Peter Gabriel Live In Athens 1987
Peter Gabriel
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Released: September 17, 2013
Reviewed: September 15, 2013

Peter Gabriel’s solo career is, in my opinion, one of the brightest musical developments of the eighties. His music and accompanying videos dominated the airwaves and MTV for years. His shows during his So tour were sell outs all over the world.

In October 1987 after many months on the road, it was in the elevated surroundings of the hillside open-air theatre at Lycabettus overlooking Athens, that the So tour came to a climactic close. Filmed over three nights, this was the first time Peter Gabriel set out to capture a full concert on film and who better to do so than renowned cinematographer and director Michael Chapman and executive producer Martin Scorsese. As a concert film, it was brilliantly shot and has now been equally brilliantly remastered, a crystal-clear record of Gabriel and band in their mid-80s pomp. 

This is a fantastic package containing both the Live In Athens live show complete with Youssou N’Dour’s opening set for the first time and also the Play DVD featuring 23 original promotional videos.  Both discs are packed with Peter Gabriel classics including: Sledgehammer, Games Without Frontiers, Biko, Shock The Monkey, Don’t Give Up, Solsbury Hill, In Your Eyes, Mercy Street and many more.

Live In Athens 1987places the viewer right in the heart of the action all the way, from the band’s synchronized choreography on the opening number, This Is The Picture, right through to the skin-pricking closer Biko. In between, we’re lost in music, spellbound by the spectacle, totally absorbed by the imperfection-free tightness of a band that’s been on the road for so long.

If you love Peter Gabriel and wish to relive the magic of his historic So tour, then his Live In Athens 1987 is a must-have addition to your DVD library.