Steve Hackett: Genesis Extended

Incendiary guitar cuts through the thick waves of mellotron while sinuously muscular bass wraps itself around multiple time signatures … yes, it’s ’70s prog rock. But wait a minute, these aren’t po-faced musos, they’re actually having fun. This show isn’t about ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett re-living former glories, or even reminding the audience how innovative and beautifully melodic a player he was (and still is), but about celebrating a hugely influential band. And loving it. If pieces such as ‘Fountain of Salmacis’ stun with their power, ambition and freshness now, just imagine how they must have sounded forty years ago.

Brighton Centre, 22 October 2014

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