Peter’s November Full Moon update is posted, and you can see it from the news page on his site. He actually mentioned creating music and assembling things he already has for an album. I almost got excited, except I thought, wait. This is Peter we’re talking about. Anyway, it’s great he’s at the piano.

He mentioned the new site of WOMAD for next July, and stated he will be there doing – something. Cool. That could mean anything! The WOMAD schedule for 2007 so far:

WOMADelaide, Australia – 9 to 11 Mar
WOMAD New Zealand – 16 to 18 Mar
WOMAD Cáceres, Spain – 9 to 12 May
WOMAD Charlton Park, United Kingdom – 27 to 29 Jul

(Still no plans for another WOMAD in the U.S. I keep checking. I doubt it will happen until after 2008, if then.)

He also mentioned a council of elders that Gillian Caldwell also mentioned in her blogs from Davos. Also involved are Nelson Mandela and Richard Branson.

At the Q awards, Peter received a lifetime achievement award, the Q event being a ‘boozy lunch’ that he would enjoy. Sounds like a good time, although other bands there were heard to be sniping at other bands.

Oddest word on that event – And no word of whether the experience bummed Moby or not…:

Dance star MOBY was terrified of meeting PETER GABRIEL at the Q Music Awards yesterday (30OCT06), in case the former GENESIS frontman failed to live up to his expectations. The PORCELAIN hitmaker presented Gabriel with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the star-studded ceremony in London’s Grosvenor Hotel. Before the awards, Moby admitted, "I’ve only met him a couple of times in passing. "In general, I think it’s good not to spend too much time with your heroes because you run the chance your heroes may be disappointing. "I’m sure he isn’t. But it’s happened to be a few times where there’s a musician I just love and then you meet them and they sort of let you down."

Speaking of other bands, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees were announced, and again, Peter is not nominated. Grrrr. I’m not going back to the Hall until he is. So there.

Goats, you say? Well, all I can say is – check out the forums (yes, click the forum button above) and check out a thread about a Charitable Gift… and sign on up!

Tired of news with interesting, useful information concerning Gabriel’s activities? Well, this update is for you!

Greetings, Solsburians!

As promised, yesterday, we selected the two winners out of the entries we received for the Solsbury Hill 11th birthday contest.

The part where we pulled names out of a hat to select the winners was very easy…we only had two entries. And both had only one question wrong each, making it an exact tie.

The winners (and entrants) names are forumite DieReklamation and longtime Hill climber Paul J. We will be contacting you shortly to arrange for your prizes to wing their way to you!

It’s Halloween time, which means before you know it, it’ll be Christmas and then the New Year. And what’s a new year without a calendar? Yes, we all need a new calendar to mark off the days since PG’s last album. And what better way to do that then with Lia Eastwood’s Eastoon PG comic calendar for 2007! You can order it on Lia’s page. It’s the perfect gift for the Solsburian who has everything!

Until next time…

The Telegraph has an article about The Filter, which has an intriguiging qote at the end…

Software that knows what you like (in your iTunes wardrobe)

By David Derbyshire, Consumer Affairs Editor
Last Updated: 2:48am BST 27/10/2006

Read the full interview with Peter Gabriel

It’s the digital equivalent of the dinner guest who rifles through your record collection before lecturing you about the trendy bands you should be listening to.

Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel: This is the most intelligent software of its kind

The Filter, launched this week by the rock star Peter Gabriel, is designed to study the music stored on a computer and suggest other albums and artists based on the owner’s tastes.

Available to download free from the internet, it also lets people click on a single track in their music library and create a playlist of similar songs for a PC or iPod.

Gabriel, who owns a share of The Filter’s parent company, believes the software is the most intelligent of its kind.

"I think we are drowning in information and choices and you really need good filtering to help you get the stuff you really want," said.

---

Future versions could give users more control, allowing them to choose more experimental songs one day and more familiar music the next, depending on their mood.

"That’s the sort of stuff I know I dream of and I would like that to happen in all sorts of areas," said Gabriel, 56. "I like eating at Clarke’s restaurant London where Sally Clarke will just feed you rather than give you a big menu. I think there are times when you want to explore and research stuff and dig down, but there are a lot of times when you just want really good stuff to arrive."

---

"I much prefer that to the sort of Robbie Williams model where the record company is earning from the live concerts and merchandising as well," he said.

Gabriel is still in touch with his former bandmates, who include the singer and drummer Phil Collins, but turned down the chance to take part in a Genesis reunion tour next year.

"I think they seemed to be enjoying the rehearsals from what I’ve heard, so there’s no bad feeling there," he said.

And there you have it!!

Peter is teaming up with Vodaphone and Tony Blair to get used mobile phones to Africa.

Voda pushes phone recycling
14:55PM Tue 24 October 2006

Peter Gabriel, left and John Robertson.

Vodafone has joined in a campaign to send unwanted mobile phones to developing countries.

Phones 4 Africa hopes to increase the number of handsets that are reused by encouraging thousands of people in Britain to recycle their mobiles.

Vodafone has teamed up with Fonebak, a specialist company in recycling and distributing used phones in the developing world, to launch the campaign, while prime minister Tony Blair and singer Peter Gabriel have shown their support.

Blair said: ‘Phones 4 Africa is a great idea. It means people in Britain can help thousands of people in Africa use ordinary mobile phones to break out of poverty.’

Gabriel joined Vodafone Enterprise Business Unit director Kyle Whitehill and MP John Robertson last week in Westminster to launch the campaign.

© Copyright 2006 : Noble House Media Ltd

Also, luabp found this article on LiCipanni, which you can read in it’s entirety here..

Peace and quiet at rock hotel

By Jon Clarke, Daily Mail

Peter Gabriel is reclining in a white T-shirt and shorts on a sunbed beside the water at Li Capanni, his exclusive Sardinian hotel retreat.

‘I never wanted to be a hotelier, but when I heard that my favourite hotel was about to be bought and destroyed by developers, I thought it was time to give it a go,’ he explains.

‘The other option was to lose it for ever, which would have been heart-breaking. It was time to call the bank manager.’

And so began the journey of one of our most successful musicians into the competitive and risky hotel business.

It is almost ten years since Gabriel, 53, and his wife Meabh began their love affair with the hotel, strategically placed on the fashionable Costa Smeralda, which the Aga Khan turned into a playground for the ultra rich a few decades ago.

Now, when was that new CD supposed to come out again???? I’ve lost track…..

Ah yes, it was August 5, 2006, that Billboard came out with the story, and it said: ""Big Blue Ball" is due globally on Real World/EMI this fall." We have until December 21st 2006. And, considering that Real World kind of goes on vacation around mid December….. hmmm.