A pristine video has just seen light of day of Peter Gabriel-era Genesis performing live in 1973 at the Bataclan in Paris. This jaw dropping never-seen-before concert footage captures Genesis in all their live intensity, in stunning 4K quality.
This was the Foxtrot tour and Gabriel had just started to incorporate costumes into the show. Fresh off the Dublin show where he appeared unannounced (even to the bandmates) in red dress and fox head as seen on that 1972 album cover and causing quite a storm, he goes again here, but this is just a glimpse of what was to come for Gabriel’s theatrics and costumes fronting Genesis in the early 70s.
After decades of listening to this line-up on both live and studio recordings, this new footage provides a world of insight into how it all worked onstage. Peter is otherworldly; it’s a captivating performance, an artist in total control of his environment. Phil holds it all together on the drums and looks like he enjoyed a bit of the good smoke after or before the show. It’s amazing to think that the little bearded drummer will become one of the biggest stars on the planet in a decade.
The only full song is The Musical Box from 1971’s Nursery Cryme and even that features a brief audio patch from the 1973 LP Genesis Live since sound was missing from the beginning of the recording. It is followed by the first half of the Foxtrot centrepiece Supper’s Ready and large chunks of Return of the Giant Hogweed (Nursery Cryme) and The Knife from Trespass (1970).
The French TV video concludes with an the interview segment where which Peter says he learned to perform by watching Alice Cooper and David Bowie. Enjoy it before it gets pulled.
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Thanks for letting us know. I will have to try and squeeze that in today. Pretty cool stuff.
Hope you enjoy it. The footage is very interesting. Peter Gabriel is one freaky looking dude.
That he was. He’s normal now so he came around.
Tremendous. Always my go-to music at this time of year.
Me too Matt. I find their music (particularly this era) very comforting and uplifting in many ways.
I never followed – nor even knew much about – Genesis in the early-to-mid 70s, so was totally unaware of their music. Despite the fact I was already a young adult, back in those days, if a song didn’t get played on Top 40 radio, I didn’t hear it unless a friend played it at their home. I think the first song of theirs I ever heard was their hit single “Follow You Follow Me” in 1978, which was a big departure from their earlier progressive sound.
A time capsule. I will have a look and listen for sure. This was one of my favorites bands back then.
Well worth a look and perhaps a revisit to the classic Foxtrot.
Ive done a couple takes on Genesis (Foxtrot being one). I was a big fan of that early stuff and Gabriel’s solo work. Especially the early stuff.