One November Night: Steve Hackett at Hammersmith Apollo
It was actually my third gig that week, which is pretty hard to believe in post-apocalyptic 2020. It was a Friday night and I was about to see Steve Hackett perform selections from his album 'Spectral Mornings', which was celebrating its fortieth anniversary, and parts of Hackett's latest album 'At The Edge of Light'. But that was just the first half of the show. The second half would feature the entirety of the Genesis album 'Selling England By The Pound', released in 1973 and featuring the classic line-up of Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and of course, Steve Hackett. Now this performance from London's Hammersmith Apollo receives a full release on CD, Vinyl, DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital.
Image Credit: Chris Simmons
Billed as the 'Genesis Revisited Tour 2019', there was no support act. The stage was full of instruments as the band took to the stage, the first song would be the opening number from Spectral Mornings, 'Every Day'. This particular date on the tour would feature a couple of special guests, Amanda Lehmann performs dual-lead guitar and backing vocals on Every Day. Of course, Steve Hackett's guitar tone is immaculate, as you would expect it to be. The harmonising guitar lines are perfectly mixed, with Hackett's diving guitar performing ocean waves across the stereo mix. Taken from the programme that evening, Hackett describes elements of each of the albums he performs from:
'I felt a real quickening of the spirit as we brought Every Day to fruition and the second half felt as if we'd taken off and were literally flying...' (Hackett, p. 6)
Hackett speaks to the crowd about what they can expect from that evening before introducing a track from his new album, 'Under The Eye Of The Sun'. Band-mate Nad Sylvan joins on vocals, shared by multiple members of the band, Lehmann stays put but for vocals only. Both leave the stage as the band performs the instrumental section, including a solo performance of clarinet from Rob Townsend.
'I wanted to create an album with a loose theme. Fallen Walls And Pedestals, Beasts In Our Time, Descent, Conflict all allude to the thread of intolerance, subjugation and war. Those Golden Wings, Underground Railroad, Hungry Years and Peace embrace love and freedom, whilst Under The Eye of the Sun and Shadow And Flame celebrate cultural diversity...All those things which lift us out of the abyss, where we find ourselves at the edge of light...' (Hackett, p. 7)
At the conclusion of Under The Eye Of The Sun, Hackett explains they're going to be doing two songs from his new album back-to-back. These are the opening numbers, 'Fallen Walls And Pedestals' and 'Beasts In Our Time'. The former begins with a piano introduction from Roger King, who also co-produced At The Edge Of Light. An instrumental, it features Hackett's classic guitar work and a devastating string line, almost of Eastern origin. This goes seamlessly into Beasts In Our Time.
'The track Beasts In Our Time is the main thrust of this album, exposing fear, greed and intolerance. The eagle in the video symbolises the hatred and violence which nationalism breeds... and the clown, deceptive destructive forces which masquerade as fun and innocuous. We live in dangerous times where we stand on the edge of an abyss... But there is still the hope that the light of compassion can still win through.' (Steve Hackett, accessed 10.10.20)
Hackett's lead vocal here is sweet, with Lehmann returning to add a vocal harmony. Though Hackett plays electric guitar, it is distinctly acoustic in its sound. Rob Townsend multi-tasks, alternating with flute while a saxophone is slung over his shoulder, doubling keyboard brass parts with Roger King, he would later play clarinet too. The atmospheric guitar sounds from Hackett are creatively panned for the listener's enjoyment. Hackett would continue to say of At The Edge Of Light:
'My wife Jo and I worked on most of the tracks, writing lyrics together and coming up with melodies and plans for how the songs could develop. Roger and I then took these ideas into the studio and developed them further during recording with many sounds, vocals and a multiplicity of guitars. Then came that exciting phase where others were invited to add their parts, enriching all the tracks with their exciting sounds, from sitar, duduk and didgeridoo, to sax, bass, drums and beautiful female vocal additions.' (Hackett, p. 7)
Image Credit: Lee Millward
Hackett takes up a twelve-string acoustic for 'The Virgin And The Gypsy', explaining the recording environment of Spectral Mornings all those years ago. For the first time that evening, the band would be joined by Steve's brother John Hackett on flute, who also played on the original album. The sounds of both John and Rob on woodwinds is a lovely dream. Amanda Lehmann re-joins on vocals. Bassist Jonas Reingold is seated with a double-necked guitar with a twelve-string on top and bass on the lower neck.
