Steve Hackett - Torquay Review

It is rare these days that I go to a new town for a gig. With touring schedules in the UK generally constrained to the country's big cities, live music often takes me to many of the same places throughout the year - so much so that many of these places become extremely familiar. Occasionally, though, bands will break the monotony of the traditional gig circuit and branch out somewhat. This was once the norm, of course, as a glance at any tour poster from the 1970s or 1980s will tell you, but I am not sure that even then the Devon town of Torquay was a particular hotspot for live music. There is probably a reason for this, not least the size of the town and the distance that it is from the main road, but this did not stop me heading to Torquay last night to see the former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett bring his latest tour to the town's Princess Theatre. I am not sure that I had ever actually been to Torquay before. I have definitely driven through it, and may have been there as a child, but I have no real memories of the town itself. In truth, though, I still do not. My impressions of the town were that it had seen better days - as is typical of many seaside resorts. The era of the Torquay summer holiday is somewhat over, and was even in decline when Fawlty Towers was wowing TV audiences in the late 1970s. That being said, though, I did not exactly see all that much of it. The car park that I used had a Wetherspoons essentially built into the side of it, and that was only a short walk from the venue itself. There may be more to Torquay than meets the eye, though, but I somehow doubt it. I cannot imagine that I will be rushing back, but this is not a travel blog so I shall move on. The Princess Theatre itself, though, was quite good. Opened in the 1960s on the waterfront, the 1,500-seat theatre is probably more used to hosting the yearly panto and the odd show from various aging light entertainers - but it was a pleasant place to take in a show. It was not too big, and even from the back of the circle where I sat the view of the stage was excellent. The sound was also crystal clear throughout, which for Hackett's multi-layered sound was a blessing. The main bar also overlooked the water, too, so the views whilst waiting for the show to start were rather nice. Moving to the show itself, Hackett's current tour is the latest in his on-going series celebrating various Genesis albums. I saw him live for the first time last year, where he played the seminal live album Seconds Out in full, but this time he turned his attention to the band's fourth studio album Foxtrot. As Foxtrot was released in 1972, it is 50 this year. The tour, then, celebrated this anniversary with a full performance of the album each night. Despite Foxtrot being a bit of a classic in the Genesis canon, many of its songs have not exactly been live staples for Hackett over the years - including on his recent tours. This run of shows was a good chance to rectify that, then, and the Torquay show fell only a few dates into the lengthy UK trek.

By the time the lights went down in the theatre at 7:45pm, the place was pretty full. It was not a sell-out, and there were a few empty seats near me at the back of the hall, but there were plenty of people packed into the room to enjoy an evening of progressive rock. The fairly compact nature of the room meant that the crowd sounded really loud, too, and the atmosphere throughout was excellent as a result. As was the case last year, the show was split into two. Foxtrot filled the second half of the show, which meant that Hackett used the first set to showcase a diverse range of material from a handful of his many solo albums. Much of this set was instrumental, but Nad Sylvan (vocals), who would feature in a big way later on, came out to sing a couple of songs throughout the first set - and Hackett himself sang one. The busy, jazzy instrumental Ace of Wands kicked the night off, though, with lots of fluid soloing from Hackett himself - whilst his excellent band warmed up around him. Hackett's band for this run of shows is the same as it was last year, and there was a palpable sense of comradery among the bunch. These guys all clearly love playing with each other, and it showed. The lengthy introduction to the gothic-tinged The Devil's Cathedral, with multi-instrumentalist Rob Townsend on saxophone and Roger King on keyboards, showcased this - before Sylvan sauntered onto the stage to perform the dramatic vocal parts. This was one of the highlights of the first set as a result, but the more low key and atmospheric Spectral Mornings also impressed with its delicate nature and cutting guitar melodies. Hacketts love of jazz and a complex arrangement was on show throughout, but there were also more upbeat numbers. The hooky Every Day proved to be a lot of fun, with Sylvan again on vocals. The song has a big chorus, which the crowd enjoyed, and the driving keyboards of King showcased the song's roots in the late 1970s. Hackett then turned up the heaviness somewhat with the stomping and hard-driving A Tower Struck Down. His riffing throughout was excellent, and Townsend once again impressed with some strong saxophone melodies. The song was closed out by a jazzy bass solo from Jonas Reingold, which allowed everyone else to catch their breath a little, before the band segued into the sultry and lounge-inspired Camino Royale. This featured Hackett on vocals, showcasing his reasonable talents a singer, whilst the band whipped up a jazzy backing. Drummer Craig Blundell impressed here with some solid grooves, and the first set then came to a close with the second half of the epic Shadow of the Hierophant. The song has been a regular in Hackett's setlists for a while, and it is easy to see why as it really allows him to cut loose with the guitar - as the song is essentially one long guitar solo. This took to the evening to its interval, which saw ice cream sellers coming out of the woodwork - which felt rather strange at a rock show.

