STEVE HACKETT – THE CABOT THEATER IN BEVERLY MA
By Rick Fleck
Steve Hackett and his band came to The Cabot Theater in Beverly, Ma. for their 2024/2025 UK tour: Steve Hackett – Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo on Saturday, October 11th. The concert was a showcase of guitar-driven progressive rock in the style of Genesis from 1971 to 1977. The show consisted of two separate sets. The first set was songs from Hackett’s solo career. The second set was primarily songs from the classic Genesis album The Lamb Lies Down of Broadway, on which he wrote and played guitar. It would be incredible to see The Lamb in its entirety, but the choice of songs was impeccable.
Set 1 opened with three songs from Steve Hackett’s most recent concept album, The Circus and the Nightwhale (2024). The tracks carried a distinct Genesis sound with vocals supplied by both Hackett and Sweden’s Nad Sylvan, who has been his live and studio vocalist since 2012. Sylvan has an uncanny ability to channel Peter Gabriel, adding an authentic touch to the performance.
During the first set, Sylvan appeared only intermittently, though he would take on a more prominent role during The Lamb set. The Nightwhale selections leaned heavily on extended instrumental passages and showcased Hackett’s masterful guitar work, including his signature tapping technique, which, according to legend, inspired Eddie Van Halen after he attended a Genesis concert in the 1970s.
Stave Hackett often spoke between songs with understated British charm, even poking fun at his age: “I was born in 1950. You can do the math.” Introducing “These Passing Clouds,” he remarked, “This one’s kind of jazzy.” The piece unfolded as an intriguing blend of jazz and progressive rock that left the audience thoroughly captivated. “The Devil’s Cathedral” opened with a dramatic, Phantom of the Opera-style keyboard passage. The rest of the band – Jonas Reingold (bass, guitar, backing vocals), Rob Townsend (saxophone, flutes, additional keyboards, backing vocals), Lalle Larsson (keyboards), and Felix Lehrmann (drums) – are exceptional musicians, who brought this complex music vividly to life.
“Every Day” was another song with a mid-1970s Genesis feel and an infectious hook. It’s a soaring number, with a long instrumental section providing space for every instrument. “Basic Instincts” was primarily a bass solo highlighting the virtuosity of Reingold. “Camino Royale” included an extended sax solo featuring Townsend and some guitar hero shredding by Steve Hackett. Hackett’s guitar work during “Shadow of the Hierophant” evoked the classically influenced, lightning-fast style of Yngwie Malmsteen. It raises the question: why isn’t Hackett mentioned more often in discussions of rock’s greatest guitarists? The house lights came up, the band took a bow, and left the stage for a brief intermission before set 2.
Photos Rick Fleck
The Lamb set began fittingly enough with “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”. Larsson, playing Tony Bank’s iconic piano riff, literally gave me goosebumps. Sylvan’s vocals were pitch-perfect, capturing the spirit of Gabriel while also showcasing his own distinct style. “Fly on a Windshield,” which follows “The Lamb” on the album, had a heavy, plodding beat that added to its dramatic effect. “Broadway Melody of 1974” including a snippet of The Drifters’ song “On Broadway” with humorous effect.
“Carpet Crawlers” was Sylvan’s standout vocal performance. He clearly enjoys preening and strutting on stage, and he has the voice to back it up. The set also included “The Chamber of 32 Doors,” “Lilywhite Lilith” — another showstopper — the slower “The Lamia,” which served as a brief respite, and “It,” which received the most enthusiastic audience reaction of the night. The Lamb set concluded with “Supper’s Ready,” from the Foxtrot album, one of the defining songs from Genesis’s progressive rock era.
The houselights came up for the second time as the band took their bows, only to leave and quickly return for a much-anticipated encore. “Firth of Fifth,” from Selling England by the Pound, featured Hackett playing in a style not unlike that of modern jazz guitarist Pat Metheny. This was followed by an impressive extended drum solo by Lehrmann. The show was brought to a close with “Los Endos” from 1976’s A Trick of the Tail, another influential and beloved album from the Hackett era of Genesis. The band took their third bow as the crowd erupted in applause and appreciation.
It was eye opening to hear Hackett and his band perform a set of his solo music and early Genesis material back to back. You can clearly hear how Genesis has influenced his later work. One constant throughout, of course, was Hackett’s elite guitar mastery. He has assembled a band of premier musicians who seamlessly deliver not only his solo work, but the challenging and genre-defining compositions of Genesis. Though I never had the chance to see Steve Hackett perform live with Gabriel in Genesis, I now feel completely satisfied after witnessing these extraordinary renditions and interpretations.
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