Genesis Guitarist Is ‘Coming Home’
Ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett is set to play Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, and the musician is calling it something of a home coming.
Friars Aylesbury are bringing Rock legend Steve Hackett back to the town where he first played with Genesis in 1971 at Friars Aylesbury.
His link with the area carried on long after that, as he performed twice with Genesis in 1972 and alone in 1978.
Steve, speaking to the Advertiser, said: “We always had a great link with Aylesbury, it was the place we’d be guaranteed a full house before we were really well known. It’d be nice to come back even if it’s a different venue.”
Steve is already on tour, living out of a suitcase, which he says is something he’s used to now – though you’d be mistaken if you thought he still lives a rock’n’roll lifestyle.
“I’m alarmingly sensible now, I don’t go out drinking and smoking,” he said. “In my Genesis days I used to play hungover and I’d be tired. I gave it all up when I was about 30. I think it’s good to give up when you’re young as you’ve got time to claw back from the brink. It’s actually better now, I’ve never had so much energy. I’ve definitely got more than when I was in my twenties.”
He adds: “I know people want to hear about my excess and rock’n’roll lifestyle but it’s not true anymore.”
Steve continues to tour just as extensively as before, he’s been around Europe and says he’s on the go most of the year.
“I live out of my suitcase, it’s a bit of a circus,” he said. “I’m like a gypsy we don’t really have a set place. We have our home, but we’re always out. “My wife is a good companion on the road though. She’s into history so we look up the information about a place before we get there.”
Steve’s latest performance at Waterside will focus on Genesis’ back catalogue, despite Steve leaving the band in 1977. The set list includes songs taken from the albums Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, A Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering.
He said: “People still remember our songs and we’ve had a real calling for me to do this. I’ve got my own material which I’ve already toured, but this is more a nostalgic look back at Genesis’ material.”
While Genesis and Steve are known for their rock offerings, he adds he is willing to try most music.
“I just put the radio on and see what I find,” he said. “Whether that’s chant, or Indian music opera or pop. I can listen to absolutely anything. anything can influence or inspire me. It comes from the fifties when we’d listen to the radio and there was only once choice so it’d switch between the genres. Now people have one station and don’t get such a mix. We’d go from Bach to Blues.”
Steve joined Genesis after replying to an advert, he’d been looking for a band for awhile. “I just came across it. I’d been looking and trying for years but this one worked. I did odd jobs while I worked on my music. I think work helps though, it broadens your horizons and gave me stuff to write about. I delivered papers, did surveyor work, you name it I’ve done it.”
He said the result was a ‘wacky, idiosyncractic, quintessentially English Victoriana’ sound which has gone on to be synonymous with Genesis’ music.
Steve said: “I like that we had that time in music, we tend to get more pop in the charts now and reality shows. The charts were more honest back then the big names didn’t have that monopoly. It’s healthier.”
Though he says there are some positives.
“Now it’s easier to get your music out there with the internet and you can publish your own music, or even books. It’s great for artists.”
He adds: “While music has moved on I think people still want this kind of music, and we’ve had great reactions to the show so far. I’m looking forward to getting back to Aylesbury.”