WORDS AND IMAGES SAM HOLT
Steve Hackett and his band played tonight at Bristol’s Beacon, which many people still refer to as The Colston Hall. Next year will be 50 years since he performed at The Colston Hall as part of the Genesis‘ Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour. The album, their sixth studio release, marks a journey of self-discovery and enlightenment. This was Genesis’ final album with the classic lineup, as vocalist Peter Gabriel left shortly after and guitarist Hackett followed a few years later. Tonight’s lineup includes Roger King on keyboards, Rob Townsend on additional keys and a range of woodwind instruments, Nad Sylvan on vocals, Amanda Lehmann on guitar, and a rhythm unit of Craig Blundell on drums and Jonas Reingold on bass.
There were two sets, the first based around his solo work and the second featuring a selection from Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, followed by some other Genesis greats. The first three songs lifted from the recently released concept album The Circus and the Nightwhale. You could be forgiven for recognising a similarity; both concept albums take you on a journey, but that is where the parallels end. While LLDOB was about a fictitious figure, TCATN is autobiographical in nature, chronicling Hackett’s life.
The opening song is “People of the Smoke”. The beginning has numerous sounds from his history, including a steam train going by. The musician’s outstanding guitarwork takes centre stage and comes to the forefront. It’s a fantastic song that highlights his abilities, variety, and the growth of his playing style. “Circu Inferno” follows; it begins with an oriental feel but quickly transforms into something much heavier and more powerful. “These Passing Clouds” finish off TCATN‘s offerings; Steve stated that he was inspired by this as a child while staring out over the clouds above Battersea Power Station. This section includes tracks from several of his past albums, including “Camino Royale” from Highly Strung and “Every Day” from Spectral Mornings, which were both well appreciated by the Bristol audience. “Every Day” is a great tune to highlight his singing guitar, but it appears he especially enjoys performing “Shadow of the Hierophant”, which finishes this section of the event.
Following a brief interlude, Steve and his band return to perform highlights from Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Nine of the 21 tracks originally recorded have been played. Beginning with the title track, “Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”, I couldn’t help but note Nad is no Gabriel, and he doesn’t attempt to be, but his voice is sublime as he sings this; perhaps, dare I say better? The haunting lines of “Hairless Heart” are a treat, played with so much feeling. “Carpet Crawlers” has always been a favourite of mine, and Steve and his band gave a fantastic rendition. The audience’s reaction is incredible; they are clearly enthralled by the rendition. He went on to remark, ‘If we’d played the entire album, we’d be here all night,’ and I’m sure the audience would not have complained.
He wraps up the performance with a selection of songs from Selling England by the Pound and Introducing Dancing With The Moonlit Knight ‘for John Lennon’. A breathtaking rendition of “The Cinema Show” followed. The second set concluded with a fantastic version of “Aisle of Plenty”, which drew a standing ovation from the audience. Following some persuading, the band returned to the stage for an encore. “Firth of Fifth” is received with rapturous acclaim, followed by a fantastic drum solo from Craig Blundell, which leads into “Los Endos” from Trick of The Tail, a beautiful tune to conclude on.
With such a large repertoire to choose from, it could be argued that finding the right balance of solo/Genesis material is difficult. Tonight, Steve did an excellent job of showcasing what he’s played over the years; the audience loved it, and I’m confident that many left impressed by an exceptional night of music.
SET LIST
Set 1:
1/ People of the Smoke
2/ Circo Inferno
3/ These Passing Clouds
4/ The Devil’s Cathedral
5/ Every Day
6/ A Tower Struck Down
7/ Bass Solo
8/ Camino Royale
9/ Shadow of the Hierophant
Set 2:
1/ The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
(Genesis song)
2/ Fly on a Windshield
(Genesis song)
3/ Broadway Melody of 1974
(Genesis song)
4/ Hairless Heart
(Genesis song)
5/ Carpet Crawlers
(Genesis song)
6/ The Chamber of 32 Doors
(Genesis song)
7/ Lilywhite Lilith
(Genesis song)
8/ The Lamia
(Genesis song)
9/ it
(Genesis song)
10/ Dancing With the Moonlit Knight
(Genesis song)
11/ The Cinema Show
(Genesis song)
12/ Aisle of Plenty
(Genesis song)
Encore:
13/ Firth of Fifth
(Genesis song)
14/ Drum Solo
15/ Los Endos / Slogans / Los Endos
FOLLOW STVE HACKET
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago
