Concert Review: Steve Hackett @ The Egg (Hart Theatre), 10/10/2023

Steve Hackett likes playing The Egg. I mean, he really likes it.

Since 2010, the former Genesis guitarist has performed at the venue no fewer than six times. It only took him moments after his first song (the ebullient “Ace of Wands”) to cheerily greet the crowd and tell them how great it was to be back and to praise the theatre’s acoustics.

The feeling was mutual. A rapt capacity crowd thrilled to his music Tuesday night, frequently rising to their feet in acclaim.

Hackett’s current tour, the somewhat clunkily named “Genesis Revisited Foxtrot at Fifty plus Hackett Highlights” show, follows the template of his presentations over the past few years; an opening set of material drawn from his vast wealth of solo projects, followed by a themed set of Genesis “classics.”

This time around, he and his band are playing the 1972 album “Foxtrot” in its entirety, including songs not performed live for many years. Hackett was in the band from 1971 to 1977, during the height of their “progressive” period; ornate and original compositions filled with English whimsy, surreal humor, classical literary references, and fearsome musical chops. Musing onstage, Hackett referred to 1972–73 and the two albums recorded during that time (“Foxtrot” and “Selling England by the Pound”) as the band’s “golden age”, and few of us of a prog nerd persuasion would argue!

The first set mirrored quite closely the one he played at his most recent gig here in April of last year. “Ace of Wands” was followed by the Hammer horror-like melodrama “The Devil’s Cathedral”, Roger King’s booming church organ to the fore. Then, the heartfelt processional of “Spectral Mornings” led to the breezily melodic “Every Day,” with fine harmony vocals shared by the band. Things got way heavier with “A Tower Struck Down”, followed by a finger-twisting bass solo by the amazing Jonas Reingold ushering in a breathless and punchy “Camino Royale” (Hackett taking the lead vocals) before closing with the crushing monolithic riff of “Shadow of the Hierophant.”

You have to be a pretty good musician to navigate the twists and turns of progressive rock, and Hackett’s band are all absolute monsters. In addition to King and Reingold, there’s Rob Townsend working overtime on sax, flute, secondary keyboards, and backing vocals. On drums is the tireless Craig Blundell. And on lead vocals, featured more heavily in the second set, is Nad Sylvan. He has the unenviable task of covering Peter Gabriel’s tour de force vocal performance on the original “Foxtrot” album. Sylvan does an outstanding job, perhaps falling short of Gabriel’s intensity at times (the “666 is no longer alone” section of “Supper’s Ready,” for instance), but this is mightily difficult stuff to sing.

The second set is indeed “Foxtrot” front to back. Full disclaimer: this album (along with “Close to the Edge” by Yes) changed the way I thought about music and my previous notions of what a “rock” band was capable of. It is near and dear to my heart to this day, and when the epic and foreboding mellotron introduction of “Watcher of the Skies” kicked in, I was transported back to 1972. Goosebumps. The rest of side one is, as mentioned, rarely played but was spectacular, nonetheless. The seemingly ageless Hackett, clad in black, standing center stage, poured forth his iconic and fluid guitar lines, shredding, hammering on, blazing away, but never sacrificing melody, never succumbing to empty flash.

He was clearly having a blast, smiling at his bandmates and occasionally throwing in extra licks, slides and power chords. The culmination of the “Foxtrot” album is, of course, the multi-part magnum opus that is “Supper’s Ready,” and this astonishing 23-minute piece was played to perfection.

“Follow that!” I thought as the last triumphant notes faded, but they actually managed to do so, starting a 20-minute encore with the sublime “Firth of Fifth” (from “Selling England by the Pound.”)

Hackett’s impossibly emotive solo in this track may not be the best guitar solo in progressive rock, but it’s certainly in the top one!

Blundell then produced a thunderous drum solo leading into the traditional Genesis show closer “Los Endos”, incorporating snatches of the Hackett instrumental “Slogans.”

Playing this wonderful music with grace and energy, Steve Hackett proudly honors the legacy of his time in Genesis, and long may he continue to do so—an absolute joy.

Set 1: “Hackett Highlights”  

• Ace of Wands
• The Devil’s Cathedral
• Spectral Mornings
• Every Day
• A Tower Struck Down
• Bass solo
• Camino Royale
• Shadow of the Hierophant 

Set 2: “Foxtrot at Fifty”

• Watcher of the Skies
• Time Table
• Get ‘em Out by Friday
• Can-Utility and the Coastliners
• Horizons
• Supper’s Ready

Encores:

• Firth of Fifth
• Drum solo
• Los Endos (including Slogans)

Photos by Timothy H Raab