Steve Hackett To Perform Genesis’s Selling England Album in Full on 2019 Tour
by Northern Life
Steve Hackett, guitarist in the classic Genesis line-up of the 1970s, is back on the road in November and many of the shows in his 20-date UK tour have already sold out. Across the North Steve is appearing in Sheffield, Liverpool, York, Halifax and Gateshead.
For the first time, Steve and his band will perform the seminal 1973 Genesis album Selling England By The Pound in its entirety. This album has been described as the definitive Genesis album and includes firm favourites Dancing With The Moonlit Knight, Firth of Fifth, Cinema Show and, of course, I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe).
“I’m thrilled to be performing the whole of my favourite Genesis album, Selling England By The Pound,” says Steve. “I felt that I was playing guitar in the world’s best band, and everything was opening up for us.”
Indeed it was and the album peaked at number 3 in the charts while I Know What I Like gave the band their first hit single introducing them to a wider audience. Selling England was Steve’s third album with Genesis, alongside Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins, and was, by then, a very strong working unit.
“I was very lucky to have joined a terrific band,” Steve reflected, “and, as everyone worked together, it became stronger. We were allowed to influence each other and something filtered. We were bound to be affected by each other and it was wonderful to watch everyone’s individual development. To be in a band where you happen to be a fan of all the ideas that the other guys are bringing in to it, that was thrilling. To contribute to it, as well, that was something else, so I’ve got many happy memories.”
Steve’s intricate guitar work, which would become such an integral part of the Genesis sound over those years, featured heavily from the outset, very much to the fore on The Musical Box, opening track on Steve’s debut Genesis album Nursery Cryme (1971). His solo track Horizons (Foxtrot, 1972) became a signature piece whilst his guitar solo on Firth of Fifth was one of the highlights of Selling England.
This year also marks the 40th anniversary of one of Steve’s most popular solo albums Spectral Mornings and Steve will celebrate this by performing some of the album’s highlights. There will also be other classic tracks from both Steve’s time with Genesis and his extensive solo catalogue.
At The Edge Of Light, released in January, was Steve’s 25th studio album, and made the top 30 in the album chart, while he is also about to release a 2CD + Blu-Ray digipak titled Genesis Revisited Band & Orchestra: Live at the Royal Festival Hall on 25th October 2019 via InsideOutMusic.
Genesis Revisited was recorded at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Steve’s 2018 Genesis Revisited Tour which fulfilled his long-held ambition to perform Genesis’ material with a live orchestra. Steve and his band were augmented by the 41-piece Heart Of England Orchestra conducted by Bradley Thachuk.
The addition of the orchestra added an extra dimension and colour to the intricate arrangements which characterised Genesis’s music. This live CD is a marvellous souvenir for those lucky enough to have seen the tour and essential to the collection of everyone who loves the music of Genesis and Steve Hackett
“It was a fantastic experience for both the band and myself to play alongside an orchestra and to feel the power of the sound this extraordinary combo created,” he said.
Steve Hackett’s 2019 UK tour will visit the following venues
Tue 5 November: Sheffield City Hall
Mon 11 November: Liverpool Philharmonic Hall SOLD OUT
Tue 19 November: York Barbican
Fri 22 November: Halifax Victoria Theatre
Sat 23 November: Gateshead The Sage SOLD OUT
For more information please visit https://myticket.co.uk/ and venue box offices.
