STEVE HACKETT - Seconds Out & More UK Tour 2021 - who's going?

  • A Superb gig. Nad in particular was outstanding.....

    Very pleased to hear this as Nad really has been the weakest link in the band for years and the vocals in the video snippet of their Squonk rehearsal sounded terrible.


    Hope he nails it again at the Palladium next week!

  • Par for the course for him now. Do a new album, then play a couple of tracks from it on tour in a show otherwise comprising a Genesis album and a handful of his own old stuff.


    It smacks of having no conviction in his own new material but most fans probably don't care. The shows are popular and I don't begrudge him or the fans that but I do think it's a shame in some ways.

    I think it has less to do with him having “no conviction in his own new material” and more to do with the fact that Second’s Out takes up the majority of the set. TBH I have mixed feelings on the second’s out tour. On the one hand I missed his initial Genesis Revisited tours so I’m looking forward to seeing him in the states next year. On the other hand I would prefer more of his solo material... or at least if he were to do mostly Genesis stuff I’d rather he didn’t follow the order of Second’s Out. Imo Second’s Out has a terrible flow due to the space limitations of vinyl. I find afterglow by itself to be particularly egregious as I feel the songs works best being transitioned into. I would prefer a set where he plays all the songs from Second’s Out but changes the order to flow better. This would be my ideal set for the tour:


    Squonk

    Carpet Crawlers

    Every Day

    Held In The Shadows

    Robbery, Assault and Battery

    Cinema Show

    The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

    The Musical Box

    Shadow of the Hierophant (instrumental)


    The Air Conditioned Nightmare (to celebrate Cured’s anniversary)

    Afterglow

    I Know What I Like

    The Devil’s Cathedral

    Firth of Fifth

    Supper’s Ready


    Dance On A Volcano

    Los Endos (w/ Myopia intro + Slogans interlude)

  • Imo Second’s Out has a terrible flow due to the space limitations of vinyl. I find afterglow by itself to be particularly egregious as I feel the songs works best being transitioned into.....


    Good point, but at least it's not as bad as 'The Way We Walk - The Longs' where they have the drum duet on its own at the end, not leading into anything at all :rolleyes:

    • Official Post

    Amanda Lehmann joined the band in Cambridge and will also be on stage in London and Manchester.

    Photo taken from her Facebook site


  • Seconds Out has terrible flow because it's got noting to do with the W&W setlist flow (excluding Cinema show form the '76 tour for now). It would have been better as a triple live album since nearly all of W&W was played at some point during the tour. As someone who saw that tour, Seconds Out doesn't do it for me. It sounds "thin" and Genesis live was a monster by this point (loud and booming).

  • Very pleased to hear this as Nad really has been the weakest link in the band for years and the vocals in the video snippet of their Squonk rehearsal sounded terrible.


    Hope he nails it again at the Palladium next week!

    Sorry, Nad - I did you a disservice! Yesterday's vocals weren't bad at all :)


    In fact, it was a fantastic performance across the board by the whole band:thumbup:

  • I think it has less to do with him having “no conviction in his own new material” and more to do with the fact that Second’s Out takes up the majority of the set.

    But if he had that confidence in his new stuff he'd tour it properly, he wouldn't choose to do a token couple of tracks and get them hurriedly out of the way before focusing on an entire 44-year old album by his old band.

    Abandon all reason

  • But if he had that confidence in his new stuff he'd tour it properly, he wouldn't choose to do a token couple of tracks and get them hurriedly out of the way before focusing on an entire 44-year old album by his old band.

    This topic always seems to come up and I empathize with the various realities that Steve might be juggling. On the one hand, playing Genesis has become his meal ticket. Less cynically, I actually think that he senses some responsibility in carrying the prog torch forward with this material which is admirable since no one else is doing it. On the other hand, I really like a lot of his solo stuff. I was fortunate to see him on some of his earlier tours (in '80 and '81) and those shows were fantastic. He did thrown in the occasional Genesis bit but it was 5-10 minutes in a 2+ hour show. I'd personally see him again if he decided to solely focus on the solo stuff (he did do Spectral mornings not that long ago) but he is in a "bind" at this point, I suspect, having done these Genesis tours for so many years now. Robert Plant was kind of in the same situation. On his first few tours, he absolutely refused to play any Led Zeppelin. Then, on the Now & Zen tour, the floodgates opened and these became staples of his live shows, albeit in very bizarre forms in recent shows.

  • I can see arguments on both sides but it’s up to him and good luck to him. I would like to see a bit more of his solo stuff live but then I like to see him do Genesis and he’s perfectly entitled to, as Ringo and Paul are with Beatles material. I think 50/50 would suit me and -Seconds out tour aside- I think he does for about 60/40. I’m just glad he’s still playing and creating new music as well as revisiting the old classics. The ratio is down to logistics and the type of show he needs to finance as well as top flight musicians to pay etc so the more of anything he does the better as far as I’m concerned

  • Yes I've never begrudged him doing these Genesis-focused shows, nor fans for enjoying them. I totally get why he does them and why fans like them, and of course he has every right to do them. I share the 'good luck to him' sentiment. I even went to 2 or 3 of them but decided to bail after the W&W one for various reasons I've droned on about before.


