REVIEW
Steve Hackett
4.5/5 golden discs!
Genesis Revisited: Foxtrot at Fifty & Hackett Highlights Tour
Cliffs Pavilion Southend on Sea 3rd October 2022
Steve Hackett
4.5/5 golden discs!
Genesis Revisited: Foxtrot at Fifty & Hackett Highlights Tour
Cliffs Pavilion Southend on Sea 3rd October 2022
Where to begin? As if an evening with the musical legend Steve Hackett is not enough, but when you hold him (along with Mssrs.Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins) responsible for revolutionising your appreciation of music, by blowing away, like mere litter in the wind, your formerly educated, experienced and considered view of what constitutes good music, you can imagine the sense of awe with which my initial question (where to begin?), is asked.
As a 14 year old aspiring orchestral musician, studying at weekends at Scotland’s foremost conservatoire, my brother introduced me to, among others, Collins and co in the form of Genesis’ hot-off-the-vinyl-moulding-press, Trick of the Tail. With this came the demolishing of my hitherto simplistic and ill-informed view that what demarcates good music from bad is a simply matter of genre, instrumentation and ‘scoring’. To my defence I was an ultra-focussed, aspiring young musician, not to mention arrogant teenager, who was heavily influenced (prejudiced?) by an almost singular musical environment and experience.
Joining Steve Hackett on stage at the Cliff’s Pavilion on Monday 3rd of October were:
Roger King (keys),
Jonas Reingold (bass and backing vocals),
Craig Blundell (drums),
Rob Townsend (sax, flute, backing vocals and additional keys and percussion), and
Nad Sylvan (vocals)
This ultra gifted ensemble, led by Mr Steve Hackett on his signature ‘Les Paul’ guitar, brought the first set - a kaleidoscope of Hackett’s solo creations.
They opened with the rousing Ace of Wands followed seamlessly by The Devil’s Cathedral.
The latter’s narrative of ‘unbridled ambition’, expertly portrayed with ‘Gabriel-esque’ story-telling drama by the wonderful Nad Sylvan, while the band superbly captured the intended gothic, if not eerie, atmosphere. This was helped in no small measure by Roger King’s Bachian pipe organ opening and the juxtaposed chromaticism in the keys’ bass and lead. There was no mistaking this was no opera but thoughts of a devilish phantom were not far.
As expected, the sound of Genesis was also never far. In fact the extent to which the essence of the pioneering Prog Rock band, at least from 1971, was indelibly laced with Hacketts musical DNA shone throughout the first half, like ‘crazy diamonds’ (Sorry folks couldn’t resist going to the ‘Dark Side’).
Those unfamiliar with Hackett’s solo material might expect some, if not great variance between Genesis’ iconic tunes and the unassuming Steve Hackett’s more recent creations. However, unlike masters such as Mozart or Beethoven, where early and late works are easily distinguishable by the discerning ear, this is not so and one might ask why?
The simplistic, and I believe erroneous conclusion might be to assume that Hackett ceased honing his creative craft. Whereas a more satisfying explanation might lie in the fact that Genesis pioneered, and to a significant extent defined, the Progressive Rock genre. Consequently, the absence of defining elements, such as: expansive themes, sequentially developed harmonic progressions, complex and shifting time signatures, sudden shifts in groove and hugely contrasting juxtaposed melodies, (which appear crudely bolted together and yet somehow simultaneously, organically integrated), inimitable harmonic progressions and effective dynamic contrast, all gift-wrapped with, if not unified by social, philosophical and metaphysical commentary, is unthinkable. These are part of Hackett’s creative DNA and therefore omni present in his five decades plus discography; What was prophetically fresh in 70’s sits fittingly comfortable (but not comfortably numb) in the present.
The first half was beautifully punctuated by an impressive complementary light show, superbly designed and just like all quality rock (or jazz) musicians, timed all the big musical ‘hits’ to nano-second perfection.
One unthinkable break-time comment I overhead was “It’s pretentious rock, not prog rock!” to which the immediate, unspoken and gentle rebuke came, in the form of a Nietzsche quote:
“And those who were dancing, were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” Nuff sed!
Mind you not that it was a night of much dancing. The audience were on the whole remarkably still throughout. Perhaps our former head nodding, air-sticks-waving selves has given way to decades of living in conformity, lost idealism or simply osteoarthritis! Please don’t misunderstand we were wholly appreciative in all the right places and in good measure but where the music transcends the effects of time, sadly, our mortal frames have not! (said with a light-hearted chuckle).
After the interval, as anticipated, the complete second half was dedicated to an uninterrupted performance of Foxtrot.
Gracing the Southend stage were 6 outstanding musicians who were more than equal to the task of recreating the 1972 Genesis critically acclaimed album Foxtrot- at least in its essence if not in every detail. However, as any Genesis purist will be acutely aware, to imagine that the nuance of the revered 1972 vinyl would be replicated without wrinkle or blemish is perhaps naive because capturing the musical personality resulting from corporate and community creative genius is not merely a case of honing instrumental skill and developing outstanding musicianship. It’s a matter of history, pedigree and musical DNA and on this particular stage only Mr. Hackett has this.
