Steve Hackett
Live at the Scottish Rite Auditorium
November 22, 2014
Note:
I’m aware that I’m writing this concert review
pretty late, considering the show was on November 22. However, I’d still like
to have a review written since I’ve been doing this in some for every concert I’ve
seen ever since I saw Kiss in 2009 (with the exception of Rush, but I did post
a short review of it on this blog’s Facebook page). I really did enjoy this
concert so I’d like to share that with you. Enjoy.
Former
Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, along with his band, performed at the Scottish
Rite Auditorium on November 22. Hackett, 64, has been touring the last few
years playing the songs from the classic era of Genesis as part of his Genesis
Extended Tour. While many would like to see the classic line-up of Genesis
reunite (Hackett, Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins and Tony Banks),
Hackett and his band put on a hell of a show.
The
lights went out a little after 8 pm. The audience started to cheer and soon
enough, Hackett and his band arrived on the stage, starting the evening off
with “Dance on a Volcano” from A Trick of the Trail. Immediately, Hackett’s
lead singer Nad Sylvan struck out- with his long blonde hair and dramatic stage
presence. Throughout the show, Sylvan nailed each song and did at times sound
just like Gabriel. In between songs, Hackett spoke to the crowd and introduced
each song. “Squonk” was next, which was then followed by “Dancing With the
Moonlit Knight.” The band played three songs from 1971’s Nursery Cryme. The last of the them, “The Musical Box,” was the most
impressive as the band played the whole 17 minutes of the song. With its
constant change in tempo, it was amazing that Hackett and the band could pull
it off. Sylvan led the audience in chanting the song’s last verse- “Now, now, now,
now, now!” After the song ended, the band received a well-deserved standing
ovation.
“I
Know What I Like” followed after, which had almost everyone in the audience
singing along to what was an unexpected minor hit for Genesis in 1973. While
the band was playing songs from Hackett’s time with the band (1971-78), they
did play “The Knife” from Genesis’ sophomore effort Trespass- which Hackett did not play on since he hadn’t joined the
band at that time. Sylvan was dramatic throughout the performance, holding a
knife of his own. The band ended their set with “Supper’s Ready,” Genesis’s 26
minute epic that closed 1972’s Foxtrot.
Many Genesis fans regard it as the band’s best song, as it tells the story of
an apocalypse in seven different parts. It’s a hard song to play live, given it
jumps from one part to another. When Genesis played it live back in the day,
Gabriel would go through a few costume changes- most notably wearing a “flower
mask” in one part. While Sylvan didn’t do the same, he did come out decked in a
brown robe towards the end of the song. After a long performance, the band said
goodnight…until they came back out to play “Watcher of the Skies” and “Los
Endos” for the encore.
No
matter what kind of Genesis fan you are, I’d highly recommend going to see
Steve Hackett and his band if they do come back to play the songs of Genesis. I
was skeptical at first but at this rate, it’s probably the closest you’re going
to get seeing Genesis live.
Setlist
1. Dance
on a Volcano
2. Squonk
3. Dancing
with the Moonlit Knight
4. Fly
on a Windshield
5. Broadway
Melody of 1974
6. Return
of the Giant Hogweed
7. The
Fountain of Salmacis
8. The
Musical Box
9. I
Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
10. Horizons
11. Firth
of Fifth
12. Lilywhite
Lilith
13. The
Knife
14. Supper’s
Ready
Encore
15. Watcher
of the Skies
16. Los
Endos
The band
Steve Hackett- guitar/vocals
Nad Sylvan- vocals
Nick Beggs- bass/vocals
Gary O’Toole- drums/vocals
Roger King- keyboards
Rob Townsend-
sax/flute/keyboards/percussion/vocals
No comments:
Post a Comment