REVIEW: Steve Hackett, Lighthouse, Poole

Whether that could have influenced the Genesis fans unable to to attend one of those massive arena events is a moot point considering the undisputed solo talent of Steve.

The format of performing the whole of ’Seconds Out’ from 1976/77 has certainly also attracted the attention of the ‘Serious-Genesis’ fan.

This is a show of quarters (Steve’s words)

The first 30 minutes being solo material including new songs from his new album ‘Surrender of Silence’.

The classic ‘Clocks’ started the set, with Steve’s introduction reminding us how great it is to be back playing live instead of sitting at home watching TV!

The thunderous gothic organ sounds of ‘Devil’s Cathedral’, from the new album, followed and was a definite highlight, even introduced as a little sing-along number by Steve (it wasn’t!).

Multi-instrumentalist Rob Townsend on sax demonstrated his talent here with outstanding solos and was a taster of his input for the rest of the show.

This song also cleverly incorporated major input from the each of the band members in an extended session, without simply appearing as just more solos.

The first quarter of the show closed with an intricate instrumental version of ‘Shadow of the Hierophant’ accompanied by the sympathetic light show emphasising the delicate passages and mesmerising the audience.

Following the break, what was probably the main event for a lot of the fans was the recreation of the double live album from 1977, ‘Seconds Out’.

This neatly incorporated items from the Gabriel and Collins era and enabled the transition of Collins to a major live vocalist at the time. What followed was one and half hours of pure 70’s Genesis played as it should be.

‘Carpet Crawlers’ and ‘Lamb lies down on Broadway’ sounded as fresh today as when Gabriel sang them.

Nad Sylvan, the vocalist, stamped his authority on all these classic songs and possessed an uncanny ability to sound like either of the two Genesis vocalists, thus not upsetting the Genesis cognoscenti present.

The ballad ‘Afterglow’ recreated the famous white light display of the original album, although the undoubted highlight was ‘Supper’s Ready’, a 23 minute Opus, which brought the audience to its feet for an extended standing ovation and a broad smile from Steve, no doubt remembering past times.

I wondered if the famous Phil Collins tambourine solo in ‘I Know What I Like’ would be recreated, but maybe that was a step too far!. ’Cinema show’ closed the show with its fabulous instrumental break, impressive lights and of course mirror-balls.

An encore was demanded and the concluding tracks of the album were duly provided. ‘Dance on a Volcano’ and ‘Los Endos’ provided the natural climax and conclusion which brought the audience to its feet once more, drowning out Steve’s attempts to say goodnight.

Many of his prog audience doubtless left the Lighthouse ecstatic and with a tear in their eye at the memories recreated.