Peter Hammill

Hammill and the rest of the current Van der Graaf Generator line-up, keyboardist Hugh Banton and drummer Guy Evans, began a European tour on April 1st in Germany. European dates are through July 26th at the Donostia-San Sebastian Jazz Festival in Spain. As of April, no USA or Canadian dates have been announced. [April 2007]

Peter and the rest of Van der Graaf Generator re-formed in 2005 for a series of European concerts, as well as visiting Russia and Israel.They also released a double CD called "Present".He has just announced plans for the band to regroup once again for a future tour and recordings.For longtime fans the 2005 re-union was a shock, not to mention a pleasant surprise, as Hammill has always been about "going forward" with his music, rather than looking back on past achievements.His heart attack in 2003 and the deaths of various people close to the band, caused Hammill to re-think that statement. Those incidents were the main catalysts in the band's re-union and, of course, the band realizing they still had something to say musically.The re-union concerts were critically acclaimed. Their fans and critics alike saw the shows as being just as powerful as the band had been in the 1970s. They had not lost any of their youthful spark, they performed even better than a band half their age. [June 2006]

At the end of 2004, he was awarded the very prestigious Italian Tenco Prize for songwriting.

Right after wrapping up recording his "Incoherence" CD, Hammill survived a heart attack in December 2003.

He is a composer and actor, known for Emmène-moi (1994), Duggan (1997) and Herbert Grönemeyer: Airplanes in My Head (1988).

In the 1970's, Van der Graaf Generator had their largest following in Italy, it's obvious that their fan base there remains extremely strong. Hammill's Italian solo gigs always sell out immediately, as well as him being lauded by Italian music and cultural critics alike.

Peter Hammill was born on November 5, 1948 in Ealing, London, England.