Steve Hackett comes to Guildford's G Live this October, so Martin Hutchinson chats with the former Genesis lead guitarist about 45 years of music
In October 1975, Steve Hackett became the first member of Genesis to release a solo album – Voyage of the Acolyte, considered by many to be a "lost" Genesis album, which introduced the guitarist to the freedom of flying solo.
40 years later, he's celebrating the anniversary with a nationwide tour, following on the heels of his latest album Wolflight. It's not just about the new music, though – this tour covers everything from his first meeting with Genesis as a fresh-faced 20-year-old, to his long and successful solo years, all the way through to the modern day.
The tour's name – Acolyte to Wolflight with Genesis Revisited – may be a mouthful, but it's apt one. It's essentially a 'Best of Steve Hackett' evening.
"I think that’s a very good way of putting it." Steve tells me. "It's a show of two halves – solo and Genesis, right from the very early years. I’ll be cherry picking pieces from my entire career, including a few from my new album Wolflight."
"It's difficult to pick which songs to do, really, because I can't do everything. I hope to do the title track, Out of the Body, but I'd also like to do Wheels Turning, or Love Song to a Vampire and Loving Sea."
"Of course, the old stuff is just as hard to choose – some of these songs I haven't done live in a long time. Some of them I haven't done at all! I've been asked for tracks like The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Cinema Show, or Get 'em out by Friday. Everyone's got their own favourites."
"There’ll be some surprises, anyway. I don’t like to be always doing the same thing – I’m not the kind of person who would go out and just do hits." He pauses. "Although it is always great to have a hit record!"
Steve waxes lyrical about the great band he'll have on this tour, but surely he doesn't need a band for the solo songs?
"Well, even with my solo work, there's always a team. I've worked with some really special talents, and I'm a real fan of the people I work with! I have to be."
One such co-artist was Chris Squire, bassist and founding member of Yes, who passed away earlier this year.
"Chris was a great bassist", Steve muses. "He never played the bass guitar like a bass. He played it more like a lead guitar. We made a album together a couple of years ago, under the name Squackett. I'm still very proud of that."
Gene Steinman
Steve Hackett (right) with Nad Sylvan
Steve’s guitar work is famous for incorporating many styles, but what were his influences?
"Well, in the early days, my father played a number of instruments and got me playing guitar and harmonica. Then as I got older, I bought every Shadows record going. I also liked The Beatles and The Rolling Stones – by the age of 12 I was an avid radio listener."
"When you’re hungry for music, you tend to have a different way of listening", he explains. "I took it all in. I became interested in The Blues, then I heard the album Segovia Plays Bach and I thought it was a miracle how the guitar could be played like that."
Rock, blues, classical music?
"Basically, that's my advice", he laughs. "Listen to everything, and like everything!"
The Acolyte to Wolflight with Genesis Revisited tour is at G Live on October 6
We're also offering online readers a chance to win a copy of Steve's latest album, Wolflight