This said, tonight’s line up absolutely captured the essence of Foxtrot. If tonight’s performance was to be compared with a high street window display, one might say they effortless captured the mannequin-ed still life even if some of the ‘threads’ (garments) were of a more recent realisation.
Not withstanding my purist’ comment, I for one thoroughly enjoyed this goosebump-inducing evening and would unreservedly recommend this tour-de-force-of-a trip-down-memory-lane- a lane so familiar that remembering takes no effort because, musically speaking I’ve lived there for 45 years.
Review: Chas Sludden
As a 14 year old aspiring orchestral musician, studying at weekends at Scotland’s foremost conservatoire, my brother introduced me to, among others, Collins and co in the form of Genesis’ hot-off-the-vinyl-moulding-press, Trick of the Tail. With this came the demolishing of my hitherto simplistic and ill-informed view that what demarcates good music from bad is a simply matter of genre, instrumentation and ‘scoring’. To my defence I was an ultra-focussed, aspiring young musician, not to mention arrogant teenager, who was heavily influenced (prejudiced?) by an almost singular musical environment and experience.
Joining Steve Hackett on stage at the Cliff’s Pavilion on Monday 3rd of October were:
Roger King (keys),
Jonas Reingold (bass and backing vocals),
Craig Blundell (drums),
Rob Townsend (sax, flute, backing vocals and additional keys and percussion), and
Nad Sylvan (vocals)
This ultra gifted ensemble, led by Mr Steve Hackett on his signature ‘Les Paul’ guitar, brought the first set - a kaleidoscope of Hackett’s solo creations.
They opened with the rousing Ace of Wands followed seamlessly by The Devil’s Cathedral.
The latter’s narrative of ‘unbridled ambition’, expertly portrayed with ‘Gabriel-esque’ story-telling drama by the wonderful Nad Sylvan, while the band superbly captured the intended gothic, if not eerie, atmosphere. This was helped in no small measure by Roger King’s Bachian pipe organ opening and the juxtaposed chromaticism in the keys’ bass and lead. There was no mistaking this was no opera but thoughts of a devilish phantom were not far.
As expected, the sound of Genesis was also never far. In fact the extent to which the essence of the pioneering Prog Rock band, at least from 1971, was indelibly laced with Hacketts musical DNA shone throughout the first half, like ‘crazy diamonds’ (Sorry folks couldn’t resist going to the ‘Dark Side’).
Those unfamiliar with Hackett’s solo material might expect some, if not great variance between Genesis’ iconic tunes and the unassuming Steve Hackett’s more recent creations. However, unlike masters such as Mozart or Beethoven, where early and late works are easily distinguishable by the discerning ear, this is not so and one might ask why?
The simplistic, and I believe erroneous conclusion might be to assume that Hackett ceased honing his creative craft. Whereas a more satisfying explanation might lie in the fact that Genesis pioneered, and to a significant extent defined, the Progressive Rock genre. Consequently, the absence of defining elements, such as: expansive themes, sequentially developed harmonic progressions, complex and shifting time signatures, sudden shifts in groove and hugely contrasting juxtaposed melodies, (which appear crudely bolted together and yet somehow simultaneously, organically integrated), inimitable harmonic progressions and effective dynamic contrast, all gift-wrapped with, if not unified by social, philosophical and metaphysical commentary, is unthinkable. These are part of Hackett’s creative DNA and therefore omni present in his five decades plus discography; What was prophetically fresh in 70’s sits fittingly comfortable (but not comfortably numb) in the present.
The first half was beautifully punctuated by an impressive complementary light show, superbly designed and just like all quality rock (or jazz) musicians, timed all the big musical ‘hits’ to nano-second perfection.
One unthinkable break-time comment I overhead was “It’s pretentious rock, not prog rock!” to which the immediate, unspoken and gentle rebuke came, in the form of a Nietzsche quote:
“And those who were dancing, were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” Nuff sed!
Mind you not that it was a night of much dancing. The audience were on the whole remarkably still throughout. Perhaps our former head nodding, air-sticks-waving selves has given way to decades of living in conformity, lost idealism or simply osteoarthritis! Please don’t misunderstand we were wholly appreciative in all the right places and in good measure but where the music transcends the effects of time, sadly, our mortal frames have not! (said with a light-hearted chuckle).
After the interval, as anticipated, the complete second half was dedicated to an uninterrupted performance of Foxtrot.
Gracing the Southend stage were 6 outstanding musicians who were more than equal to the task of recreating the 1972 Genesis critically acclaimed album Foxtrot- at least in its essence if not in every detail. However, as any Genesis purist will be acutely aware, to imagine that the nuance of the revered 1972 vinyl would be replicated without wrinkle or blemish is perhaps naive because capturing the musical personality resulting from corporate and community creative genius is not merely a case of honing instrumental skill and developing outstanding musicianship. It’s a matter of history, pedigree and musical DNA and on this particular stage only Mr. Hackett has this.
