St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Sat 10 Oct
I’d forgotten about Steve Hackett. He left Genesis in 1977 and, to be honest, I wasn’t a Genesis fan. So I took my seat in St David’s Hall not knowing what to expect from the Acolyte to Wolflight with Genesis Revisited gig.
Hackett gave his commiserations for Wales’s rugby defeat earlier and announced that this would be a gig of two halves – the new and the old – then launched into his solo material with the help of Roger King on keyboards, Gary O’Toole (whose solo tore the roof off) on drums, Swedish composer Roine Stolt on guitar and bass, and Rob Townsend on saxophone and flute. There are musos and there are musicians and it was evident, immediately, that the four guys on stage were the best of the best. Hackett’s guitar didn’t just sing, it spoke different languages and made sounds that I wouldn’t have thought possible with only six strings.
A few numbers in and Agents Of Mercy’s Nad Sylvan appeared, to sing the vocal on Icarus Ascending. Nad’s quirky style is a perfect fit for the ensemble and his voice blended seamlessly with the music without being too Gabriel-esque. There were songs I recognised the titles of – Firth Of Fifth, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, The Cinema Show – songs that were presented to me in a new light and all the more encompassing for being in surround sound. But the climax of the show had to be the eleven captivating and rousing minutes of The Musical Box. This was heavy rock; this was classical; this was heavy classical: this was progressive rock at its grandest – and I was sold. At three hours long this was a lengthy gig, yet it was too short: the music was mesmerising, the musicianship world class and I didn’t want it to end.
words LYNDA NASH photos GARETH GRIFFITHS