Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and his band are about to go on tour playing the Genesis album Foxtrot in its entirety along with other Genesis tracks and songs from Steve’s solo career. Ahead of the tour I spoke to Steve about the new album Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out and his forthcoming tour which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Genesis album Foxtrot.
Can you tell me a little bit more about the new live album Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out and More?
“I tend to record most of the live shows that I do but the one we recorded at the Apollo in Manchester on our UK tour last autumn came out very well so we decided to put it out for the fans to hear. What was quite unusual was that Genesis were actually playing in Manchester at the arena that particular evening, just up the road from the Apollo.
“We are looking forward to coming back to Yorkshire on the current tour, York in particular – I once saw a ghost in York, I was with the guys from the group Mostly Autumn and we were outside their house and there he was – this ghostly figure!”
Spontaneous applause and incredible warmth from fans
Were you surprised at the warm welcome you received on the last tour?
“We had some really good audiences that warmed to what we were doing but we were amazed at how well we were received on the last tour in the UK. We played some shows in Italy recently and at the end of each song they did this spontaneous applause that only Italians do. Generally though, audiences have tended to be more appreciative and receptive since the Covid lockdown.”
Do you like going out on tour?
“We get to play some incredible places, for instance we recently played at the old Greek theatre in Taormina, if you have ever been you will know what a great sight it is with Mount Etna as a backdrop, lots of artists have performed there including Bob Dylan and Elton John. We had a good look around the town but it was so hot during the day, being able to play in these beautiful places and receiving the warmth back from the fans is incredible.”
Keeping the legacy of Genesis alive
What motivates you to keep on playing and recording?
“I love playing music and revisiting old albums as they make peoples dreams come alive again as a lot of our audiences grew up listening to the albums plus it is a challenge to myself to come up with the goods, it keeps me motivated to keep getting better, it is like the internal schoolmaster in me telling me to keep improving.”
Do you ever keep in touch with the other members of Genesis?
“Not so much, Tony Banks commented to me that I was keeping the legacy of Genesis alive, prior to the current lineup that have just been out on tour. I suppose this is true really as there is a lot of music to be discovered by younger members of our audience which come along to see the shows.”
Your last album Under a Mediterranean Sky had a classical musical influence, what was the idea behind that?
“The title of the album says it all really. I actually recorded the album when we all went into lockdown. My wife suggested I made an album on a Mediterranean theme, taking people on a virtual tour through the Med as they could not actually travel there due to all the restrictions and travel closing down. I had a wonderful time making the album.”
Foxtrot: all about the songs and there are some damn good ones in there
The current tour features the Genesis album Foxtrot, would you agree that it is a very diverse album?
“It is but I like to think that diversity should not be a criticism. It is possible for artists to be versatile – if you think back to The Beatles and how they reinvented themselves so many times.
“If you listen to Foxtrot you will not hear a hit single at all on the album, there are so many influences on the album from science fiction to social commentary – there is a lot to it and there are a lot of contradictions in there but really it is all about the songs and there are some damn good ones in there. For the tour I have had to learn a lot of the guitar parts again, I kept rehearsing them every spare moment I got.
“The band and I are all looking forward to getting back out on tour and of course coming back to Yorkshire.”
Steve Hackett, Genesis Revisited: Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights:
20 September – Hull City Hall
24 September – York Barbican
30 September – Sheffield City Hall