This said, tonight’s line up absolutely captured the essence of Foxtrot. If tonight’s performance was to be compared with a high street window display, one might say they effortless captured the mannequin-ed still life even if some of the ‘threads’ (garments) were of a more recent realisation.
Not withstanding my purist’ comment, I for one thoroughly enjoyed this goosebump-inducing evening and would unreservedly recommend this tour-de-force-of-a trip-down-memory-lane- a lane so familiar that remembering takes no effort because, musically speaking I’ve lived there for 45 years.
Review: Chas Sludden
All photos owned by Jon Webber - Please contact [email protected] for further details
Steve Hackett INTERVIEW
25 date UK Genesis Revisited: Foxtrot at Fifty & Hackett Highlights Tour
&
Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out + More Album/DVD
25 date UK Genesis Revisited: Foxtrot at Fifty & Hackett Highlights Tour
&
Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out + More Album/DVD
We are at the fiftieth anniversary of the Genesis album Foxtrot and your forthcoming UK tour celebrates the album. How did you feel when you were recording the album, did it sit comfortably with you?
It didn’t sit comfortably with me at all and, at the time, I was worried that Foxtrot was a little too far out for the listening public. Fortunately, I was proved wrong. Its relevance seems to have revealed itself over a very long period of time because I am sure there is no other album out there that sounds like Foxtrot. Whenever I have tried to write a song in the style of one of those tracks, it usually fails miserably and I think ‘No, that’s Foxtrot, leave well alone’.
Do you think that the album has stood the test of time?
I have always found Foxtrot to be an interesting album. Yes, I feel it has stood the test of time extremely well or, rather, I feel that the material stands the test of time. However, I could argue that the production, not in every instance but in general, left a lot to be desired.
Coming off a massive world tour, do you think that the time was right for you to go back into the studio to work on a new album?
We were a touring band; we were all young guys, we were fit, we punished ourselves with that kind of behaviour and we were recording somewhat piecemeal. We had the luxury with the previous album, Nursery Cryme, of taking time off and concentrating on getting an album right. However, we didn’t have that luxury with Foxtrot. They were all young guys too and they were getting really excited about what we doing. There really was something about it.
How were you personally feeling at that point because it had been rumoured that you wanted to leave the band?
I was involved in a stormy private relationship and that, for me, was a huge distraction from the band. I was used to being in situations with bands that didn’t last that long and, particularly with Tony (Banks) and Mike (Rutherford), I got the feeling that they disapproved of what I did to a large extent.
Until I got that seal of approval, on the first day of recording Foxtrot they both said to me: ‘We want you to stay, we like your playing,’ and I thought ‘This is news to me, this is good news, so I had better stick around for a while’. Looking back, I guess that Genesis was more reserved and I think that reserve could quite easily be misinterpreted as disapproval. So, we did stick it out altogether and I have to say that I am very glad that we did.
I was very much a fan of the way the guys were able to function together, write together, and add things to each other. I would say that the triumph outweighed the disappointments as the world thought that this was very good.
Some albums are more difficult to make than others and you have to remember that this was the second album that we had made with the team comprising the Charterhouse guys, Phil (Collins) and myself. So, we were a newly formed five-man team. Some four hundred tour dates later, we were still very much a new song writing team together. I look back on it all rather fondly, I just wish that some of the album sounded as good as it did live, in particular Watcher Of The Skies.
I think that wherever you listen to the Genesis Live album, you get the mellotron sound that was closer to my heart and the drum sound that was closer to my heart, together with a fair bit of playing that is pretty good. Having said all of that, there is also a little bit of this and that I would change, usually things to do with timing. I had always hoped that Watcher Of The Skies would have sounded a bit bigger and a bit slower in order to let it breath. By the time we were doing Genesis Live it had settled into a comfortable live speed and we were almost in time and in tune with one another at the same moment!
Would you say that Foxtrot represented a coming of age for Genesis?
There was a progression, certainly, from the previous albums and I think that the quality of the writing had improved. That’s not to say that there weren’t some gems that predated this but it was the epics that I found myself attracted to. I loved Watcher Of The Skies and what it did. The fact that it started off with this quasi-alienated classical orchestra in the shape of the mellotron, joined by a rhythm section that made it sound all the more powerful and the fact that it was the opposite of heavy metal.
There are dynamics: there is the crescendo for a start, which is probably the most exciting bit of the tune itself; the staccato rhythm which orchestras can’t play. It is so syncopated that, to this day, it continues to fox orchestras. You should never try to put an orchestra on the rhythm section of Watcher Of The Skies or you will come a cropper as I have found out to my embarrassment. I have to say that it is a very clever rhythm.