Following half an hour so the lights went down again and King stepped up behind the keyboards to play the classic mellotron intro to Watcher of the Skies. Whilst I had enjoyed the first half, and am slowly gaining an appreciation for Hackett as a solo artist, it was the Foxtrot set that had sold me the ticket. I imagine that was the case for many in attendance, too, and I think that it is fair to say that Hackett's crowds have grown since he started placing more focus on Genesis' material. In fairness, though, the reaction of the crowd throughout the first set was very enthusiastic, but the atmosphere did heighten during the second set. The whole band were on fire again, but it was during this set that Sylvan really shone. In Sylvan, Hackett has found the perfect singer. He excels at singing the old Genesis material - and has proved over the years that he is equally comfortable covering the songs of both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins. He manages to put his own spin on them, too, and his quiet thespianism is very much a big part of what makes Hackett's shows so memorable for me. He indulged a little during Watcher of the Skies, though, standing at the back of the stage with a telescope and a long coat - before effortlessly belting out the keyboard-heavy rocker. With the exception of the set's closing track, none of the other Foxtrot cuts were played on last year's tour. This meant that rarities like the piano-led Time Table were given rare airings. Time Table is an underrated Genesis track in my opinion, and it was great hearing it performed live - with King as consummate as ever behind his bank of keyboards. The energy levels were then raised by the bouncy Get 'em Out by Friday - which is possibly the most hard-rocking moment on Foxtrot. It was another showcase for King, thanks to some busy keyboard riffing, but Hackett also shone due to the song needing plenty of guitar weight. It was one that the crowd really enjoyed, too, and it received one of the largest cheers of the night. Up next was the only song on Foxtrot which has never done a huge amount for me: Can-Utility and the Coastliners. I have always found the song to be on the strange side, and seeing it live did not really change my mind. It was sung perfectly by Sylvan, though, and I am sure that plenty of people in attendance enjoyed hearing it get a rare outing. A brief moment of respite followed, as Hackett sat down with his classical guitar for the brief instrumental piece Horizons - which soon transitioned into the set's showpiece: Supper's Ready. Supper's Ready will always be a highlight of any Hackett gig, and the epic-length song was even more impressive this time than it was last year - largely as I am much more familiar with it now. The multi-part song impressed on many levels. Sylvan again impressed, especially during the vaudevillian section that follows the infamous 'A flower?' exclamation, and Townsend had lots of moments to showcase his melodic flute playing. It was a fantastic way to bring the main set to a close, and the band received a standing ovation as they left the stage. There was time for a couple more, though, and a huge cheer erupted when King started playing the intro to Firth of Fifth - which of course is centred around Hackett's huge guitar solo. The song is always a show-stopper live, and it brought the house down. The band then rounded out the evening with a medley of a couple of Hackett pieces - which ended with a snippet of Genesis' Los Endos. This jazzy instrumental closer brought the set full circle, and it capped off what had been a lengthy and enjoyable night of prog. The setlist was:

Ace of Wands

The Devil's Cathedral

Spectral Mornings

Every Day

A Tower Struck Down

Camino Royale

Shadow of the Hierophant

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Watcher of the Skies [Genesis material]

Time Table [Genesis material]

Get 'em Out by Friday [Genesis material]

Can-Utility and the Coastliners [Genesis material]

Horizons [Genesis material]

Supper's Ready [Genesis material]

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Firth of Fifth [Genesis material]

Myopia/Slogans/Los Endos [Genesis material]

If you had told me a few years ago that I would be seeing Hackett live twice within the space of a year in 2021 and 2022 I would never have believed you. I have only really been a proper Genesis fan for a couple of years, but I have been enjoying the journey - and the two Hackett shows that I have now been to have been a big part of that. I would not be surprised to see him back out next year with a new show and another Genesis album being featured, but for now I will continue to explore the band's catalogue - as well as expand my small collection of Hackett's solo albums. There is a lot of music for me to catch up on, but I am sure the journey will be worth it.