Steve Hackett (►more photos)

During this Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo Tour, ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett will be playing tracks from the legendary sixth Genesis studio album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974), the last album featuring Peter Gabriel as lead singer of the classical Genesis line up. But, before we can hear/enjoy songs from that iconic album, Hackett and band treat us to three tracks from his latest album called The Circus And The Nightwhale (2024, see review).

People Of The Smoke opens the Hackett solo set and this typical Hackett track once again proves he is a fantastic, emotional, and atmospheric guitar picker indeed. Follow ups Circo Inferno and These Passing Clouds are short instrumental tracks and, in both, Hackett excels with amazing arpeggios and sometimes "heavy" guitar riffs and hooks. The Devil's Cathedral, Every Day, A Tower Struck Down and Camino Royale are up next, and these tracks have been found on Hackett's setlist for a long time. Especially, Every Day from the Spectral Mornings (1979) album, which always belongs to the highlights of Hackett's solo set!

After a short break it is time for The Lamb and Hackett's plays eight tracks of that amazing Genesis concept album tonight, of course starting with the beautiful title track, followed by Fly On A Windshield and the short, instrumental Broadway Melody of 1974. Singer Nad Sylvan, with his Gabriel-like sound, starts rather fragile in the tittle track of The Lamb, but he really shines in the beautiful ballad Carpet Crawlers. Further highlights are songs like The Chamber Of 32 Doors and of course the wonderful The Lamia, where Hackett's melodic guitar solo gives me goosebumps all over, again... The last track of the Lamb album, called It, also ends the Lamb Highlights part of this gig and unfortunately, I sadly missed one of the best songs of Genesis only concept album, namely the impressive song called In The Cage...

But luckily, Hackett and band make up for this "miss" with the next song, which is of course Supper's Ready, the iconic symphonic prog song from Genesis fourth album Foxtrot (1972). Supper's Ready, clocking in over twenty-two minutes is of course one of the best epic tracks ever recorded and this musical rollercoaster is never a dull moment for sure!! Nad Sylvan, Jonas Reingold, Roger King and especially Hackett of course, shine in this symphonic rock party for 100%!

The enthusiastic audience is then treated to wonderful encores, being Firth Of Fifth from the Selling England By The Pound (1973) album and Los Endos from the A Trick Of The Tail (1976) album. Firth Of Fifth features one of the best and most beautiful Hackett guitar solos ever and the atmospheric Los Endos also features a passage of the song Slogans from Hackett's solo album Defector (1980)

That one is a true and worthy apotheosis of a wonderful evening and Steve Hackett is truly still one of the most brilliant guitar players and he can go on like this for years to come!!!

Text & Pictures Martien Koolen (edited by Dave Smith)