Monday, August 22, 2011

Off The Record: Interview with Steve Hackett

(Traduzione in italiano dopo il break)
Steve Hackett has a way of making you feel not like a journalist but as a friend invited to his own home, sharing a cup of tea on the sofa... I met Steve before his concert in my home town of Spilimbergo, on August 1, we talked for half an hour about his new album Beyond the Shrouded Horizon, that will see the light of day on September 27th; we also talked about his previous record, about Genesis and about his perception of the Folkest festival, which he masterfully closed with his set. To sit on that couch with him inside the former Cinema Castello, right in the Duomo square was like a dream come true... How many times had I walked or driven around it, with his or Genesis music blaring out of my stereo or headphones since I was a kid?  And there he was, the perfect English gentleman, answering my questions, my curiosities. We would have talked more but other guests were waiting and soundcheck was incumbent on him and the band. Needless to say the performace was flawless, a set that saw him go back in time and play a lot of Genesis numbers like the Hackett/Collins penned Blood on the Rooftops, Firth of Fifth, Watcher of the Skies or a more experimental version of Los Endos but also a good selection from his more recent albums (the nostalgic Golden Age of Steam for example) and a lot of his own classics (he opened with Everyday but also played the melancholic Spectral Mornings, the epic The Steppes and Ace of Wands, or Clocks - The Angel of Mons that closed the whole set). The show was electric, with his only concession to acoustic numbers being the obvious Horizons and the introduction to Blood on The Rooftops. Gary O'Toole (his drummer) sang the Genesis tunes with a good delivery, Roger King was his usual right arm, Rob Townsend played sax and flute with great skill and the eye-catching Nick Beggs played fretless bass, Rickenbacker bass (who does that remind you of?) and some guitar (his acoustic solo was acclaimed by the whole audience)... I need to thank the Folkest festival organisation and Vania Santi from Blue Sky Promotion for giving me the opportunity to meet and friendly chat with Steve. Keep up the good work!
Podcast of interview now published!

11 comments:

  1. Excellent interview! Probably one of the better jobs I've seen of an interviewer asking less obvious questions and leading Steve in slightly different directions.

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  2. Thanks so much! It was a real pleasure to interview him... I saw from your profile that you're from NC and so is my wife! It's a small world!

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  3. Complimenti: un'intervista veramente ben fatta e interessante. A proposito c'ero anch'io quella sera a Spilimbergo.

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  4. Grazie Mauro, un concerto davvero splendido... Proporro' una puntata dedicata a lui su Radio Onde Furlane la settimana prossima e faro' ascoltare l'intervista... Di dove sei?

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  5. I agree with Pale Rambler some very good questions, I appreciate Steve is a private person so it must be sensitive for him to open up. just wish everyone would stop being hung up about him reuniting, its getting old hat now.

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  6. I agree with anonymous that talking about a reunion is getting old hat now, I would totally prefer a collaboration (as in my question), an original one maybe, like an Hackett/Banks one for example, wouldn't that be interesting? After all Steve surprised us before (and I'm sure he will again in the future)... Joining "satellite" members from the Genesis world, besides people that used to be in King Crimson, Yes etc...

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  7. Sono di Sacile. Non conoscevo la radio Onde Furlane. La vita è fatta di coincidenze: oggi ascoltavo la bella trasmissione di Radiodue Mobidick. Hanno letto la lettera di un detenuto nel carcere di Pordenone il quale ha suggerito un'ottima playlist. Questo detenuto ha detto che nella sua radiolina ascolta solo Radio Radicale, Radio Due, Radio Maria e Radio Onde Furlane!!
    Ciao. dimmi su che frequenza si sente la radio.

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  8. A Sacile non credosi possa ascoltare in FM, comunque la frequenza è 90.00mhz. Però c'è pur sempre lo streaming in diretta (e anche in differita...) se vai su www.ondefurlane.eu. Domani sera (dalle 19 alle 21) infatti proporrò finalmente la mia puntata dedicata a Steve... Siamo in diversi conduttori di UP!, ognuno con i suoi gusti e il suo stile, ci alterniamo di settimana in settimana... Fammi sapere se riesci a seguirci!

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  9. I suspect the guest appearance by Anthony Phillips on Out of the Tunnel's Mouth might be the closest we get to a quality artistic pairing of former Genesis talent. I would love to see the two of them combine forces on an acoustic album -- can you imagine?!

    So you married a Carolina girl, eh? I could tell you were a man of good judgement. I'm actually a displaced New Yorker, but North Carolina has been my home for 20+ years.

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  10. I was thinking of something similar today... Instead of a classic reunion it would be really cool if they all got back together (including Ant of course) and collaborate on a showcase not of Genesis material but of some of their strongest solo efforts... Something different from the norm. But NO "Acting Very Strange", please. That album was a big mistake. What do you think?

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  11. great job, amigo!mi sarebbe piaciuto tanto fare un'intervista così a Paul Kantner, qualche anno fa...ma il mio inglese non è sufficente. Dovrò portarmi dietro mia figlia!

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