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Taken from Evening Express (Oct 16, 2015)
Guitarist Steve Hackett open to Genesis reunion
by Sean Wallace
Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett was playing at Aberdeen’s Music Hall on Friday |
GUITARIST Steve Hackett has revealed he is open to playing with prog rock legends Genesis again if the band ever reforms.
There has been mounting speculation the 70s rockers could play together again.
The 65-year-old Hackett was part of the legendary line-up alongside Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel.
His guitar parts are fundamental to Genesis’ influential albums like Nursery Cryme and the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.
Hackett will headline the Music Hall tonight to recreate those halcyon Genesis years and also perform solo material.
And he admits to a yearning for Genesis, who met up briefly for a 2014 documentary, to take to the stage together again.
He said: "I would be open for a Genesis reunion.
"The fact that I honour the Genesis material and carry the candle for the band shows I would say yes to playing together again.
"However you have to remember there has been an awfully long time waiting for that.
"I was part of that golden period of Genesis when Peter Gabriel was involved and I am still drawn to that music.
"A lot of people who went on to become leaders in their field were involved in those early efforts.
"Genesis were different from most progressive bands as we were not driven by technique.
"It was a bit ramshackle at times and we deliberately allowed it to breathe."
Genesis pictured in their heyday |
Hackett has re-invented many of the prog legends classics with his Genesis revisited albums and tours.
At the Music Hall show, which will have surround sound, he will play some Genesis songs for the first time in nearly four decades. He said: "I have not played some of the songs since those very early days.
"Songs like since Can-Utility and The Coastliners from Foxtrot as well as Get Em Out By Friday from the same album.
"We also play songs such as The Cinema Show from Selling England By The Pound.
"The flame of those early seventies years have been rekindled."
Hackett joined Genesis in 1970 and recorded seven studio albums before leaving in 1977.
Peter Gabriel has enjoyed solo success |
Front-man Peter Gabriel had already left two years earlier to pursue a solo career. He said: "Playing these songs does rekindle memories of when and where we recorded them.
"Although I was involved in writing them I still have to break them down to reacquaint myself. The best way I have found is to re-record songs and in some cases add orchestra.
"So many of that early Genesis stuff was orchestral in spirit so it is fantastic to re-record them in that way."
Hackett may be keeping the Genesis flame burning on stage but he also has a successful solo career that he will play songs from.
Latest album Wolflight is out now and the tour is also a celebration of the 40th anniversary of his influential debut album Voyage to the Acolyte.
Such is the scope of his solo career, Hackett has a 14-disc retrospective out now Premonitions – The Charisma Recordings. As an artist you can be in danger if all you do is retrospective and keeping the door of the museum open with Genesis stuff," he said.
"Genesis music offers financial security and it fills ocean liners full of people, literally as I have done the odd cruise with this stuff.
"However I always want to keep recording new music and stay vital.
"I want people to be aware that there is a Genesis afterlife."
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