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“Please use your liberty to promote ours.” Taking the words of the world’s only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Aung San Suu Kyi as a call to action, many of the world’s greatest artists such as U2, Natalie Merchant, Pearl Jam, Coldplay, Ani DiFranco, R.E.M., Avril Lavigne, Talib Kweli, Peter Gabriel (Here Comes The Flood), Ben Harper, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Sting, Bonnie Raitt, Damien Rice, Travis, Indigo Girls and Matchbox Twenty have joined together to create a major benefit album, For The Lady: Dedicated to freeing Aung San Suu Kyi and the courageous people of Burma.

Rhino Records will release the double CD featuring 27 tracks on October 26. Proceeds from the sale of the album will benefit the non-profit U.S. Campaign For Burma.

Since 1988 Aung San Suu Kyi has led the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Burma campaigning for democracy and human rights against one of the world’s most brutal military regimes. Known to many as “Asia’s Nelson Mandela”, she is a symbol of hope for those struggling for freedom around the world, and received the Nobel Peace Prize for her nonviolent work to restore human rights to a country ravaged by military rule. She has spent the majority of the past 14 years placed under house arrest by Burma’s repressive junta, and thousands of her supporters have been arrested, tortured and killed. Yet she is more than an activist--she's elected. She led her political party the National League for Democracy to an 82% victory in Burma's last election--the military regime annulled the results.

The official launch of Play to the UK press took place last week at the Hospital in London's Covent Garden.

Also in attendance where the ten lucky Lunatics and their guests who won our impromptu competition last week.

Speaking about the release Peter said “Although I believe that music can stand more repetition than video and music together, I have always been excited at the idea of putting pictures to music’. As a big film fan, some of my favourite directors have often managed to mix music and image very powerfully. I love to collaborate with inventive, visual people to put pictures to these songs. I have also been a long time fan of surround sound, which offers a great opportunity for musicians to take advantage of the medium. I love being able to listen from inside the music, rather than observing from the outside.”

The DVD will be released in the UK on Monday October 25th.

A 12" Vinyl of the Englepost remix of darkness is now available in the WomadShop. Three versions including the marathon 14 minute epic appear on the vinyl.

As you will probably know as a reader of these pages the Real World Studios have recently been host to a flurry of activity in the creation of Peter's new DVD 'PLAY the videos'. Dan Lanois has been with us creating new 5.1 surround mixes and we've all been up to our eyes in Plasticine, tapes, hard-drives and dancing chickens.

The DVD should be in stores around the 25th of October, but next week sees an event in London, where Peter will be giving a preview of the title to an invited audience. We would like to extend an invitation to 10 winners of a pair of tickets each to come and join us at the event.

Please only enter this competition if you could realistically be in central London at around 6.30PM next Thursday evening. All you have to do to enter the competition by following the link below.

We will be emailing the winners by 1PM GMT Tuesday of next week to let them know the good news.

Tina has an update and a new competition .."I have chosen extracts from 12 songs (PG songs, of course!). All you have to do is give me their titles and the albums from which they come."

It's official! We have been working our socks off creating something pretty special. (Which may explain the lack of news updates and a definite lack of sleep recently!)

For the first time ever on DVD the video collection you've been waiting for. Featuring 23 videos, with fully restored visuals and amazing new 5.1 mixes by Peter and Daniel Lanois, and extras including three bonus videos (also with full 5.1 surround mixes). The 5.1 mixes are presented for the first time in a brand new DTS format that is at full 24bit/96khz surround for the ultimate audiophile experience and Play will be the first DVD to market with this new technology. In addition, Dolby 5.1 and Dolby Stereo soundtracks are provided for those of us without the latest and greatest equipment.

As if this wasn't enough each video has a short introduction with either "Making Of" footage and/or spoken introductions by Peter through the ages.

Also there is an advanced programming feature that allows you to create you own playlist of up to 18 tracks, play it once or set it to loop forever!

Release dates will vary per region, but check back as we will post them as soon as we have the official word.

The track list is as follows:

Father, Son
Sledgehammer
Blood Of Eden
Games Without Frontiers
I Don't Remember
Big Time
Lovetown
Red Rain
In Your Eyes
Don't Give Up
The Barry Williams Show
Washing Of The Water
Biko
Kiss That Frog
Mercy Street
Growing Up
Shaking The Tree
Shock The Monkey
Steam
The Drop
Zaar
Solsbury Hill
Digging In The Dirt

And the extras:

Games Without Frontiers (Live 2004)
Modern Love
The Nest That Sailed The Sky
Trailer for Growing Up Live
Trailer for A Family Portrait
Trailer for Secret World Live
Credits

Sizer Barker, the first signings to Peter's new label PRErecords who supported him on many of the recent tour dates have some dates of their own in the UK this month.

Sun 15: York Barfly, Tues 17: Liverpool Barfly, Weds 18: London Barfly, Thurs 19: Glasgow King Tut's Wa Wa, Mon 23: Manchester Night & Day.

There's a chance to win a sampler CD and get on the guest list for the shows at the link below.

Paul Russell has put together the definitive guide to Genesis from Charterhouse schooldays to The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.

Russell has interviewed past and present band members, and collected together the existing live tapes of as many of these early gigs as he could locate, to document the fascinating evolution of one of Britain's most successful bands.

ISBN: 0 946719 58 6 Publication: July 2004

To celebrate the end of the tour we have created a small flash player with 7 audio tracks from the european Encore CD's along with a slideshow of images from the show. Pop open and browse to the sound of Gabriel Live! (Flash 6 Required)

The show is rescheduled to sunday 25th of july 2004.

The venue remains the same Stiftsplatz ,
Kaiserslautern

The show time is
DOORS : 6.00 pm
START: 6.45 pm

The same tickets are valid as for the orginal concert

The guest line up remains the same (the running order however may be changed)

European viewers who can pick up Arte TV will be able to see highlights of the Paleo festival broadcast at 22:40 on 28.07.04. The programe is set to include some of peter's performance at the festival.

Tina has an updateincluding pictures of the Tittle family from Michegan, USA who won the prize of a visit to Real World in one of our competitions.

The show is now officialy being rescheduled for next Sunday 25th - details are still a little sketchy, we will keep you posted.

The good news is that Peter is currently on his way to tonight's show in Lucca, he is fit, well, and looking forward to the show.

As many of you will know he unfortunately had to cancel yesterdays show in Kaiserslautern due to a cold/cough he had developed. We have been waiting all day to hear if the reports of that event being rescheduled to next sunday are correct, but as yet the tour organizers say nothing is confirmed. As soon as we have any further news it will be posted here.

Some of the 'Still Growing UP" merchandise is beginning to find it's way back to us and into WOMADShop, currently available are posters and the program, but the range is set to expand into Tshirts, bags, hats and some special bundles.