve been spoiled by the recent extravaganzas presented by Roger Waters and Madonna, but I’d have to give Gabriel’s production a failing grade.

The climax of the whole affair was during encore No. 1, “The Tower that Ate the People”, and the prop in question looks like something that would have been produced during preschool craft time, if preschoolers had access to really, really long rolls of paper.

Watch the video I recorded (it’s only a minute long) to see it descend from above the stage and swallow Gabriel up, and see if you don’t agree that this is the Genesis founder’s Spinal Tap moment.