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Peter Gabriel and Bonobo Monkeys - or, when pop stars get weirdly pompous (or pompously weird)

Started by 23 Daves, March 25, 2005, 02:01:44 AM

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23 Daves

A month or so ago, I walked into a pub in Quebec City.  Nothing especially interesting about that, you might think, were it not for the fact that the landlord, for reasons known only to himself, had chosen to pull down a big screen and show a Peter Gabriel live DVD at full volume.

What unravelled before our eyes was the single most ridiculous piece of middle-aged rock star bonkersness I've seen.  Peter Gabriel was cycling round and round the stage on a small bicycle singing into a small camera, which was projecting images on to a larger screen behind him.  He was also singing from inside a giant "Zorb" (a large transparent ball, much beloved by young rich people who go on action holidays in New Zealand) which he rolled around the stage with gusto whilst singing something totally irrelevant.

The bit that caused me to absolutely piss myself laughing, though, was during a small quiet moment when he addressed the audience on a matter of some importance.

"Ladies and Gentleman," he asked "if an animal is only 1% genetically different from us, do we really have the right to say it is not human?  I don't think so.  Just recently, it has been my immense pleasure to play music with (pause for effect)... bonobo monkeys.  It has been one of the high points of my life.  And, I have written this song about it..."

He then thundered into a song which appeared to have the chanting chorus "Hey!  Bonobo Woman!/ Hey!  Bonobo Man!".  Shortly afterwards, I left the pub.  I appeared to be offending people who were taking him seriously.

It did get me thinking though... does anyone have any other examples of when rock stars have turned themselves into a piece of comedy in their earnest attempts to be taken seriously?  I'd certainly be interested to learn of them, and maybe even hear them if anyone has MP3 examples.

Suttonpubcrawl

Quote from: "23 Daves"What unravelled before our eyes was the single most ridiculous piece of middle-aged rock star bonkersness I've seen.  Peter Gabriel was cycling round and round the stage on a small bicycle singing into a small camera, which was projecting images on to a larger screen behind him.  He was also singing from inside a giant "Zorb" (a large transparent ball, much beloved by young rich people who go on action holidays in New Zealand) which he rolled around the stage with gusto whilst singing something totally irrelevant.

That doesn't sound like middle-aged rock star bonkerness. That sounds like Peter Gabriel doing the kind of thing he 's been doing since his twenties!

Quote"Ladies and Gentleman," he asked "if an animal is only 1% genetically different from us, do we really have the right to say it is not human?  I don't think so.  Just recently, it has been my immense pleasure to play music with (pause for effect)... bonobo monkeys.  It has been one of the high points of my life.  And, I have written this song about it..."

That sounds like he might have been joking. Or at least I hope he was joking!

As a long time Peter Gabriel fan, and as a guy who saw that very show you're talking about 4 times, I really should defend him.

As Sutton says, it's not middle-aged rock star bonkerness, it's what he's been doing since the early 1970s with Genesis. Nothing's changed except his age, so his on-stage antics can't really be dismissed that easily.

As for Animal Nation (the whole section you were talking about there)... well yes, I see your point but I think that's got more to do with Gabriel's eccentricity than "ooo, I'm a middle aged rock star, look at how crazy I am, playing with Bonobo Monkeys". But what's so ridiculous about it? If what he says is true, that there's only 1% difference between us and them, then at least it must have been an interesting experiment and experience.  Although perhaps its telling that we haven't heard anything that they did during that strangest of jams.

Unfortunately the song itself sucks. When he came back to London after the first tour, it had been dropped from the setlist, hopefully never to be seen again.

kidsick5000

Quoteit has been my immense pleasure to play music with (pause for effect)... bonobo monkeys.

Could have been talking about Phil Collins.
Boom and indeed, boom.


My apologies

Detective John Kimble

I didn't think Animal Nation was too bad.  But then again, I struggle to remember anything about it now, and it was definitely the worst song he played when I saw him at Wembley.  The rest of the gig was amazing though.

Quote from: "Detective John Kimble"I didn't think Animal Nation was too bad.  But then again, I struggle to remember anything about it now, and it was definitely the worst song he played when I saw him at Wembley.  The rest of the gig was amazing though.

Did you see him when he came back for Still Growing Up the next year? The Animal Nation replacement was White Ashes, which is superb. Might put it up a bit later actually, just to try and clear his name.

Detective John Kimble


InfiniteFury

Quote from: "23 Daves"
It did get me thinking though... does anyone have any other examples of when rock stars have turned themselves into a piece of comedy in their earnest attempts to be taken seriously?  I'd certainly be interested to learn of them, and maybe even hear them if anyone has MP3 examples.

Oh yes indeed, and I shall present to m'learned friends Roger Waters' concept album: Radio Kaos. Musically it contains every strain of everything that was definitely wrong  with 80s pop music - souless 'soul' singing, cheese-board synths and plenty of MIDI tom-tom drums. But it's the concept that really allows the album to shine in this thread.

To wit - a heavily disabled Welsh valley boy called Billy (complete with Stephen Hawkins-esque voice) discovers that he has the power to plug himself Matrix-style into THE computer mainframe. You know, the one that all computers ultimately plug themselves into...

Anyway, to cut a along story short, Billy starts communicating with a radio presenter in California and eventually simulates nuclear Armageddon by dicking the computers and making everyone think it's the Big One. Ah but you see, it's not really happening, it's just a lesson for humanity that Roger's sharing with us. Billy, symbol of helplessness, is his instrument.

It's fucking appaling on any level.

But mark my words there'll now be a backlash to this post - it's an unavoidable thing that, however much you like Roger Waters, there's always an album you just think: 'Oh come on now, what the fuck?'
For me it's Radio Kaos and for others its Amused to Death which is my favourite album of his.

kidsick5000

Well, its not so much a backlash, but all this Bonobo stuff is what I wish a few more musicians would do.

Not everyone, and it has to be a 'big' name, but I love this batshit concept stuff.
Another qualificationis that I dont want to necessarily have to listen to it, but man, its this kind of stuff that makess music interesting.

Popstar weirdness has got very lowkey recently. More mundane. We need more grandiose gestures.

Unfortunatley, since Sting decided to talk some sense and try to save the rainforest and ultimatley got ridiculed because the genral public couldnt get past the native with a plate in his lip, musicians seem a bit less willing to do the really outlandish stuff.

But I say, theyve got the money, as U2 called it FuckOff money, go record the mating calls of  The Orange Eyed Iguana if you want. Create a concept album based on the inner thoughts of a nigerian tramps dog that turns out to be god or whatever crap and record and distribute it via electric pigeon.

I love that stuff. Just dont play it to me