a report by Intruder
Hi again! I hope you can use some of the following on your page, as I guess it is the closest to a recent first hand testimony of Peter being alive and well, as the title of this message probably hints at: my trip to Reading wasn't fruitless.
Apart from the three great days of Music Arts and Dance - which Womads always turn out to be, and this was my tenth festival altogether - a couple of friends told me that Peter had showed up on Saturday afternoon together with his daughter and took a stroll round the stalls and tents were the music took place... Unfortunately, since I and my girlfriend were making our own stroll round the park in a totally different direction, we never caught sight of them and were quite disappointed all evening (Peter left quite early).
On Sunday afternoon, Marcella (the aforementioned girlfriend...) and I decided to go and see Maryam Mursaal performance. Half a song into the set, Marcella started dancing and jumping up and down like she were possessed, and since the music was great but not a sufficient explanation of her state I looked at her (on my right) and noticed first her eyes shouting "he's here! he's here!", and then a not totally unfamiliar bald head right behind her. Yes indeed, Peter and daughter were wobbling in time to the music right beside us!
I stubbornly refused to go and disturb him for the duration of the show - a couple of other people did and I simply didn't want to spoil his evident fun (and mine too). A couple of songs before the end he walked out of the "Siam" (the name of the largest tent on the site) and was lost in the crowd.
We then decided to have something to eat and started on our way to the food stalls when... bingo! Peter was at the Lulu's Cafè grabbing a bite himself. With perfectly simulated "indifference" (you can read that as wobbly knees and zero salivation) I approached the counter and seriously studied the menu for about two thirds of a tenth of a second, then, in my best baritonal voice (probably Maryam Mursaal heard me from the backstage 400 meters far away...) asked for "a chicken satay with rice and salad, please". Just as I finished ordering and was getting fork, napkin etc... a very familiar voice, accompanied by a touch on my shoulder - murmured a tentative "Hi!"... Well, I won't go as far as saying that even "his" in Peter's voice sound like music, I turned and once again pretending total and utter surprise answered with the most brilliant remark I could think of myself: "Hi!" and we shook hands. After a couple more how-do-you-dos and how-are-yous, fine-thanks-and yous?, and another short batch of chat lines such as
Peter: "are you here for the week-end?
Tom: "Yeah! Took three off before proper holydays in august"
Peter: "Did you enjoy what you saw?"
Tom: "Oh yes: I loved every minute, as always at Womad..." ...I very subtly introduced the first topic on my mind (I dare say the whole PG fan community was with me at that precise second)... "How is your work going along?" (i.e. : when is the frigging record going to be ready and out for our all too impatient ears?").
To which, the obvious answer: Peter: "Well, well... I think/hope, maybe, I'll finish within the end of the year so the album will be released next year..."
Tom (smiling and with eyes turned upwards in prayer): "Let's hope... May I quote you on that?"
Peter: "Well... I didn't mention WHICH next year..."
Thus endeth the story and interview, since Peter was on his way out from the festival.
How to comment all this? First of all, Peter looked in good shape, certainly better than in other recent pictures (the Genesis reunion and such). He has possibly lost some weight, and looked generally quite fit. Oh, you want comments on his predictions? They're just like horoscopes: you might decide you want to believe in them, bu I personally won't stake my house on their coming true.
the intruder