Venue: Udine / Castello di Udine (Piazzale del Castello) / Italy
Date: Tuesday, 26 July 2022
English guitar virtuoso and innovator Steve Hackett rolled through Italian Udine with his band on his current tour — the closest concert stop for us. The tour is dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the live album »Seconds Out« (1977) from the rich back catalogue of his former band Genesis. The stunning setting of Udine’s local castle provided near-perfect concert conditions and an extraordinary atmosphere for an artist so revered among prog rock fans and globe-trotters alike — someone who has always enjoyed a particularly devoted following among Italian fans. Given that the night’s setlist featured a full performance of said cult live album — meaning wall-to-wall Genesis classics with just one track from Hackett’s solo catalogue — an exceptional and altogether unusual concert experience was in the cards.
The backing crew of one of the most influential rock guitarists of the last five decades — who, by the way, is still remarkably well-preserved for his age — has been unchanged for years, with keyboardist Roger King (The Mute Gods) and woodwind player Rob Townsend both having worked with Hackett for over twenty years. The bass and drums slots are a different story, as the rhythm section has seen some changes over recent years. Drumming powerhouse Craig Blundell (ex-Steven Wilson, Pendragon, Lonely Robot) and Swedish bassist Jonas Reingold (The Flower Kings, Kaipa, Karmakanic) joined Hackett’s band three and four years ago respectively, and quickly found their chemistry with the rest of the crew.
The exceptionally talented and charismatic Swedish-American vocalist Nad Sylvan has also been in Hackett’s band for a good while now. These days it’s impossible to imagine performing Genesis classics without him, given how closely his voice echoes both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins. Guitarist and vocalist Amanda Lehman, who is also the sister of Hackett’s wife Jo, has appeared only as a guest at select concerts since 2011. Her role in the live shows is small but significant, as this evening proved once again.
Every Genesis fan in attendance got exactly what they came for: Mr. Hackett and his loyal musical companions played all of »Seconds Out« in the original track order and threw in some long-time favourites that he doesn’t pull out very often. The »A Trick of the Tail« (1976) staple »Squonk« — a tale about a mythological creature that spends most of its time weeping over its grotesque appearance — opened an unforgettable evening in the company of the master.
Steve and co. immediately won us over with their razor-sharp tightness and the occasional jazz-flavoured arrangement or soloing insert you won’t find in the original Genesis versions. These ‘extended’ takes were largely down to Townsend, whose arsenal of woodwinds included clarinet, various saxophones, flute, and whistles. His sax solo gave a fresh coat of paint to the most instantly recognizable performance of the evening — »I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)« — which again featured Sylvan’s flawless impression of the Sunday mower in the theatrical tradition of the unforgettable Peter Gabriel.
»Carpet Crawlers« — or »Carpet Crawl«, as this fan-favourite classic from the unforgettable concept masterpiece »The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway« (1974) is sometimes called — continued the lyrical thread about strange little creatures lurking at the edges of the human subconscious. The song ranks among the most beloved among Genesis devotees and carries a special nostalgic weight, since the 1999 re-recording was the last studio act of the classic Genesis lineup — one that of course included Mr. Hackett himself. Additional vocal harmonies were consistently handled by the guitar master himself and Reingold, who switched between a regular bass, a twelve-string hybrid doubleneck (guitar on top, bass on the bottom), and a rhythm guitar as needed throughout the set. Master Hackett, as is his old habit, settled onto a bar stool during certain moments when he picked up the acoustic guitar — and of course the obligatory scarf around his shoulders was right there too, a fixture of his stage look for years.
»Robbery, Assault & Battery« — the tale of a hapless burglar — definitely belongs among the Genesis standards that Mr. Hackett almost never plays, which made hearing it all the more rewarding; Sylvan had a pretty demanding vocal task on this one, as was the case several more times throughout the evening. The romantics in the crowd got their moment with the nostalgic »Afterglow« — the sole »Wind & Wuthering« (1976) entry, in keeping with the original »Seconds Out« track listing — while the prog connoisseurs especially savoured the exceptional rendition of the »Selling England By the Pound« (1973) classic »Firth of Fifth«, featuring one of the most celebrated piano intros and guitar solos in the history of progressive rock.
After an exceptional performance of the classic »The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway« — the opening chapter of the strange story of Rael’s search for his lost brother — the concert tipped into its second half. Amanda Lehman joined the performers as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, captivating us with an exceptional vocal performance on the mellotron-driven masterpiece »Shadow of the Hierophant«. The epic about the religious figure from the tarot was the only number from Hackett’s solo catalogue all evening. It was a more than fitting choice — many Hackett devotees consider it one of his finest creations, structurally and atmospherically very close to the greatest Genesis epics. Taking into account all our previous concert encounters with her, Amanda captured the vocal magic of this epic masterpiece better than ever — a performance that on the 1975 original, on Hackett’s debut »Voyage of the Acolyte«, was delivered by Sally Oldfield, sister of the legendary Mike Oldfield.
Those in the audience who had forgotten that »Seconds Out« contains only the shortened closing section of the »Nursery Cryme« (1971) classic »The Musical Box« — a tale of a lecherous old man’s dying hallucinations — were a little disappointed by its brevity, until they remembered that the band was faithfully replicating the version from that live album. Nad, as usual, didn’t put on the old man and fox mask — because Peter Gabriel was one of a kind. Then came the highlight of the evening: a breathtakingly bold performance of the unforgettable super-epic »Supper’s Ready«, the sole entry from the masterpiece »Foxtrot« (1972). Performing this colossal (post)apocalyptic saga is always an extraordinary feat, even for seasoned musicians like Mr. Hackett and his companions. In just over twenty minutes that flew by in a flash, we were treated to a faithful rendition of this many-coloured, multi-sectioned epic adventure, complete with a few additional woodwind arrangements and soloing improvisations.
But the evening’s Genesis epic treats were far from over, as next came a phenomenal performance of the metaphysical epic »The Cinema Show« — the strikingly unusual experience of Tiresias, the ancient seer and acquaintance of Odysseus — which included, among other things, a five-minute keyboard solo from King. A short break followed, and then Hackett’s band returned to the stage to deliver a breathtaking version of the »A Trick of The Tail« classic »Dance On a Volcano«, capped at the end by a drum solo from Blundell.
The flawless concert closer »Los Endos« — a jazzy treat — featured yet another demonstration of the master’s tapping technique, popularized by the late Eddie Van Halen, though it was Master Hackett himself who first brought it into the rock world in the early seventies. For the final verse, Amanda joined Nad in singing harmonies, helping Steve’s crew bring this exceptional concert evening to a more-than-successful close — one that fans of symphonic progressive rock will be talking about in superlatives for a long time to come. Anyone who missed this concert for whatever reason has good reason to feel genuinely hard done by. A chance to make up for it comes on November 18th, when Master Hackett will perform in Padua — the closest stop for us. The autumn tour will, alongside some solo career staples, also feature a full performance of the Genesis masterpiece »Foxtrot«, with which Steve will mark the fiftieth anniversary of its release.
Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Setlist:
1. Squonk
2. The Carpet Crawlers
3. Robbery, Assault and Battery
4. Afterglow
5. Firth of Fifth
6. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
7. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
8. Shadow of the Hierophant
9. The Musical Box (Closing Section)
10. Supper’s Ready
11. The Cinema Show
—encore—
12. Dance on a Volcano
13. Drum Solo
14. Los Endos
