Steve Hackett - Genesis Extended - 19 Nov. 2014

Lynn Memorial Auditorium - Lynn, Massachusetts - 19 November, 2014

I live in the great state of Maine.  We don't really get much prog up this way, at least not in our actual state.  I went to see Mr. Hackett's Genesis Revisited tour in September 2013, but had to travel all the way down to Long Island, New York for the show, as I'd missed out on tickets to the Connecticut gig.  From what I heard, the New York venue was far superior, and it was a nice little road trip, so no harm there. 

The contextual purpose of mentioning this is to explain that I always have to travel some distance for a good prog concert.  Last year's show was amazing.  I had never seen Steve perform live ever, and I'm far too young (31) to have ever seen Genesis, and I wasn't a Genesis fan during the Ray Wilson tour.  Some people don't look at this series of Hackett tour with much appreciation, and consider it a cash grab or a non-progressive thing to do; simply looking back at the past.  For a person like me, this is a dream opportunity, as Genesis has become my absolute favorite band.

With all that out of the way...

This performance in Massachusetts was a welcome much shorter trip from Portland, Maine.  I purchased the Meet and Greet package and was not disappointed.  I got to have a few minutes of one on one time with Steve.  A nice poster print from the Royal Albert hall gig was provided for signing, and I also got my LP of "Voyage of the Acolyte" signed.  What a pleasant gentleman.  I told him how I am hoping to see a tour of solo material in the near future, and he said that was the plan for next year.  I can't wait.  I kept trying to stuff words into the conversation, as when meeting someone I revere and appreciate this much I want to find a way to kind of sum up my thoughts and feelings.  Nervousness tends to get the better of me though and I ramble.  Before leaving the room I told him that his music, both with Genesis and on his own means so much to me, and that it all influences my creative process in ways not much else can.  I started to get a bit choked up and I think he saw that, and if he was able to detect my sincerity, that's all I can really hope for.

Onto the show.  This was possible a better performance than last year.  The setlist flow was better in my opinion.  Opening with "Dance on a Volcano" and going into "Squonk" is a better set opener than last year, which was "Watcher of the Skies" into "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight".  The immediate energy of "Dance" works better as an opener.  These first two songs were unfortunately a bit "rough".  Nad Sylvan clearly hadn't had much warm up time, and it showed.  A few weak notes here and there.  He clearly came into his own by the third number, which was "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight".  From that point on, Nad and the rest of the band were spot on.

Unfortunately Steve and the band are not performing any Wind & Wuthering material on this year's iteration of the tour, but they have thrown in "Squonk", "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" and "Lilywhite Lilith".  These were all very welcome additions.  He also performed "The Knife", which I did not quite understand, as he didn't play on Trespass.  However, it was explained that this tour is not meant to be a showcase for Steve Hackett himself, it's a tour to showcase the music of Genesis.  As Steve certainly performed "The Knife" a lot in his early Genesis days, I can understand it from that perspective. 

Seriously folks, this band performs the hell out of "The Musical Box".  The emotional impact of that song has not diminished over the years.  When the final section begins I can't imagine I was the only person with tears in his eyes.  My girlfriend certainly had the same experience.

After over 1.5 hours of amazing music, I blew my own mind when I realized they hadn't performed "Supper's Ready" yet, which I knew was happening.  The emotional crescendos and climaxes the track is known for were elegantly delivered.  The "New Jerusalem" portion was heart-wrenching to say the least.

The sound was very solid.  Howeverm I'm not a sound engineer, so I can't comment on this in detail.  Great clarity, could have been a TAD louder, but no complaints.  The encore ("Watcher of the Skies" and "Los Endos" with "Myopia" and "Slogans" bit included) was slightly louder which gave them a big conclusive impact.  The lighting was fantastic, with the star like lighting effect during "Watcher of the Skies" stealing the show.

All in all, for a "legacy" type of setlist, Hackett and company deliver in spades.  There is clear reverence for the material and they play it with emotion, energy and passion.  What Yes are doing pales in comparison.  I've had a great time seeing Yes the last two years, but I never got to see them with Jon Anderson, so it's more just the pleasure of seeing the music performed live.  Apart from Chris Squire I don't feel like they are putting their hearts into though, and are operating on borrowed time.  Not the case for Steve Hackett, at least in my opinion.

I could ramble on about the show for many more paragraphs, but it really isn't necessary.  See this tour, as Steve probably won't do one like it again.

