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I know I am a little provoking, but before you Loonies get the "Don't bother us PG-fans, Ellee"- blues: please read I am so very happy, my husband and I will get the opportunity to see Back to Front in Hamburg in October next year. Now PG and his team (more his team than he, I suppose) are planning a tour through several European countries. Why not stir this tour with a statement for Europe as a unique chance in history? Like sportsmen who are putting Europe on their agenda, as I happened to read. The UEFA's Executive Committee decided on Thursday to stage a EURO 2020 throughout the whole continent, rather than a tournament in one or two host countries. That's a very symbolic and mature choice. Europe is more than politics, the common market and the Euro. And Europe needs support! Seems sportsmen did get this. People with influence on cultural affairs should go along with this decision, putting Europe as an idea on the agenda. So if Peter Gabriel plans a big European tour, he can give the European idea a push with his own, British background. Most Europeans learn English as their first foreign language in school; our European kids are familiar with British language and culture very early. And the Brits? How do they feel? As real Europeans? Who are appreciated as Europeans? That'll be a sign if a British celebrity as Peter Gabriel gives his European tour for example an extra motif relating to the European Union. Touring our old, unorganized and over organized, multilingual, multi cultural, mega difficult, but great continent -not to get dizzy is hard work, if you are an artist like PG, who is trying to have contact with his audience... What do you Lunatics think?

I don't feel european and I don't even feel italian (lack of capitalization intended). I am myself, Maybe Genoese could do. The Nobel prize for the EU was a sick joke.

Caste, you talk like Giorgio Gaber: "I don't feel Italian, but fortunately or unfortunately i am!" Ellee, it's a lovely idea, music unites the souls.

I knew you were an anarchist, Caste Like Sacco and Vanzetti... Looking on your own belly button Thank you, Dolce Vita!!

While i am very much a European citizen, I fail to see what PG's tour has to do with the European idea at all. The motiv of the Back to Front Tour (besides being a commercial thing first and foremost) is already clear: celebrating 25+ years of 'So'. Mixing something pro-European into it would be implausible at best, if not ridiculous. It would be another thing would WOMAD ask musicians from across Europe to do a joint festival tour through Europe. For that, however, some Britons at WOMAD would have to be eager to promote the European idea. And that's something I doubt.

PG's motif for Back to Front f is clear: Celebrating So, and just mixing the show with pro-European political statements or so would be ridiculous, as you say, Kotangens. But if PG is touring the continent, (not just Germany, France and the UK as he did sometimes) he might find ways to design a theme, e.g. for the intro of the show. Creativity is needed to find a fitting way to show European atmosphere. I am convinced cultural active people (like Peter Gabriel) ought "to raise their voices for Europe", in their very own way of course. Now look, I know it is complicated for the UK to feel as part of Europe, they just have old connections throughout the whole world, so the British people tend to underestimate their importance for Europe. But they are deeply needed, here, and their language and culture influences us other Europeans more than you are aware.

there is no anarchy in Caste`s comment. Genova was a huge force and influential power in the past for many centuries in Europe with territories, islands and colonies in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. There was no Italy in those days. Genova had money, ships and were controlling important trade routes. An interesting history !

^What he said^ And we even gave England our flag!

Mi dispiace, Caste ... Did not want to annoy It was jokingly said, of course Never been to Genoa till now, seems to be a wonderful European region, full of history (the Genoa flag to my surprise really is alike the English) Um ... by the way: my home (I was born and raised in Holstein in North Germany) is a wonderful region, too (of course!!) So many different, cultural significant and valuable areas - Europe - that's the complicated way it is

Ellee, I don't have a grudge with you - you aren't Europe after all. And our flag is not similar to England's: it's the exact same (perhaps it's a legend, but as a fervent Anglophile I wish it were true). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George's_Cross "Genoese origin Some historians[who?] believe that the St George's Cross was adopted from the flag of Genoa, which dates back to 1096.[...] "The St. George's flag, a red cross on a white field, was adopted by England and the City of London in 1190 for their ships entering the Mediterranean to benefit from the protection of the Geonoese fleet. The English Monarch paid an annual tribute to the Doge of Genoa for this privilege."[3]"

The real way to push the European idea forwards, would be to plane a concert in Athens Greece. I had a talk, few week ago with Angelique Ionatos, wonderful artist, and we exchanged info about what was going on in Greece, trying to stay positive. She explained that her old mother was let without any social insurance. If she hadn't her daughter living in France she couldn't afford to pay for any drugs, unless she has subscribed her life during to one of the best social insurance. If one country need and deserve a venue in Europe it's Greece in first place.

Anglophiles of all countries unite Anglophile AND lunatic - now that's the top, isn't it? The EU should adopt the Royal Highnesses Charles and Camilla as King and Queen of Europe And of course, you are right, Little Rainbow, there is a lot what is going bad in the EU, especially in Greece, maybe Athens is getting on the list for concerts

Caste , flag of the Saint George's cross is not a legend, is history!