Trentham Gardens, Stoke on Trent

This was the first Gabriel gig I attended. I recall being outside the venue in the late afternoon and seeing a tall bald bloke playing frisbee inside the hall with other unknowns. I didn't realise until later than the tall bald bloke was Tony Levin and the others were most likely the rest of the band.
Memories of the show itself are fairly vague. My most vivid memory was that of seeing a dimly lit figure sat at the piano at the start of the show and not realising until he began singing and the spotlight was turned his way that this was the actual star of the show, Peter Gabriel.
I also remember Gabriel's contorted body as he graced the front of the stage during Moribund the Burgermeister, and his staring eyes caught mine barely a few feet away.
Of the non album material played I recall Indigo as this had received quite a bit of coverage in the music press, and Gabriel's cover version of I Heard it Through the Grapevine, but I don't remember the early rendition of White Shadow being played, although from the recordings available from this tour it seems likely he played it.
I do remember him venturing into the crowd during Waiting for the Big One and me getting close enough to grab his arm and shout in his ear, and I remember the routine for the beginning of Excuse Me as Gabriel milked all the applause with each line delivered in the barbershop quartet section. Arguably the biggest cheer was reserved for his encore performance of Back in NYC, Gabriel in black leather jacket and screaming out the devil may care vocal lines.
This was the start of an on-going desire to see Gabriel perform at every opportunity that came my way, a desire that runs just as strong 27 years later. Never again though would I see him in my home town and be privilaged enough to be able to walk the short mile home after the gig. Those were the days. [Mic_Smith]