Peter Gabriel has brought out another Encore series for the Back To Front tour 2013. Every show is available as an official soundboard recording. Unlike the 2012 Encores, the new series is available directly from Peter Gabriel’s website.
The outside
Apart from the new tour logo, the CD road case matches the 2012 roadcase. Small wonder, as it is from the same manufacturer. The exact measurements have not been published, but they are likely to be the same as for the 2012 roadcase, as there would have been room for more CDs there.
As a bonus there is the tour program in the shape of a CD booklet. It contains only those photos that appertain directly to the tour and the tour dates, while the big program that was available from the shows also had some pages dedicated to Gabriel’s other projects and interests.
The box also contains five tour photos as separate prints. The CDs come in the same cardboard cover as the ones that are available separately. As before, they are simple brown cardboard. On the front there are the five jumbled faces, the show date and city. The track list on the back is printed in slanted, intentionally smudged letters. The inside contains the list of tour dates. The CDs are white with clean black print. The Encore concept that was set up in 2003 has thus been continued without any major changes.
New: 24 bit downloads / no USB sticks
There is a new option: All shows are offered as high quality download, but only to those who buy the 2CD or collector’s box sets. The CDs come with a code that leads to a special Bowers & Wilkins page from which you can download the 24bit / 96kHz version. The download codes are one-way codes, i.e. you have only one try per show.
We have been able to test this for you. This website takes you to the individual show downloads, you enter the code and receive confirmation that a link is being sent to you in an e-mail. This can take up to an hour. Clicking on the link in the e-mail triggers the download of a gigantic zip file (roughly 1.7GB per CD, i.e. up to 3.5GB per Encore).
The USB sticks have been discontinued. After the experience from the previous tour (low demand but higher production costs) it was decided not to have USB sticks anymore.
Digression: Music Streamer II
The high quality download makes sense only if you play it with adequate equipment. Few people have a sound card that could even begin to live up to those demands. There are, however, specialized devices that can stream high quality recordings to a hi-fi set using special technology. One of these devices is the Music Streamer II, which we use (at least in parts) to test, listen to and review the Encores. We will also provide you with a report on how that works out.
The Band
.… is exactly the same as in 2012: Manu Katché on drums, David
Sancious on keyboard and acoustic guitar, Tony Levin on bass and David
Rhodes on guitars. Two “new friends” have joined them in 2012: Jennie
Abrahamson and Linnea Olsson offer backing vocals.
Setlist
Peter introduces a new song called Why Don't You Show Yourself. Unlike O But it is finished and will be used in the closing credits of the movie Words With Gods, which will come to cinemas in 2014. Early on Games Without Frontiers was played at two shows with the use of so-called Magic Cubes that endlessly repeat samples from an instrument. Games Without Frontiers was soon dropped from the set for reasons unknown.
The evening is divided like a three-course menu, as Peter Gabriel explains beforehand. First there is an acoustic 'rehearsal', then an electric part and finally the whole So album. Encore are The Tower That Ate People and Biko for every show. The Up album is not represented at all...
Arrangements
Peter Gabriel plays the songs mainly in the same arrangements he used in 2012 (see our review of those).
The recordings
The quality of the Encores is as good as we are used to for it to be. The mixes are very clear and well-balanced in treble and bass. Sometimes single instruments stand out. The audience can be heard rather quietly.
28/09/13 HERNING, Denmark -Jyske Bank Boxen
30/09/13 AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - ZiggoDome
01/10/13 BRUSSELS, Belgium - Voorst National
03/10/13 VIENNA, Austria - Stadthalle
05/10/13 BELGRADE, Serbia - Kombank Arena
07/10/13 MILAN, Italy - Mediolanum
08/10/13 GENEVA, Switzerland - Le Grand Saconnex
10/10/13 PRAGUE, Czech Republic - O2 World
11/10/13 LEIPZIG, Germany - Arena
13/10/13 STUTTGART, Germany - Schleyerhalle
15/10/13 PARIS, France - Palais Omnysport Paris
16/10/13 DÜSSELDORF, Germany - ISS Dome
18/10/13 HAMBURG, Germany - O2-World
19/10/13 BERLIN, Germany - O2 World
21/10/13 LONDON, UK - O2
22/10/13 LONDON, UK - O2
24/10/13 GLASGOW, UK - Hydro
25/10/13 MANCHESTER, UK - MRC Arena
Encore Series - Best of the Best
We are now working on a best of the best list to give you an idea whoch Encore might be the best to purchase. A Top 5 is the plan. Also, we think about a Top 3 for each song. Let's see what's possible. If you own ALL the Encores from 2013 and are willing to participate in pour decision making process, please send an email to Christian.
Encore Series - order info
To order the 2CD sets go to Peter Gabriel's website. You need a credit card or a Paypal account. The 2CD sets cost €17.99 including shipping to Europe (shipping costs and therefore total costs may vary for other countries). Please note that the 2CD sets and the big box sets are shipped from Los Angeles. Because of customs it may be a good idea to place only two or three 2CD sets in a single order. Downloads are only available once you have received the Encores because the codes are in the CD sets.
by Thomas Schrage and Christian Gerhardts
English by Martin Klinkhardt