    I think it's a shame someone with such a creative track record has fallen into this cycle of releasing underwhelming albums then touring a couple of tracks amid a nostalgia show. But, see above comments re him and the fans being happy (and obviously, opinion on his albums is subjective). Although I don't like his last few albums I'd see a solo-material show to give the newer material a chance to flex its muscles on stage. I can't see it happening though despite his saying he will do that some time. Foxtrot 50th tour next year possibly already being planned?!


    On a side note, I don't get this notion that he feels some responsibility to carry the prog torch forward, and I hope it isn't a factor in his doing these tours.

    Abandon all reason

    Edited once, last by Backdrifter ().

    • Official Post

    I think we remember the over the top gushing that accompanied the release of the new album. If he thinks it is so great, would it hurt him to play more than two tracks from it?

    It's always the same - when you announce a Genesis show, you can do an hour of solo stuff. When you announce to play the complete Seconds Out, even less.


    To be fair: Steve alwyas did play solo tracks from the last 4 albums during these Genesis-related shows but how wonderful would that be if he did a pure solo show.

  • It's always the same - when you announce a Genesis show, you can do an hour of solo stuff. When you announce to play the complete Seconds Out, even less.


    To be fair: Steve alwyas did play solo tracks from the last 4 albums during these Genesis-related shows but how wonderful would that be if he did a pure solo show.

    Well yes, when you put it like that. I know what he's doing and why he's doing it, and still hope to see it next year after two postponements.


  • But if he had that confidence in his new stuff he'd tour it properly, he wouldn't choose to do a token couple of tracks and get them hurriedly out of the way before focusing on an entire 44-year old album by his old band.

    Initially you were saying that Hackett had no conviction in his new material and now you’re saying he has no confidence in it and, to me, that’s two different things. If you’re trying to say that Hackett isn’t CONFIDENT he will make enough money touring just his solo material than I think you’re probably right. But If you’re saying that Hackett does not have personal CONVICTION in his new material ie he does not think his new songs are good...then I think you are coming to that conclusion based off your personal negative views of his recent albums and arrangements. to claim that Second’s Out taking up 2/3rds of his set means he lacks conviction in the remaining 1/3rd is a logical fallacy. It would be like saying that Yes’ Masterworks tour is proof that Yes only has conviction for their long songs. For both tours there are multiple other factors that went into why that theme was chosen be they financial, artistic or nostalgic. Also keep in mind that Hackett fans have grown accustomed to his tours including old solo songs. So for that remaining 1/3rd he was left with a predicament as each new song he plays takes up space that could have gone to an older fan favorite. In my opinion if Hackett had no conviction in his new album than he wouldn’t have played ANY songs from it and just stuck to what he KNOWS works live. But that’s the thing: this is just my opinion and if you’ve just been saying your opinion than I respect that and I sympathize with ur disappointment as, like I’ve previously stated, I would also prefer more solo material live. But if you were seriously trying to analyze Hackett’s decision making then I strongly disagree with your conclusions.

  • I'll go see them next time they play in Lyon or any other place within reasonable driving distance. Keeping my fingers crossed.


    I have zero interest in what passes for Genesis these days, and I'm happy Steve has been keeping the flame going. Sure, he's going to mix it up a bit, but hey, at least one can't accuse him of sticking to a fossilized version of the music, even though there's a lot to be said for the 'classical' approach: play the goddamned thing as written, man! (you see the problem :) )


    A sax solo on IKWIL doesn't sound like a bad idea (is that on YouTube?): that piece is probably the most 'plastic' on SEBPit can go in any direction the band chooses. Plus that's basically his song, isn't it.


    Re. Steve's own material: let's face it, his core market is very small, and AFAIC his insistence on singing himself does him no favour. I suppose the rock albums with vocals sell better than the acoustic, instrumental ones (?), but for the life of me I cannot understand why he has to write 'songs' when his forte is instrumental composition. Going full instrumental (chamber) rock would be so liberating for himand he might at last put out the great albums we all know/hope he still has in him rather than going through the motions.

  • one of the last true solo tours Steve did, i saw him in a small theatre with around 200 people. Now doing 3 nights at the Palladium with the SO tour....unfortunately sometimes it is also a business/ economic decision as much as anything else

  • Just back from seeing the Hackett SO show in Bexhill, East Sussex. It was the first time I have seen him since 1980 and I would have to admit that I have not followed his solo stuff since then. I have to say it was a brilliant performance in a really beautiful venue. Fantastic acoustics and great audience. I will not discuss individual tracks to avoid spoilers although I guess the bulk of the songs are obvious given the name of the tour! I really enjoyed his solo stuff and the Genesis material was just great. I especially liked the songs associated more with Gabriel as the singer reminded me so much of him. When he sung the more Phil related Genesis songs I was a bit less convinced. Anyway it was a great night and I will definitely seem him again.

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