'Virgin and the Gypsy needed more careful thought, a delicate track held together by slender acoustic threads.' (Hackett, p. 6)
Next the band would perform an abbreviated version of 'Tigermoth', which still sounds so fresh and even modern. It's hard to believe the music on this album dates from a time when punk was burning out and the airwaves were ruled by everyone's take on disco-fusion. Although Hackett would mention it in concert, the programme featured the recording conditions in print:
'Hilversen recording studios was surrounded by snowy wastes in sub-zero temperatures, so it was great to hole up inside and create our own universe of creative inspiration, sometimes fuelled by alcohol from the janitor's drinks cabinet as we powered into the night...' (Hackett, p. 5)
Though this live performance wouldn't feature Spectral Mornings in its entirety, the band certainly gave it a good go, continuing through the first half with only songs from that album. The next would be the title track, which Hackett assured the audience wouldn't be abbreviated unlike the versions performed on the original tour. Townsend is absent for the earlier part of this number before returning on flute, and Jonas Reingold is once again on the double-necked guitar.
Taking a seat, Steve Hackett would perform on a six-string classical guitar for 'The Red Flower Of Tai Chai Blooms Everywhere', with John Hackett returning to accompany on flute, which Rob Townsend would also play. Steve's playing is soft and delicate, Hammersmith is the perfect size to showcase his playing. Grand enough, but not overboard so the connection with the audience is lost.
'I wrote the songs but we all chipped in to create the final sounds. In those days it was the whole band thrashing out ideas together. Spectral Mornings took off like a rocket in this way, with all of us excited by the massive sound we were creating together.' (Hackett, p. 5-6)
As Hackett passes his guitar back to his assistant, the band begin 'Clocks - The Angel Of Mons', following the sequence of the album tracks on Spectral Mornings. Armed with percussion, the band imitates the ticking of clocks before Roger King comes in with the low synth lines. The lighting is at its most animated here. There are no screens or projections, the music is more than enough to do the talking. Following excellent lead guitar work from Hackett, drummer Craig Blundell takes the spotlight with an exceptional drum solo. Working his way around half a dozen toms, ten cymbals or more, his touch is at times both light and assertive. Blundell's solo varies from rhythmic to a more heavy showcase before the band returns to engage in a big finish for the end of the first half.
Image Credit: David Clay
'I was at my happiest in Genesis during the whole Selling England period. I felt I was coming into my own with the development of my personal sound and increasing confidence in my ideas and everything I could contribute. The vibe of the band was great at the time and we all sensed that we were gaining momentum and going places...' (Hackett, p. 3)
The second half features Genesis' Selling England By The Pound in its entirety and in sequence, beginning with 'Dancing With The Moonlit Knight'. Nad Sylvan returns to the stage dressed as a poet with a story to tell, playing tambourine during the band's instrumental passages. His tone here echoes the throaty sound of Peter Gabriel's well. Reingold alternates between the bass and twelve-string on his double-neck not unlike Mike Rutherford did. Townsend supports Roger King on keyboards. Of course, Tony Banks was known to record many layers in his studio works.
'Dancing With The Moonlit Knight has always been my favourite Genesis track, as it travels through so many musical styles. It builds with such exciting surprises. Everyone contributed to the track magnificently, each taking the lead to propel it forward.' (Hackett, p. 3)
Blundell lightly dances around the kit as the drone for 'I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)' begins. Both Townsend and Hackett join in the chorus to support Sylvan on vocals. Townsend particularly is busy with percussion and woodwind, handling the parts Gabriel conspicuously left behind in his solo career. A change in this version puts a spotlight on Townsend on saxophone as Hackett takes a seat and seems to genuinely enjoy the moment watching him play. Jazzy chords come from Roger King's keys and Craig Blundell plays with time, his playing a far-cry from that of Phil Collins. As the jam returns to the song, Sylvan mows the lawn from one end of the stage to the other and Hackett now takes an extended solo. Sylvan leads the crowd in clapping along whilst Townsend takes a solo on the penny-whistle, bringing it back to the end for one more chorus. It's so great that the band is able to shine through this work without diverting too far from the source material.