We are able to do things with the team, now, that we would have been hard pushed to do back in the day. I do love doing this stuff live, that’s the point, and we really do tear into it with a will. We have recently been doing Seconds Out and I have to say that it has just been getting better and better as the band go at it with more and more panache and attitude. They really do make it their own.
It has to be said that on the recording of Foxtrot Peter Gabriel really was at the top of his game.
Yes, I totally agree with you. Peter was a hugely creative individual, always had wonderful ideas and was largely responsible for the band’s acceptance internationally. He was prepared to risk life and limb trying out things, not just on stage, but as a galvaniser of opportunities, a hustler. He was always very much ahead of the game, always at the forefront of technology and Peter and I hit it off because of that. For instance, the idea of doing the whole of Supper’s Ready live.
I knew, and I think that Peter knew, that it wasn’t going to work doing Supper’s Ready live unless we had all the bells, the whistles and then some. We needed our own light show, we needed the sound effects and Peter realised that he needed to personify it, to feel it, and not run it by the committee. He had to get up on the night and just do it: ‘Don’t ask what I’m doing, this is what I’m doing, this is what I’m wearing, you guys wear what the hell you want but I am going to be wearing a red box on my head. Let’s make the devil!’ That’s fine, as you don’t get things done in Genesis by not running them by the committee - you get things done in Genesis by being bloody minded!
It was all to the good because whatever Peter did, got us photographed and written about. When people look back on this era, perhaps all of those things that were described as gimmicks - which made the difference at that time, seem to get consumed into the idea of ‘Oh, this is really good music’. We were playing much of this music beforehand and it really wasn’t setting the world alight, that is until the visuals served the best interests of that music so that it could be performed and loved in that way. You have got to give people a show, you have got to give them a framework and you have got to be spellbinding, in some way or another, particularly with complicated music.
The funny thing is that I originally thought that the album sleeve was a bit of a hotch-potch. It wasn’t until Peter started to personify the character on the front of the cover, as an afterthought, that it suddenly began to make sense. When people now look at the cover they will usually say, ‘Oh look there’s Peter Gabriel,’ and they think that it is an illustration of him but, in fact, it was the other way round. He was personifying something that had been painted.
We were lots of different schools of approach, schools of ideas that we all had. For me, it was spending as much time listening to Segovia as I was Jimi Hendrix. Tony’s classical leanings and pop sensibility was equally as important. Peter was listening to a lot of Nina Simone’s music and then there was Mike who liked Led Zeppelin and Judy Collins.
lots of different ideas. Phil was very much into big bands and Tamla Motown, that is what motivated him. None of these things were Genesis but they all informed it in some way. All of these different ideas and things perhaps shouldn’t co-exist in the same song, the same band, or the same album. I personally think that is what made it work, the differences with everybody, so you would get this richly textured, strange, quirky, often quaint, often comedic, very English sound.
I have always loved Horizons which is the calm before the madness.
Yes, I am surprised that the band allowed me to use it. I think that the way that it was butted onto the beginning of Supper’s Ready is what makes it work. It acts as a precursor rather than a separate track. A lot of what Genesis did in those days was acoustic, and we used to say that if there was a song which was guitar based, it usually meant that it was based on acoustic guitar, and that guitar being a six-string Yamaha acoustic that I had borrowed from a friend.
It really is a nylon guitar piece. It is based upon a Bach melody that I had heard at a distance. It has got brevity on its side, it’s very short but it took me about a year to write that small piece. I just kept picking away at it, and when I thought that it was right, I played it to the guys and I fully expected them to say ‘Well. that’s you on your own,’ but it was Phil, bless him, who said ‘It sounds like there should be some applause after that and I think that we should use it.’ And so we did.
I was surprised that I got Horizons on the album and I was surprised that they all liked Can-Utility And The Coastliners as a song. I had written the song together with the lyric and I was surprised that they used a few bits of Supper’s Ready that I had come up with. Having said that, I was surprised that they liked anything that I ever did! At times, it could be like working with the Civil Service.
I am quite open about the idea behind Supper’s Ready these days. I had seen King Crimson live in 1969 prior to them recording In The Court Of The Crimson King. They used to finish their set by mashing a bunch of numbers together, things as different as The Young Ones and Holst’s Mars. They would mash Cliff Richard and Gustav Holst and nobody missed a beat with that. I thought that if a band could do that and pull it off - and you can’t tell where one thing starts and another thing stops - that’s how Supper’s Ready was born.
You have been in the business for some fifty-four years now, have you enjoyed it?
Surprisingly, I have. Yes, I really have, and the surprising thing is that I still enjoy it. If I can, I try to play every day.
What can we expect for Hackett’s Highlights on the forthcoming tour?
There will be some things that I have been wanting to play live for some time, songs that I personally think are very good. I feel that it is now time for me to showboat a few of those songs again. Plus, there will be some Genesis tracks that I know people are going to want to hear. I would like to do The Devil’s Cathedral again; we recently played that live and it just seems to be getting better and better all the time. I think that all in all, it is going to be a very good show.
