•
Rating: When in adolescence the passion for a band, an artist, an album, or more generally for music starts to solidify and cement between heart and brain, the hope is always to share emotions with those who generated that passion. The concert is sharing, it is the moment when the parts manage to enact that moment of give and take, which does not end with the last encore, but remains inside as a lived life experience. Some authors recognize themselves very much in this two-way relationship between those on stage and those in the audience and manage to get in sync in a corporeal manner, such that every applause, every shout becomes the umbilical cord of a productive union of the two parts, in a whole of almost familial confidence.
Steve Hackett at the time of Genesis, whether due to his own shyness or the overpowering nature of others, has always been a secondary figure to whom solo and prominent parts were granted with great caution, parts that would then turn out to be irreparably sublime, even if composed - often - of few notes. He already demonstrated his tremendous composing abilities in 1975 with "Voyage Of The Acolyte", and then throughout his career especially with entirely acoustic works.
Then in 1977, when Hackett decided to embark on a solo career, unlike the other members, he never denied the past and for over thirty years has always presented concerts with various selections from the Genesis material of various eras.
Currently, Steve Hackett is touring the world once more, and given the past, he cannot, must not, refrain from touching Italy with a few dates. The Hackett concert crowd is always the same, everyone knows each other, greets each other, and exchanges looks that mean: "We are here once again", all friends, just as Hackett himself teaches and demonstrates in the post-concert contact where he lends himself to photos, autographs, questions, chats about the future, etc. And when you find yourself face-to-face asking him how the evening seemed to him, you thank him for what he has been able to give to the fans and you see that smile that opens from his heart, you understand that it doesn't matter that he is Steve Hackett, that he wrote those pages of rare beauty that we know, that he is one of the few progressive stars who still, with coherence, knows how to carry on with a discourse, constantly renewing himself, what matters is that you are there and you are shaking hands with a friend, who is making your heart beat fast.
Savona is 240 Km away, but I know it well: for us northerners, vacations are often spent in those parts and a trip for Steve is a pleasure, especially in a land that is 50% mine. I believe the location is among the most beautiful ever seen the Priamar Fortress, with over three thousand years of history behind it and a Piazza d'Armi with phenomenal acoustics where to set the stage perfectly.
Then there is also the concert, yes. Two hours of continuous emotions: a whirlwind of pieces retracing a unique career for coherence and seriousness, dwelling on peak moments of albums like "Out Of The Tunnel Mouth", "Spectral Mornings", "Defector" and, of course, the cited "Voyage Of The Acolyte" and a series of tracks from the Genesis period.
And it is precisely these last ones that most excite and thrill the audience: "Firth Of Fifth", with its mythical solo, "Fly On A Windshield", "Blood On The Rooftops" with its memorable and perfect arpeggio, "Los Endos" in an overloaded and strange version like never before, palpable magic, tension and excitement in a primordial state. The versions of all the songs take on new aspects, thanks also to the excellent wind player Rob Townsend, with his clearly jazz-like incursions and the bassist Nick Beggs, acrobatic and phenomenal with his constant changes between the old Rickembacker and Fender and the more modern Chapman Stick. Noteworthy is his Viking-inspired outfit, with platinum blonde braids that misled more than one in the back rows who inadvertently shouted: "Well done!". Between the pieces Hackett attempts a little Italian, the good intention definitely surpassing the result, but from the first rows someone tells him to continue in English that's fine anyway, his southern English is very clear. The band is very cohesive, in the choral parts with up to four elements, the harmonic fusion is optimal and even if there's no Gabriel or Collins for the solo voice, even the historical parts have their good performance and a certain sense of continuity. Among the solo career pieces, the excellent performances of "The Steppes" the phenomenal and intricate "Slogans" a very tense and dynamic "Spectral Morning" stand out, where, once again the band demonstrates its skill. Obvious mention also for the keyboardist Roger King, with the leader for years, and for the drummer and solo voice Gary O'Toole reckless and a bit of a clown, but endowed with good technique, completes the band Amanda Lehmann, blonde and pretty, who takes care of guitars and choruses.
An evening to remember, for a few days I will still be on the coast and will meet some friends met at the concert, this is the nicest aspect, but Hackett's concert, as always, leaves me with a feeling of pleasant and positive nostalgia with emotions that intertwine and expand for a long time. I'd like to follow him on other tour dates, maybe... who knows.
Loading comments slowly
