Thursday, September 19, 2013

Former Genesis Guitarist Kicks Off Genesis Revisited Tour II

The most interesting thing to note about Steve Hackett's upcoming tour of old Genesis material is that he's got Phil Collins' son with him.

Initially, I was worried that old Phil himself would weasel his way out of retirement and join him. But then I remembered how Collins' last "retirement" tour with his old bandmates was a complete failure and how Collins is old and decrepit now, unable to hear anything out of his left ear and unable to hold a drum stick after an injury to his vertebrae after watching long-time touring percussionist Chester Thompson play all of his drum parts for him.

It should be noted that Thompson is actually about three years older than Collins, but then again, age ain't nothin' but a number.

Just ask Aaliyah.

Oh wait...

I suppose I shouldn't be so snarky towards Collins. After all, the most recent news from his camp was that he was suicidal and suffering from a severe case of low self esteem. Maybe a nice, relaxing evening watching Brother Bear in his tax-haven compound in Switzerland is in order.

Or perhaps he could go online and check his bank statement.

That should cheer him up.

But seriously folks, Steve Hackett is still out there trying to earn a buck playing smaller venues and I bet that it ranks above any Phil Collins/Genesis tour anyway, while still far behind any stage offering by Peter Gabriel.

A little bit of advice, Steve: I would hide any evidence of your involvement with the "supergroup" GTR from any future publicity. Trust me, don't let your heart rule the mind on that one.

The press release of Hackett's tour follows:

World-renowned guitarist/composer Steve Hackett is set to tour North America in support of his latest album, Genesis Revisited II with the Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited Tour 2013. The dates will kick off in St. Charles, IL on Friday, September 20th, will run through mid-October and will boast a set list of all Genesis material including such fan favorites as "Musical Box," "Firth Of Fifth" and "Supper's Ready". The performances will also include a specially-designed light show.


Selling England by the pound and charging $50 a seat here in the states.
The Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited Tour has already broken box office records in the UK, Europe and Japan. Please see below for the full North American itinerary. Steve Hackett's recent double disc Genesis Revisited II (InsideOut Music) features reinterpreted Genesis classics from the period dearest to Hackett, the "golden era" 1971-1977, with a stellar array of guest performers; Hackett enlisted the help of 35 special guests to provide the songs with a new unique edge. The star-studded line-up includes respected vocalists Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth), Simon Collins (Phil Collins' son), Amanda Lehmann, Conrad Keely, Francis Dunnery, Neal Morse, John Wetton, Nad Sylvan and Nik Kershaw. Steve Rothery of Marillion and Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings and Transatlantic joined in to share guitar duties, while Jeremy Stacey and Gary O'Toole are amongst the chosen drummers.

In 2010, Steve Hackett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame at The 25th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony alongside his Genesis bandmates from the classic line-up: Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. For more than three decades, Steve Hackett has been known for his innovative tone and extraordinary versatility as a guitarist and composer. He helped define Genesis' sound as lead guitarist in the classic line-up and went on to have a highly-successful career as a solo artist, and also as part of 80s supergroup GTR with Steve Howe.

Steve Hackett North American tour dates:

SEPTEMBER

20 St. Charles, IL Arcada Theatre
21 St. Charles, IL Arcada Theatre
22 Milwaukee, WI The Pabst Theatre
23 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
25 New York, NY Best Buy Theater
26 Lakewood, NJ The Strand Theater
27 Westbury, NY NYCB Theatre At Westbury
28 Ridgefield, CT The Ridgefield Playhouse
29 Albany, NY The Egg Center For The Performing Arts

OCTOBER

3 Montreal, QC Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier Place Des Arts
4 Quebec City, QC Grand Theatre De Quebec
5 Gatineau, QC Le Casino Du Lac Leamy
6 Belleville, ON Empire Theater
8 Oakville, ON Oakville Centre For Performing Arts
9 Oakville, ON Oakville Centre For Performing Arts
10 Munhall, PA Carnegie Music Hall Of Homestead
11 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
12 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
13 Collingswood, NJ Scottish Rite Auditorium

2 comments:

Cousin J said...

I'm on the fence (but inclined not to go) to one of the St. Charles shows. It's less than a half hour from the house but ticket prices (set by the venue-their standard tiered pricing) is outrageous. I like Hackett but I would be paying more than we paid for Sabbath to go. So, I might just put on Voyage of the Acolyte and stay home...

Todd Totale said...

Or you could just spend $40 and go see Ghost BC. For Christsakes, go and report back to me.