Is Nad (Sylvan) in good voice?
Yes, he is. Nad has been extraordinarily consistent, he has done show after show and I have to say that his voice doesn’t falter. He has, by far, been the fittest of all the lead singers that I have ever worked with. If he has a cold, or if he has got a cough, he just sings through it, and he doesn’t seem to suffer. When he is match fit, Nad is mighty.
Will Amanda (Lehmann) be playing with you on any dates on the forthcoming tour?
Yes, she is going to be with us on quite a few shows but I can’t tell you which shows they will be, yet, as she hasn’t told me. She tells me that she would like to be on a few and I am very pleased that things have taken off for her with her album. I am informed that she is currently working on another one and I anxiously await to see what she comes up with.
I have to ask you about the forthcoming album Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out And More which, if my information is correct, will be released on Friday 2nd September.
Yes, you are perfectly correct.
I finally went back out onto the road with my band during September and October 2021, our first tour for two years thanks to the pandemic. We performed Seconds Out, the Genesis live album in its entirety, tracks like Squonk, Supper’s Ready and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, all of which I personally feel have been vastly neglected over the past few years. We also played a host of solo favourites plus tracks from my most recent studio album Surrender Of Silence.
We really had a great time and I have to say that the band were on fire. They tore into that magical music combining the true spirit of Genesis with a fresh virtuosic approach. They produced some extraordinary sounds under amazing lights. In my opinion, this show is a feast for both ears and eyes; the very best of so many worlds.
STEVE HACKETT Online:
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http://hackettsongs.com/tour.html
It didn’t sit comfortably with me at all and, at the time, I was worried that Foxtrot was a little too far out for the listening public. Fortunately, I was proved wrong. Its relevance seems to have revealed itself over a very long period of time because I am sure there is no other album out there that sounds like Foxtrot. Whenever I have tried to write a song in the style of one of those tracks, it usually fails miserably and I think ‘No, that’s Foxtrot, leave well alone’.
Do you think that the album has stood the test of time?
I have always found Foxtrot to be an interesting album. Yes, I feel it has stood the test of time extremely well or, rather, I feel that the material stands the test of time. However, I could argue that the production, not in every instance but in general, left a lot to be desired.
Coming off a massive world tour, do you think that the time was right for you to go back into the studio to work on a new album?
We were a touring band; we were all young guys, we were fit, we punished ourselves with that kind of behaviour and we were recording somewhat piecemeal. We had the luxury with the previous album, Nursery Cryme, of taking time off and concentrating on getting an album right. However, we didn’t have that luxury with Foxtrot. They were all young guys too and they were getting really excited about what we doing. There really was something about it.
How were you personally feeling at that point because it had been rumoured that you wanted to leave the band?
I was involved in a stormy private relationship and that, for me, was a huge distraction from the band. I was used to being in situations with bands that didn’t last that long and, particularly with Tony (Banks) and Mike (Rutherford), I got the feeling that they disapproved of what I did to a large extent.
Until I got that seal of approval, on the first day of recording Foxtrot they both said to me: ‘We want you to stay, we like your playing,’ and I thought ‘This is news to me, this is good news, so I had better stick around for a while’. Looking back, I guess that Genesis was more reserved and I think that reserve could quite easily be misinterpreted as disapproval. So, we did stick it out altogether and I have to say that I am very glad that we did.
I was very much a fan of the way the guys were able to function together, write together, and add things to each other. I would say that the triumph outweighed the disappointments as the world thought that this was very good.
Some albums are more difficult to make than others and you have to remember that this was the second album that we had made with the team comprising the Charterhouse guys, Phil (Collins) and myself. So, we were a newly formed five-man team. Some four hundred tour dates later, we were still very much a new song writing team together. I look back on it all rather fondly, I just wish that some of the album sounded as good as it did live, in particular Watcher Of The Skies.
I think that wherever you listen to the Genesis Live album, you get the mellotron sound that was closer to my heart and the drum sound that was closer to my heart, together with a fair bit of playing that is pretty good. Having said all of that, there is also a little bit of this and that I would change, usually things to do with timing. I had always hoped that Watcher Of The Skies would have sounded a bit bigger and a bit slower in order to let it breath. By the time we were doing Genesis Live it had settled into a comfortable live speed and we were almost in time and in tune with one another at the same moment!
Would you say that Foxtrot represented a coming of age for Genesis?
There was a progression, certainly, from the previous albums and I think that the quality of the writing had improved. That’s not to say that there weren’t some gems that predated this but it was the epics that I found myself attracted to. I loved Watcher Of The Skies and what it did. The fact that it started off with this quasi-alienated classical orchestra in the shape of the mellotron, joined by a rhythm section that made it sound all the more powerful and the fact that it was the opposite of heavy metal.
There are dynamics: there is the crescendo for a start, which is probably the most exciting bit of the tune itself; the staccato rhythm which orchestras can’t play. It is so syncopated that, to this day, it continues to fox orchestras. You should never try to put an orchestra on the rhythm section of Watcher Of The Skies or you will come a cropper as I have found out to my embarrassment. I have to say that it is a very clever rhythm.