Without introduction, Roger King begins 'Firth Of Fifth', one of the most enduring pieces from Selling England By The Pound. Despite writing and recording the introduction, Tony Banks rarely played the introduction himself in performance, which is faithfully restored here. For the eagle-eyed, a sticker on one of King's keyboards is a classic from the past half-decade. Hackett leads the audience in a clap-along with a smile, as well rehearsed air-drummers can be seen supporting Blundell amongst the crowd. Fortunately for me, the cameras weren't filming the very back of the auditorium. Hackett's lead line matches that classic tone on the album and is as powerful as ever.
'Of course, the most well known Genesis guitar solo is on Firth Of Fifth. This was my variation on Tony's original melody written on piano. It took on a whole new perspective on guitar, and playing it, I imagined a bird gliding high above a rich sea of keyboards...' (Hackett, p. 4)
Steve Hackett is back on twelve-string for 'More Fool Me', originally sung by Phil Collins on this album. Reingold is on electric guitar and also provides backing vocals. This song is a welcome come down from Firth Of Fifth and sticks out as being the one without drums, closing side 1 of the original record.
Craig Blundell returns to the stage, bringing in the marching drums for 'The Battle Of Epping Forest', Townsend and King share the woodwinds, one real and one keyboard based. Perhaps John Hackett would've been a welcome addition here? Steve supports the beat, rubbing mute guitar strings, then the band kicks in and the familiar sound of this classic progressive record is back.
During the meet and greet prior to the show, I asked Steve if there wasn't a chance he and his band would perform 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway' sometime. The successor to this record, and the last for Peter Gabriel with the band, this is a double album they performed entirely between 1974 and 1975. 'Maybe once', he said, but not a full tour. He iterated that there's a lot less guitar on that album, and he much prefers Selling England By The Pound. Steve reassured me that pieces of it would be performed on his upcoming tour that would feature 'Seconds Out', the Genesis live album from 1977, and his last before going solo full-time. Originally slated for the last quarter of 2020, when Steve Hackett will return to the stage is anyone's guess.
Piano brings in 'After The Ordeal', an instrumental with Roger King and Steve Hackett beautifully mixed together. I love Hackett's delicate touch on the fretboard here. At the back of the auditorium the sound was still superb enough to hear all these details. Townsend joins on tambourine before switching to flute. The audience is deadly still as Hackett changes pick-ups and the drums come in. The camera angles are so non-invasive that I wasn't even aware the performance was being filmed at the time. Despite that, the production team have still provided an excellent document of this show.
A quick thumbs-up from Hackett, and the band goes into 'The Cinema Show' as Nad Sylvan returns to the stage. The layered twelve-string and six-string guitars from Hackett and Reingold remain a beautiful combination with gentle accompaniment from Roger King. The whole piece is immaculate, but mustn't be mistaken for clinical - the band are clearly having fun playing these complex arrangements. The band become more and more animated on stage as The Cinema Show reaches its climax, Townsend rocking backwards and forwards on the balls of his feet, Reingold and Hackett stepping about the stage, lost in the moment. As the piece becomes quieter, Hackett looks backwards as Nad Sylvan, dressed once again as he was at the start of the second half, and performs 'Aisle of Plenty', the concluding piece to Selling England By The Pound.
'It was started by Pete with a view to adding it to Selling England, but later I finished it for my first Genesis Revisited album with his blessing.' (Hackett, p. 4)
For the first time since the end of the first half, Hackett addresses the crowd, announcing each member of the band, with Sylvan announcing Steve at the end. Steve then introduces the next song, 'Déjà Vu'. Left unfinished for over twenty years, Hackett would complete it for his 1996 album 'Genesis Revisited', featuring Paul Carrack on vocals. Of course, it fits right in. What its original placement in the tracklisting would've been is unknown, but here it makes a perfect encore to the 1973 Genesis album.
Staying with Genesis material, the band perform 'Dance On A Volcano', the opening number to 1976's 'A Trick Of The Tail', the first album of post-Gabriel material conceived by the four-piece Genesis. This one would be credited to the band as a whole. Hackett's contribution is obvious when watching this performance, his hands ride up and down the fretboard. In 1975, he would be fresh from recording his first solo effort, 'Voyage Of The Acolyte', released towards the end of that year.