Top 5 Highlights: "The Return of the Giant Hogweed", "The Musical Box", "Lilywhite Lilith", "Firth of Fifth", "Supper's Ready"

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/steve-hackett/2014/the-lynn-memorial-auditorium-lynn-ma-53cdb7f5.html

EDIT:  Tried to add a link to a video of the "Watcher of the Skies" intro, but the link isn't recognized.


Edited by calm_sea - November 22 2014 at 11:43

I'm a huge fan of Steve's solo stuff, especially the first 4 or 5 records, so I'm very much looking forward to a tour featuring his own music.  Of course he'll include a couple Genesis songs, as he usually does, but getting to hear "Everyday" live will be great.  I still consider it a real treat to be able to see him perform a full set of Genesis songs with such authenticity.  Really a great thing.

I saw him twice in 2010 and while the Genesis material was nice I would have preferred to hear more from his own catalogue. Honestly he's got enough A material that he would still have to cut some gems to keep from running long.

I saw the show last night in Seattle (December 10), and I thought it was well worth the 5 hour trip and money for tickets.

Steve himself is what, 65 years old? Well, he looks good and executed the music well for someone his age, even if he had to go through a few bottles of baby powder. His solos were either spot-on the originals, or welcome variations.

His backing band perfromed exceptionally. The overall sound was not coordinated particularly well, and the drums sometimes masked the vocals or even Steve, which was most unfortunate in some of the exciting parts like The Return of the Giant Hogweed or Squonk when the music really gets rocking. Not the musicians' fault, as the sound engineer should have set things up better. It was a small theater, which may have been a factor. The singer was most appreciated. He sounded similar to Peter Gabriel, but didn't always stick to the Gabriel presentation. That was fine, he did a fantastic job on every part, and though his theatrics were not extravagant, they were fine. The backup keyboardist was a pleasuree to watch. He did well on the flute, and phenominal on the sax.

As for the songs played, Supper's Ready was almost orgasmic. Vocals were perfect, from the slumbering pace pn the mountain of human flesh to the roraring angel standing in the sun. The bass was very good in Apocalypse section (and the whole show). But at the end, Hackett continued to shred for another 2-3 minutes, which carried that high to another level. Some other notably well-performed pieces were The Knife, Fly on a Windshield/Broadway Melody, and the Musical Box.

I was very pleased. This is coming from a 25 year old male who does not play an instrument, but I enjoy Genesis and am thankful for the great show. I don't expect the chance to see this music again from the original members either.

I saw them at the Orpheum theater in LA Dec, 6 , 14. My first time and it was marvelous. They started late and played continuously for 2 hrs. All of their songs were from the Gabriel era. A true open window to the beginning of Genesis. Their lead singer is awesome and will not make you miss Gabriel. The acoustics were very good  too. It is truly a gem for all genesis lovers.  I STRONGLY RECOMMEND SEEING STEVE HACKETT IF YOU ARE A GENESIS LOVER. soak up on some of their early albums and you will appreciate the concert even more.

lobinero wrote:   Their lead singer is awesome and will not make you miss Gabriel.

We must have seen a different singer on stage.  I can't imaging seeing this singer who sounded more like Dee Snider than any imagined Genesis singer. 

I miss Peter Gabriel, Phil or even a decent Genesis tribute band singer.  I didn't get it at all.

Skullhead wrote: I'm really glad you enjoyed the show and you will be forever thankful to someday be able to tell others younger than you that you saw an original member of Genesis in concert!  It's just great that you at the young age of 25 have found this kind of music and are inspired by it particularly not being a musician. I can only suggest that those who saw Genesis in the 1970's were even much more fortunate. I hope somehow you can inspire your peers to take notice and support higher quality music in general than what most are embracing. I love Seattle by the way! Best to you

I'm also young (31) and am happy for the experience of seeing this music performed in a live setting.  I just wish there were more modern bands playing progressive music a bit more on the classic styles.  Astra is one of the only ones doing it these days (that I'm aware of).  Unfortunately the members of Genesis aren't going to be around forever, and I don't see them all reuniting to play the 70's stuff any time soon, so I'll take what I can get.  Steve is a classy guy and was great to meet.  I hope he continues playing for many more years.

Rick Robson wrote: Sometimes it seems that people now are much more keen on his Genesis Revisited stuff than on his own older solo stuff, which in my point of view should have been much more completely explored in his live shows and gigs up to date.

Skullhead wrote: lobinero wrote:   Their lead singer is awesome and will not make you miss Gabriel. We must have seen a different singer on stage.  I can't imaging seeing this singer who sounded more like Dee Snider than any imagined Genesis singer.  I miss Peter Gabriel, Phil or even a decent Genesis tribute band singer.  I didn't get it at all.