We are able to do things with the team, now, that we would have been hard pushed to do back in the day. I do love doing this stuff live, that’s the point, and we really do tear into it with a will. We have recently been doing Seconds Out and I have to say that it has just been getting better and better as the band go at it with more and more panache and attitude. They really do make it their own.
It has to be said that on the recording of Foxtrot Peter Gabriel really was at the top of his game.
Yes, I totally agree with you. Peter was a hugely creative individual, always had wonderful ideas and was largely responsible for the band’s acceptance internationally. He was prepared to risk life and limb trying out things, not just on stage, but as a galvaniser of opportunities, a hustler. He was always very much ahead of the game, always at the forefront of technology and Peter and I hit it off because of that. For instance, the idea of doing the whole of Supper’s Ready live.
I knew, and I think that Peter knew, that it wasn’t going to work doing Supper’s Ready live unless we had all the bells, the whistles and then some. We needed our own light show, we needed the sound effects and Peter realised that he needed to personify it, to feel it, and not run it by the committee. He had to get up on the night and just do it: ‘Don’t ask what I’m doing, this is what I’m doing, this is what I’m wearing, you guys wear what the hell you want but I am going to be wearing a red box on my head. Let’s make the devil!’ That’s fine, as you don’t get things done in Genesis by not running them by the committee - you get things done in Genesis by being bloody minded!
It was all to the good because whatever Peter did, got us photographed and written about. When people look back on this era, perhaps all of those things that were described as gimmicks - which made the difference at that time, seem to get consumed into the idea of ‘Oh, this is really good music’. We were playing much of this music beforehand and it really wasn’t setting the world alight, that is until the visuals served the best interests of that music so that it could be performed and loved in that way. You have got to give people a show, you have got to give them a framework and you have got to be spellbinding, in some way or another, particularly with complicated music.
The funny thing is that I originally thought that the album sleeve was a bit of a hotch-potch. It wasn’t until Peter started to personify the character on the front of the cover, as an afterthought, that it suddenly began to make sense. When people now look at the cover they will usually say, ‘Oh look there’s Peter Gabriel,’ and they think that it is an illustration of him but, in fact, it was the other way round. He was personifying something that had been painted.
We were lots of different schools of approach, schools of ideas that we all had. For me, it was spending as much time listening to Segovia as I was Jimi Hendrix. Tony’s classical leanings and pop sensibility was equally as important. Peter was listening to a lot of Nina Simone’s music and then there was Mike who liked Led Zeppelin and Judy Collins.
lots of different ideas. Phil was very much into big bands and Tamla Motown, that is what motivated him. None of these things were Genesis but they all informed it in some way. All of these different ideas and things perhaps shouldn’t co-exist in the same song, the same band, or the same album. I personally think that is what made it work, the differences with everybody, so you would get this richly textured, strange, quirky, often quaint, often comedic, very English sound.
I have always loved Horizons which is the calm before the madness.
Yes, I am surprised that the band allowed me to use it. I think that the way that it was butted onto the beginning of Supper’s Ready is what makes it work. It acts as a precursor rather than a separate track. A lot of what Genesis did in those days was acoustic, and we used to say that if there was a song which was guitar based, it usually meant that it was based on acoustic guitar, and that guitar being a six-string Yamaha acoustic that I had borrowed from a friend.
It really is a nylon guitar piece. It is based upon a Bach melody that I had heard at a distance. It has got brevity on its side, it’s very short but it took me about a year to write that small piece. I just kept picking away at it, and when I thought that it was right, I played it to the guys and I fully expected them to say ‘Well. that’s you on your own,’ but it was Phil, bless him, who said ‘It sounds like there should be some applause after that and I think that we should use it.’ And so we did.
I was surprised that I got Horizons on the album and I was surprised that they all liked Can-Utility And The Coastliners as a song. I had written the song together with the lyric and I was surprised that they used a few bits of Supper’s Ready that I had come up with. Having said that, I was surprised that they liked anything that I ever did! At times, it could be like working with the Civil Service.
I am quite open about the idea behind Supper’s Ready these days. I had seen King Crimson live in 1969 prior to them recording In The Court Of The Crimson King. They used to finish their set by mashing a bunch of numbers together, things as different as The Young Ones and Holst’s Mars. They would mash Cliff Richard and Gustav Holst and nobody missed a beat with that. I thought that if a band could do that and pull it off - and you can’t tell where one thing starts and another thing stops - that’s how Supper’s Ready was born.
You have been in the business for some fifty-four years now, have you enjoyed it?
Surprisingly, I have. Yes, I really have, and the surprising thing is that I still enjoy it. If I can, I try to play every day.
What can we expect for Hackett’s Highlights on the forthcoming tour?
There will be some things that I have been wanting to play live for some time, songs that I personally think are very good. I feel that it is now time for me to showboat a few of those songs again. Plus, there will be some Genesis tracks that I know people are going to want to hear. I would like to do The Devil’s Cathedral again; we recently played that live and it just seems to be getting better and better all the time. I think that all in all, it is going to be a very good show.
Is Nad (Sylvan) in good voice?
Yes, he is. Nad has been extraordinarily consistent, he has done show after show and I have to say that his voice doesn’t falter. He has, by far, been the fittest of all the lead singers that I have ever worked with. If he has a cold, or if he has got a cough, he just sings through it, and he doesn’t seem to suffer. When he is match fit, Nad is mighty.
Will Amanda (Lehmann) be playing with you on any dates on the forthcoming tour?
Yes, she is going to be with us on quite a few shows but I can’t tell you which shows they will be, yet, as she hasn’t told me. She tells me that she would like to be on a few and I am very pleased that things have taken off for her with her album. I am informed that she is currently working on another one and I anxiously await to see what she comes up with.
I have to ask you about the forthcoming album Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out And More which, if my information is correct, will be released on Friday 2nd September.
Yes, you are perfectly correct.
I finally went back out onto the road with my band during September and October 2021, our first tour for two years thanks to the pandemic. We performed Seconds Out, the Genesis live album in its entirety, tracks like Squonk, Supper’s Ready and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, all of which I personally feel have been vastly neglected over the past few years. We also played a host of solo favourites plus tracks from my most recent studio album Surrender Of Silence.
We really had a great time and I have to say that the band were on fire. They tore into that magical music combining the true spirit of Genesis with a fresh virtuosic approach. They produced some extraordinary sounds under amazing lights. In my opinion, this show is a feast for both ears and eyes; the very best of so many worlds.
STEVE HACKETT Online:
www.hackettsongs.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Steve-Hackett/123101228589
www.twitter.com/HackettOfficial
http://hackettsongs.com/tour.html
Genesis Revisited –
Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights
On the back of his hugely successful Seconds Out +More Tour Steve Hackett announces Genesis Revisited - Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights Tour for September and October 2022. The Tour arrives at Southend Cliffs Pavilion on 3rd October 2022.
Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights
On the back of his hugely successful Seconds Out +More Tour Steve Hackett announces Genesis Revisited - Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights Tour for September and October 2022. The Tour arrives at Southend Cliffs Pavilion on 3rd October 2022.
Hot on the heels of his most successful solo tour ever, Steve Hackett announces his Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited - Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights tour for 2022. The tour will mark the 50th anniversary of the legendary Genesis album Foxtrot which, in 1972, was pivotal in establishing the band as a major force in British rock.
Tickets are available from 10am on Friday 10th December via myticket.co.uk.
Guitarist Steve Hackett joined Genesis in 1971, making his band debut on the Nursery Cryme album which enjoyed a greater commercial success in Europe than the UK. After extensive touring, the band were encouraged, by audience reactions, to further experiment with ever longer compositions and develop their ability to incorporate strong narratives. This, in turn, allowed frontman Peter Gabriel more opportunity to indulge in the theatrics which helped to raise the band's profile.
"I think Foxtrot was a terrific achievement for Genesis at that time", says Steve Hackett. I" think there is not one weak track on the album, they all have their strong points and I'm really looking forward to doing the whole album live.”
Foxtrot was critically acclaimed and became the first Genesis album to make the UK album charts. The first track, the sci-fi influenced Watcher of the Skies became a fan favourite and perennial live set opener while Get Em Out By Friday was a cutting slice of social comment about concrete tower blocks replacing aging slums, driven not by concern for communities but by the greed of developers.
Hackett was the lead writer of Can-Utility and the Coastliners, featuring some particularly strong musical ideas, and also contributed his classically-inspired solo piece Horizons. “The original version was a rough mix but there was something about it. A rough monitor mix can have things that something more considered won't necessarily possess. I liked the sound of the rough mix, so we went with that.”
The album's highlight was the 23-minute epic Supper's Ready which remains a concert favourite and featured on Hackett's recent Second's Out tour. “’
"Supper's Ready was a sojourn, an odyssey and something that goes down very, very well with audiences now.” Hackett adds. “As part of Seconds Out’ I've been playing the whole of that again, it really has stood the test of time."
"We were a young, struggling band at that time. By the time we were doing Foxtrot, the band was becoming more ambitious. ‘Foxtrot' is a must for fans of the early Genesis work. Fifty years ago? It doesn't feel like those ideas are fifty years old because it was-genre defining, rather than following trends. It still sounds current, now.”
The Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited - Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights tour also promises more Genesis favourites and highlights from Hackett's extensive solo catalogue.
Steve Hackett and his touring line-up of Roger King (keyboards), Jonas Reingold (bass, backing vocals), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Rob Townsend (saxophone, flutes, additional keyboards) and Craig Blundell (drums) have recently completed the 31-date Genesis Revisited Seconds Out +More UK tour plus additional European dates. Hackett's most successful ever solo tour, this tour sold out most of the dates and received stunning reviews:
Tickets are available from 10am on Friday 10th December via myticket.co.uk.
