Genesis
Shepperton - The 16mm Film

THE REVIEW

Genesis, Shepperton, 34 years ago...

1) The black jumpsuit, Peter Gabriel's naive glam moves, and his little skits/interludes between songs

2) "Supper's Ready" and the initial "chorus" with one voice and three guitars, including Tony Banks' twelve-string

3) The range of puzzled faces, starting from Steve Hackett ("what the hell am I doing up here?") to the slightly more relaxed expression of Phil Collins, in front of Gabriel's theatrical performances

4) Gabriel's variably angelic and cunning-devilish looks throughout the concert

5) Cipollino Collins with lots of hair and (incredible to say, given how things turned out...) also intimidated (but occasionally he smiles)

6) Tony Banks' keyboard solos, which if I could have had in front of my eyes 25 years ago, I would have studied, copied, and reproduced finger by finger on my dear old Farfisa

7) Phil Collins briefly getting up from his spot, playing a whistle or something similar, and immediately put back in his place by Gabriel's flower head (FIUUUUUUUUUUUU'; "Feel your body melt...")

8) The "Jim Morrison-style" simulation by Peter (with a face covered by an elderly mask) of a "doggy-style" coitus, at the end of Musical Box (the song essentially talks about sexual repression)

9) "Supper's Ready" and the flute interlude before "Apocalypse in 9/8" (I loved the atmosphere created by those notes when I was "young")

10) "I Know What I Like .." and Hackett, Rutherford, and Banks, for once a bit more entertained and engaged

11) The end of "I Know What I Like" and Gabriel with pieces of straw in his mouth simulating a lawnmower walk ("Me, I'm Just a lawnmower, you can tell me by the way I walk")

12) Peter's little face and thin-thin voice at the start of "The Musical Box"

13) The wonderful atmosphere and "old England musical colors" of "The Musical Box" and "Dancing with The Moonlit Knight" (the latter with Gabriel dressed as "Britannia" with a "wonderful" crimson plumed helmet)

14) "Watcher of the Skies" with the prolonged mellotron intro (ah, so that's what a mellotron is like?)

15) The electric guitar solos (a double-neck by Rutherford and a simple one by Hackett) in the middle of "Dancing" (wow, I hadn't realized Rutherford practically never plays the bass; a huge surprise!! Maybe it's Banks playing a pedal like VDGG did)

When I think about how many times I've imagined and wished I could have attended a Genesis concert from the Peter Gabriel era. Today, in its rawness, this old 16 mm film gave me the impression of having really been there.

Like a false memory arriving a little late on the passage of years...

PS
...but damn, why didn't they play "Firth of Fifth" and "The Cinema Show"..??