Now firmly in encore territory, the audience more vocal than they had been all evening, the band returned to the stage. The show's finale would be a medley of 'Los Endos' from A Trick Of A Tail, which also featured 'Myopia' from the 1984 Hackett album 'Till We Have Faces', and 'Slogans' from the follow-up to Spectral Mornings, 1980's 'Defector'. The piece is an instrumental onslaught, with the band raising their fists, thudding bass drum from Blundell and both Hackett and Townsend coming together in the middle of the stage to enjoy the sound. Nad Sylvan can be seen behind Craig Blundell, swaying to the music as he returns to the front to sing the familiar final words to Los Endos. This really was the last song as the band put down their instruments and lined up at the front of the stage. The audience gave a standing ovation as the group of musicians, including John Hackett and Amanda Lehmann, gave their bows and filed off, with Steve Hackett shaking the hands of the front row. One day, we might be able to do it all again.
In between this gig in November 2019 and the show's release in September, Steve Hackett also released his long-awaited autobiography in the summer. Entitled 'A Genesis In My Bed', this is a culmination of fifteen years of work between album releases and tours. Since then, Steve Hackett has been spending time recording his next album in the studio, but I was able to put some questions to him for this release. A special thank you to Sharon at The Publicity Connection, to Freddy at Sony Music for technical assistance, and of course to Steve for taking his time to answer these.
1. Your new live album is all taken from a performance at Hammersmith Apollo in 2019, what do you remember about that night?
It was a special night. The audience were incredibly responsive and it’s a great venue to play.
2. This night is made even more special with appearances from John Hackett and Amanda Lehmann, had it been a long time since playing live with them last?
They had both joined us for some other shows on the UK tour. It’s always a joy to have them both involved.
3. This particular leg of the tour spanned almost all of November in 2019, what did a typical day look like on that tour?
We often had to wake up early to ensure we reached our next destination in good time. Whilst the crew used a large tour bus, the band and I travelled in a mini bus. We initially drove to the next hotel to drop off our bags, and then on to the venue in time for soundcheck. We then all had a bite to eat. Following that, I did a meet and greet before a private gathering of friends and family. After that there was about forty minutes of downtime before the show. We went back to the hotel straight after the show, to get enough sleep before the early morning start...
4. When preparing for a new tour, how long is spent rehearsing as a group prior to hitting the road?
The rehearsal period is usually about ten days.
5. Part of this tour included a 40th anniversary celebration of your album 'Spectral Mornings', might there be celebrations of your other solo albums on future tours?
Yes, we’re bound to have more celebrations!
6. As a drummer, it's wonderful watching Craig Blundell's performance in this film. How did he come to be a part of the band?
Craig came highly recommended and at least a couple of people I knew, including Rob Townsend, were already in touch with him.
7. It's brilliant to hear the full version of 'Firth of Fifth' with the introduction, which Genesis didn't do all that often! What are your memories of recording 'Firth of Fifth' in the studio?
It was a joy to record ‘Firth of Fifth’. Developing Tony Banks’ melody for guitar really made that piece fly for me.
8. If you could choose one song to define your career with Genesis, what would it be?
I particularly love Dancing with the Moonlit Knight. For me, it was a fantastic song, with so many different elements, ranging from the beauty of Scottish Plainsong to a full on explosion of sound.
9. Your recording of Déjà Vu features Paul Carrack on vocals - what was it like to work with him in the studio?
Paul was great to work with. He’s both a fantastic singer and a thoroughly nice person.
10. The audio and video mix on this album is perfect, were you heavily involved in these processes? Or was a finished product presented to you?
I had some input regarding the sound on the album, but most of the credit goes to Roger King who mixed the audio and to Ben Fenner who did the sound for the show itself. As for the video, I have Paul Green to thank. He and his team filmed the show and he edited it.
11. Your last album, 'At The Edge of Light' is showcased superbly on this live album, will there be something new to showcase on your Seconds Out tour?
Yes, there will be something extra, but Seconds Out is a long album as it was a show in itself, so there is not much room for additional material!
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References:
Hackett, S. (2019) Steve Hackett: Genesis Revisited 2019 Tour Programme, in association with Pennyprint and Andrea Holmes
STEVE HACKETT - Beasts In Our Time (Official Video) Hosted by InsideOutMusicTV, available here. (accessed 10.10.20)
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Purchase 'Selling England By The Pound & Spectral Mornings: Live At Hammersmith' from Steve Hackett's official website here.
Find Steve Hackett on facebook and instagram @stevehackettofficial, and @hackettofficial on twitter.
