The revered musician brings his ‘Genesis Revisited with Classic Hackett’ tour to 20 Monroe Live next week. Check out the Local Spins interview with the British guitarist.
Living for Music and Reliving Genesis: Steve Hackett brings his tour to Grand Rapids Tuesday. (Photo/Lee Millward)
In the movies, it was Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly who went back to the future, but in the music world, it’s Steve Hackett who’s looking ahead and behind.
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
The celebrated guitarist brings his “Genesis Revisited with Classic Hackett” tour to Grand Rapids’ 20 Monroe Live on Tuesday night. The show begins at 8 p.m.
U.S. Tour: Hackett and his band will play Grand Rapids Tuesday and Royal Oak on Wednesday. (Photo/Lee Millward)
Hackett will perform music from his tenure in Genesis from 1971 to 1977, as well as looking to the future with selections from his upcoming “The Night Siren,” set for release on March 24.
It’s all in a day’s – or night’s – work for Hackett.
“We’ll be doing one set of Genesis and one solo set,” he said in an interview with Local Spins from his home in England, just prior to the commencement of rehearsals for the tour. “It’s quite a long show.”
That stands to reason.
His six years in Genesis coincided with that band’s peak progressive prowess, from 1971’s “Nursery Cryme” through 1976’s “Wind and Wuthering,” including fan favorites such as “Foxtrot” and “Selling England by the Pound.”
Since then, he’s released more than 30 solo albums, spanning rock, progressive, classical music and blues, in both electric and acoustic outings. So there will be no lack of options for performance. (Scroll down for videos.)
THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF ‘WIND & WUTHERING’
December marked the 40th anniversary of the release of Hackett’s last recording with the group, and he’s promised to perform several tracks from “Wind & Wuthering.”
“Some of the job is clear. It’s a logical step to celebrate “Wind & Wuthering” with what I consider the best of it: ‘One for the Vine,’ ‘Blood on the Rooftops,’ ‘Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers…’ ‘…In That Quiet Earth.’ I’ll be doing a number of my solo tunes: ‘The Steppes,’ three from The Night Siren, ‘Behind the Smoke,’ ‘In the Skeleton Gallery,’ and ‘El Nino.’ ”
Keeping the Prog-Rock Flame Burning: Steve Hackett (Photo/Christophe Pauly)
But wait, there’s more.
“The fans ask for certain things, and to some degree I respond to what fans communicate to me,” Hackett said. “ ‘Supper’s Ready’ is always a great tune to do.”
Since his defection from Genesis, Hackett, 67, has kept the progressive light burning.
At various points in time he’s joined forces with fellow prog legends like Ian McDonald (King Crimson), Bill Bruford (Yes, Crimson, Genesis, Gong) and John Wetton (Crimson, UK, Asia) He teamed up for recordings with two members of Yes: fellow axe-slinger Steve Howe for the short-lived GTR and the late bassist Chris Squire for the well-received Squackett.
Hackett also has recorded alongside Anthony Phillips, who he replaced in Genesis, guesting on his albums as Phillips has guested on his.
“He’s a pal. He’s very clever. I’d hope to do an acoustic album (together) someday.”
A SHOW RANGING FROM ‘PIN DROP’ QUIET TO ‘ALL GUNS BLAZING’
Hackett has also been a mainstay of the progressive rock-themed Cruise to the Edge alongside the likes of Marillion, Soft Machine Legacy, Focus, Ambrosia, UK and headliners Yes.
While no stranger to lengthy song forms and complex time signatures beloved in progressive rock, he’s also forged ahead on acoustic guitar with award-winning classical endeavors (“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” topped the classical charts) and indulged his formative years on “Blues with a Feeling,” as well as shredding with the best of them.
Guns Blazing: Steve Hackett on stage (Photo/Iconphoto)
For those who might be unfamiliar with his oeuvre, Hackett said the live show runs the gamut. “It’s very dramatic live. We take it down to where you could hear a pin drop, and then it’s all guns blazing.”
His band is intimately familiar with the music.
Keyboard player Roger King first worked with Hackett in the studio in 1995 on the original “Genesis Revisited” album before joining the stage band in 2001. Rob Townsend has played woodwinds as well as occasional keyboards, percussion and backing vocals since 2000. That’s the same year drummer and vocalist Gary O’Toole came on board.
Bass and stick player Nick Beggs, who first came to fame with popsters Kajagoogoo in the 80s, has been an on-again, off-again band member for many years. Vocalist Nad Sylvan was one of a host of singers who appeared on 2012’s “Genesis Revisited II” and became the de facto lead singer with the first “Genesis Revisited” tour.
Hackett said his decision to revisit his past catalog was not something he undertook lightly.
“There were so many tribute bands that have come out of the Genesis stuff,” he said. “There must be something in the music that goes beyond the props and the time it was made.”
He has said many times that he would be available for a full-fledged reunion of the classic Genesis, though he doubts it will ever happen. But he’ll continue to play and tour regardless.
“I live music,” he said. “It’s something I feel I must do. You play as long as you can. It’s the oxygen I breathe.”
Tickets, $25-$49.50, for Tuesday night’s show are available online here at livenation.com.
VIDEO: Steve Hackett, “Entangled” (from “Genesis Revisited II”)
VIDEO: Steve Hackett, “Wolflight”
Copyright 2017, Spins on Music LLC
