This new blog post is more or less a sequel to the last one about Phil Collins’s first ever solo gig. Steve Hackett started his solo career a few years before his former Genesis collegue, and he did his first tour after the release of his second album ‘Please Don’t Touch’.
I sometimes stumble upon references to Genesis (related) concerts from a distant past. It’s interesting finding an old ad or newspaper article about a gig that most people have forgotten about. Even better is to purchase an old ticket to an unsignificant gig from the early days, although that doesn’t happen very often.
This time, I purchased a rather detailed lot of Genesis cassette tapes containing radio interviews, bootlegs and broadcast recordings. A few Steve Hackett tapes were included, like audience recordings from The Vereeniging in Nijmegen, November 1980, The Royal Theatre Carre in Amsterdam, August 1981 and The Congresgebouw in The Hague, September 1981. Amongst these tapes was also a recording from Hackett’s first ever Dutch concert at The Congresgebouw from October 19th 1978. Listening to it, it all sounds very fresh to my ears. Hackett was 28 by then, full of energy and wicked stories, trying hard to shake off his old feathers and to establish his name as a solo artist.
I found three reviews of the concert, one of which was not fully printed. The reviews are very mixed, going from ‘Hackett – A technical miracle’ to ‘…spruced up so as not to drift off to sleep’. One review, from newspaper Trouw, was even harsh: “His music can best be compared with cheap and hideous wallpaper.” The acoustic set in the middle of the concert was received with a more journalistic subtleness, even so was the stage production Hackett had invested in. All things considered, the critics weren’t convinced that Steve Hackett could make it on his own as a solo artist. As is turned out, he proved them wrong.
For his first solo tour Steve Hackett put a solid band toghether consisiting of Pete Hicks (vocals), Dik Cadbury (bass), Nick Magnus (keyboards), John Shearer (drums) and his brother John (flute). Hackett and his band played a good mixture of ‘Voyage’ and ‘Touch’ and (only?) two Genesis classics. The concert at The Congresgebouw in The Hague is listed on the back of the Dutch version of the ‘Narnia’ 7inch single. I’ve been looking for a ticket of the show for a few years now, but I haven’t been very succesful yet in my quest.
The full setlist of that evening is as follows: Land Of A Thousand Autumns/Please Don’t Touch/Racing in A/Carry On Up The Vicarage/Ace Of Wands/Hands Of The Priestess/Icarus Ascending/Narnia/Blood On The Rooftops (part)/Horizons/Kim/Optigan (The Machine)/A Tower Struck Down/Spectral Mornings/Star Of Sirius/Shadow Of The Hierophant/Clocks/I Know What I Like.
Steve Hackett surprised the Dutch audience with two new tracks called ‘Spectral Mornings’ and ‘Clocks’. His next album was already in the making. When you look for the setlist online ‘I Know What I Like’ isn’t mentioned. The review of NRC Handelsblad says that IKWIL was played as an encore. It is on my bootleg tape and so it definitely ended the concert, lifting the spirits of the audience, just before everyone returned home.