Legendary guitarist Steve Hackett performed and wrote with Genesis from 1971 until 1977. Having penned so many of the classic Genesis songs of the era, Steve and his band put together the brilliant Genesis Revisited II tour, album and DVD in 2012 and 2013.
I was privileged to be at The Hammersmith Apollo concert in May 2013 for the filming of the DVD, with special guest appearances including Nik Kershaw, John Wetton, Jakko Jakszyk, Steve Rothery and Amanda Lehmann. What an extraordinary concert it was and I can certainly recommend the DVD, not just to Genesis and Hackett fans, but to all music lovers!
The tour has been critically acclaimed across the world, continuing to sell out venues and receiving rapturous applause from spellbound audiences. Genesis Revisited II deservedly won the Best Live Event category at the The Progressive Music Awards 2013. With such high demand for tickets the tour has been extended this year.
Steve Hackett – Guitars and Vocals
On Monday the 3rd of November, the tour buses rolled into Guildford, once the home town for the original members of Genesis, to perform to yet another sold out concert at G Live. The venue started life as The Guildford Civic Hall in 1962, playing host to some of the worlds’ musical greats including The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Eric Clapton and later in the 1990’s The Prodigy and The Levellers.
Rob Townsend – Sax, Flute and Percussion
It surprised me to discover that Genesis only ever performed at the Civic once, in 1980 for The Duke Tour. This, of course, was post Hackett, although the band had performed at the nearby University of Surrey in January 1972 for the Nursery Crime Tour. It was later in that same year that Peter Gabriel first donned one of his infamous costumes during the Dublin concert of the Foxtrot tour.
Nick Beggs – Bass Guitar and Chapman Stick
It was wonderful to see and hear Steve’s band perform together in the intimate setting of G Live. There’s something about the venue that has always brought audience and performers closer together than the size of the hall would suggest possible. This was remarked upon by all the band members after the show. I do hope that they will return to Guildford again with more of Steve Hackett’s great music! Steve has performed and recorded with Roger King, Rob Townsend, Gary O’Toole and Nick Beggs for many years now. Keyboard player, Roger King, mixed and recorded the first Genesis Revisited album in 1996.
Roger King – Keyboards
Vocalist, Nad Sylvan joined the band for the Genesis Revisited II tour in 2012. I was hugely impressed by this theatrical, Swedish singer when I saw the band perform at The Hammersmith Apollo last year. He is most certainly an inspirational part of the band. I wonder how hard it will be for them all to end this tour together! Nad first caught Steve’s attention performing on the Unifaun album; a piece of original music inspired by 1970’s era Genesis. His voice resonates a mix of both Gabriel and Collins, while his dramatic performance is so reminiscent of Gabriel’s love of story-telling.
Nad Sylvan – Vocals
The highlight of these concerts, for me, has been hearing Supper’s Ready performed live. I get Butterflies and Flutterbyes whenever I listen to this track from the Foxtrot album, but experiencing it live is pure magic! Blood On The Rooftops is another treat, sending shivers down my spine as the acoustic intro sweeps into harmonious vocals and tender saxophone arrangements. This is one of the few times that we get to see drummer, Gary O’Toole, as he rises behind his drums to serenade us just as co-writer, Phil Collins, would have done in years past.
Gary O’Toole – Drums, Percussion and Vocals
Genesis really brought the concept of stage-lighting to a new level, setting the scene for the future, in partnership with Vari-Lite. The lighting for this tour has been quite exceptional and is so exciting for me as a photographer! I hope that my galleries convey some of the nuances of the music, the drama of performance and the camaraderie of this brilliant band.
Taking One Day At A Time 