I Know What I Like (Steve Hackett, Hexagon, Reading, 16th November 2019)

Last time I saw Genesis - at Knebworth in 1978 - Steve Hackett had already left the band and they'd just released the aptly titled, 'And Then There Were Three'. 

Looking back at the albums Genesis released after Steve Hackett left  - and I include 'And Then There Were Three' in that number - it's clear that, whatever the song credits may suggest, he had a big influence on the sound and songwriting and his departure coincided with the end of my interest in their albums.  I'd go further and say, lyrically at least, losing Peter Gabriel also negatively affected the songwriting, though that's one for another day...

From Hillage to Hackett in twenty-four hours - and, after the magnificence of Gong and Steve Hillage's performance in Aylesbury the previous night, this was going to have to be good, though several sources had suggested we'd not be disappointed.

Friends met, drinks in hand, we took to our seats in the circle, front row and stage centre, and, at a few minutes after 7:30pm, the band came out on stage, and went straight into 'Every Day', the opening track from 'Spectral Mornings'.

Any doubts were immediately dispelled as Steve, and the band, were clearly on top form, not so surprising given this was the 11th date on the UK leg of the tour, and something like the 74th date of the year!

It's a six-piece band, including Steve, most of whom play several instruments and all of whom, apart from Roger King on keyboards, sing, too. Every member of the band deserves a mention, so here they all are...

Steve Hackett - Guitar & vocals

Nad Sylvan - Vocals

Roger King - Keyboards

Rob Townsend - Sax, flute, percussion & keys & vocals

Jonas Reingold - Bass guitar, twelve string & vocals

Craig Blundell - Drums & vocals

After the opening number, Steve explained the format of the evening: the gig would be split into two, the first half covering 'Spectral Mornings' and this year's solo album 'At the Edge of Light', the second half being 'Selling England By The Pound' in full, with a couple more Genesis numbers thrown in. He suggested it would be a three hour performance including intermission.

After a heart-stopping 'Every Day' - the closing three minutes a breakneck guitar workout - three songs from this year's solo album, followed. As you'll see from the setlist, the remainder of the first half comprised songs from 'Spectral Mornings'.

Two songs stood out: Steve swapped electric guitar for 12-string for a sublime rendition of 'The Virgin and The Gypsy', which had the most beautiful vocal harmonies - it's a already a song I find mysteriously moving - but live with everyone singing harmony vocals, it brought tears to my eyes.  The other was an almost equally moving performance of the title track from the album which I find inexplicably moving and, if you'll pardon the pun, haunting.

Closing the first half with 'Clocks - The Angel of Mons', it was time to meet up again and grab another drink before the second half and 'Selling England By The Pound'.

We returned to our seats with minutes to spare and as the lights were dimmed, the band took to the stage, with Nad Sylvan sporting a hat, red jacket and tambourine ready to take on the Peter Gabriel role...

Take on the Peter Gabriel role? Wow! If you shut your eyes and just listened you would think it was Genesis playing and that Peter Gabriel had rejoined the band. Nad's voice and phrasing was so similar to Peter Gabrlel's and he even managed to sound like Phil Collins on 'More Fool Me', which Collins sings on the album. 

There's nothing much I can say about the album because it's arguably the band's best album (for me 'Lamb Lies Down On Broadway' vies for that honour, through sheer weirdness, but hey - that's just me).  'Dancing With The Moonlit Knight' and 'Firth of Fifth' were as magnificent as they should be.

Of course, 'I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)' was another highlight, singalong chorus and all, though this was not a straight stroll through it - live there was an extended mid-section in which Rob Townsend got to show off his sax chops.

All too soon the set came to a close after a track that was omitted from the album - 'Deja Vu' - and 'Dancing On A Volcano' from 'Trick of the Tail'. The audience wasn't going to let it end there and, after a few minutes clapping, stomping, whistlin' and hollerin', they came back on stage for an encore of 'Los Endos' from the same album.  A fitting end, as it became a standard Genesis set closer, and, if memory doesn't deceive me, was the last song played when I saw them in Knebworth back in 1978. 

Here's a YouTube playlist of the set...including some of the Steve Hackett versions...

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...and the same ones - but maybe different versions - on Spotify...

...if you've not seem him live, get to a gig, you won't be disappointed...