Guitarist Steve Hackett joined Genesis in 1971, making his band debut on the Nursery Cryme album which enjoyed a greater commercial success in Europe than the UK. After extensive touring, the band were encouraged, by audience reactions, to further experiment with ever longer compositions and develop their ability to incorporate strong narratives. This, in turn, allowed frontman Peter Gabriel more opportunity to indulge in the theatrics which helped to raise the band's profile.
"I think Foxtrot was a terrific achievement for Genesis at that time", says Steve Hackett. I" think there is not one weak track on the album, they all have their strong points and I'm really looking forward to doing the whole album live.”
Foxtrot was critically acclaimed and became the first Genesis album to make the UK album charts. The first track, the sci-fi influenced Watcher of the Skies became a fan favourite and perennial live set opener while Get Em Out By Friday was a cutting slice of social comment about concrete tower blocks replacing aging slums, driven not by concern for communities but by the greed of developers.
Hackett was the lead writer of Can-Utility and the Coastliners, featuring some particularly strong musical ideas, and also contributed his classically-inspired solo piece Horizons. “The original version was a rough mix but there was something about it. A rough monitor mix can have things that something more considered won't necessarily possess. I liked the sound of the rough mix, so we went with that.”
The album's highlight was the 23-minute epic Supper's Ready which remains a concert favourite and featured on Hackett's recent Second's Out tour. “’
"Supper's Ready was a sojourn, an odyssey and something that goes down very, very well with audiences now.” Hackett adds. “As part of Seconds Out’ I've been playing the whole of that again, it really has stood the test of time."
"We were a young, struggling band at that time. By the time we were doing Foxtrot, the band was becoming more ambitious. ‘Foxtrot' is a must for fans of the early Genesis work. Fifty years ago? It doesn't feel like those ideas are fifty years old because it was-genre defining, rather than following trends. It still sounds current, now.”
The Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited - Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights tour also promises more Genesis favourites and highlights from Hackett's extensive solo catalogue.
Steve Hackett and his touring line-up of Roger King (keyboards), Jonas Reingold (bass, backing vocals), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Rob Townsend (saxophone, flutes, additional keyboards) and Craig Blundell (drums) have recently completed the 31-date Genesis Revisited Seconds Out +More UK tour plus additional European dates. Hackett's most successful ever solo tour, this tour sold out most of the dates and received stunning reviews:
“raising the audience fever to near delirium... celebrating what has been an imperious performance... We're a lucky bunch of fans to have Steve Hackett on this form.” Prog Magazine
“Hackett has certainly pulled together a world class ensemble of musicians befitting a guitarist of his stature... Breathtaking stuff”. MetalExpressRadio.com
“this is definitely your ‘go-to-gig’ of 2021” ***** MMH Radio
“What a fantastic performance and night’s entertainment” Brighton and Hove News
“When the sun sets on 2021... this show will be right at the top of the list” 10/10 Maximum Volume Music
“Pure class from start to finish” Yorkshire Times
“Hackett has certainly pulled together a world class ensemble of musicians befitting a guitarist of his stature... Breathtaking stuff”. MetalExpressRadio.com
“this is definitely your ‘go-to-gig’ of 2021” ***** MMH Radio
“What a fantastic performance and night’s entertainment” Brighton and Hove News
“When the sun sets on 2021... this show will be right at the top of the list” 10/10 Maximum Volume Music
“Pure class from start to finish” Yorkshire Times
Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited - Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights 2022 Tour dates:
Friday 9 September Swansea Arena Saturday 10 September Cardiff St David’s Hall Sunday 11 September Cambridge Corn Exchange Tuesday 13 September Aylesbury Waterside Wednesday 14 September Torquay Princess Theatre Friday 16 September Portsmouth Guildhall Saturday 17 September Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion Sunday 18 September Birmingham Symphony Hall Tuesday 20 September Hull City Hall Thursday 22 September Gateshead Sage Friday 23 September Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Saturday 24 September York Barbican Monday 26 September Buxton Opera House Tuesday 27 September Grimsby Auditorium Wednesday 28 September Northampton Derngate Friday 30 September Sheffield City Hall Saturday 1 October Manchester O2 Apollo Monday 3 October Southend Cliffs Pavilion Tuesday 4 October Ipswich Regent Theatre Wednesday 5 October Bath Forum Friday 7 October Leicester De Montfort Hall Saturday 8 October Liverpool Philharmonic Sunday 9 October Brighton Brighton Centre Tuesday 11 October Bournemouth Pavilion Wednesday 12 October London Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith |
Check out our 2017 interview with Steve HERE
Tickets for Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited - Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights are on sale from 10am on Friday 10th December 2021 and can be purchased from myticket.co.uk
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facebook.com/stevehackettofficial
twitter.com/HackettOfficial