Steve Hackett’s 2024 tour celebrated 50 years of the iconic Genesis album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The Glasshouse website stated that “Alongside his outstanding touring line-up of Roger King (keyboards), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Jonas Reingold (bass, backing vocals), Rob Townsend (saxophone, flutes, additional keyboards), Craig Blundell (drums) and special guest, Amanda Lehmann on guitar and vocals. Hackett will perform Lamb highlights plus Genesis classics and solo gems.” So, as a long-standing Genesis fan, I decided to go along and see him.
Hackett delivered a spectacular performance. The show was in two parts. The first part focused on Hackett’s solo material. Joined by his brilliant band, Hackett opened the evening with solo pieces “Every Day” and “A Tower Struck Down”. His guitar playing held the audience spellbound, his dexterity mesmerising. It was a testament to the versatility of the instrument and, the first half of the show symbolised Hackett’s status as a legend of guitar playing.
The second half of the show was what I’d been most keen to see. Hackett dedicated this section to Genesis classics. “The Lamb Lies down on Broadway” and “Carpet Crawlers” took us all back in time. Hackett’s intricate playing breathed new life into these old favourites. The highlights for me were the haunting, magical “Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” and the soaring instrumental beauty of “Firth of Frith”.
I saw the original Lamb lies Down on Broadway tour at Newcastle City Hall in 1975. At the time I wrote on my blog: Always listen to the album before you go to the concert. That is a piece of advice I keep giving to myself, but I often don’t follow. It was never truer than in this case. It had been a couple of years since I last saw Genesis, and I was interested to see their new production for the new album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.
I’d read the reviews but hadn’t heard the album (you see; mistake). For some reason, I hadn’t bought a ticket for this tour, but when Genesis reached Newcastle City Hall, I decided to go along on the night and try to buy a ticket. I managed to do so, purchasing a ticket for a little more than face value from someone outside the venue.
My seat was pretty near the back, but hey I was in! I knew what to expect; the set was the entire new (double) album played in sequence to tell the story of Rael and was their most theatrical show to date. Peter Gabriel really excelled himself in terms of his performance and in costume changes, the most spectacular and outrageous of which was the Slipperman who was covered in terrible growths.
The concert was incredible as a piece of theatre, however having not heard the album, I found it difficult to follow at times. Even to this day, I don’t fully understand the story or know many of the tracks; and I do have a copy now. My favourite is of course “Carpet Crawlers”. My memory tells me that they came back at the end and encored with “The Knife”, but published setlists tells me that it was likely to have been “Watcher of the Skies”, “The Musical Box”; or both.
Roll on almost 50 years to 2024 and as the last notes of “Los Endos” rang out, the audience erupted into applause. We’d all witnessed an evening celebrating one of prog-rock’s finest. Steve Hackett remains an absolute master of his craft. I wish that he had closed with “The Knife” as Genesis did back in the old days, but hey you can’t have everything. A beautiful reminder of an era sadly passed. Thank you, Steve, for helping us to relive our old memories and of happy, happy days.
I treated myself to a programme, signed LP, and signed drum skin. Class. Many thanks to Jackie for taking the photos and to Laura and Chris for helping with the blog entry and manipulating the site.
Setlist: People of the Smoke; Circo Inferno; These Passing Clouds; The Devil’s Cathedral; Every Day; A Tower Struck Down; Basic Instincts; Camino Royale; Shadow of the Hierophant.
Lamb Highlights: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway; Fly on a Windshield; Broadway Melody of 1974; Hairless Heart; Carpet Crawlers; The Chamber of 32 Doors; Lilywhite Lilith; The Lamia; it; Dancing With the Moonlit Knight; The Cinema Show; Aisle of Plenty.
Encore: Firth of Fifth; Drum Solo; Los Endos / Slogans / Los Endos.
Mike Rutherford has come a long way since I sat cross-legged on the ballroom floor in Sunderland Locarno watching Peter Gabriel and the rest of Genesis unfold magical tales such as “The Musical Box”, “Return of the Giant Hogweed” and climaxing in the rather spooky, swirling tones of “The Knife”. Somewhere in the background keeping the beat was the tall slender form of Mike Rutherford. And of course he also co-wrote the material. Roll forward 52 years and I have the pleasure of being in the company of Mike Rutherford once again, this time as front man and leader of 
The announcement on the Sage website told me: “Mike & The Mechanics who have sold over ten million records worldwide – announce their ‘Refueled! 2023 Tour – all the hits and a drop of Genesis.” Now the mention of a drop of Genesis intrigued me and further enticed me to attend the show.
The website went on to introduce the band: “Mike + The Mechanics are Genesis founding member Mike Rutherford (Guitar) – one of the UK’s most prolific R&B singer, Andrew Roachford – Lead and backing vocals – (whose previous hits include Cuddly Tour and Family Man) and Canadian-born singer, Tim Howar – lead and backing vocals – who formed and toured with his band Vantramp, with the likes of Rod Stewart and Paulo Nutini. Tim shares vocal duties with Roachford and they both add a new soulful dimension to the band’s already established sound.” In fact the band also included, in another drop of Genesis, Phil Collins’ son Nic Collins on drums.
Finally, I was promised: “The ‘Refueled!’ Tour in 2023, will include tracks from their critically acclaimed latest album ‘Out of the Blue’ plus some Genesis. Their ninth album features re-workings of some of the band’s best loved tracks, including ‘The Living Years’ and the unforgettable ‘Over My Shoulder’, along with three brand new songs: ‘Out Of The Blue’, ‘One Way’, ‘What Would You Do’.”
Set 2 starts off with some acoustic versions of familiar songs including the Genesis hit “Invisible Touch”. We move forward and back into an electric set with more Genesis in the form of “Follow You, Follow Me” and “I Can’t Dance”. Great versions of great songs.The band is excellent with exceptionally strong vocals from the duo of Tim Howart and Andrew Roachford.
Roachford gets to sing his massive hit “Cuddly Toy” and then we move forward and towards the end with the wonderful, moving epic that is “The Living Years”, “All I Need Is a Miracle” and closer “Over My Shoulder”. The band return to a standing ovation and play a much deserved encore: “Word of Mouth”.
So 
Down on Broadway”, “I Know What I like”, “Carpet Crawlers” and excerpts from “Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” and, once or twice, even “The Musical Box”. Now these songs represent the true soul of the band for me. I dream of them playing “The Knife” as the encore, but I knew this was not to be.
of the stage. Having read all the reviews I knew what to expect, the band were due on stage at 8 PM with a 10:30 PM finish and no interval. It took some time to check all of the crowd into the arena and thus Genesis did not take the stage until around 8:15 PM.
The light show was pretty amazing, with massive video screens behind the band showing each of the performers “up close”. They started with an instrumental and then it was straight into the hits “Turn It on Again”, “Mama” and “Land of Confusion”. Now these songs were never my favourites, but on the night they sounded just great and Phil Collins did an excellent job on vocals. But for me it was the old Genesis that remained the best. So I particularly enjoyed “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” and, of course, “I Know What I like”. It always surprised me, and still does, how similar Phil Collins voice can be to that of Peter Gabriel. I remember the first time I saw Genesis with Phil Collins as lead vocalist, at Glasgow Apollo, I was amazed how well he took on the mantle of front man and recreated Gabriel’s singing parts. Of course, he always took on some backing vocals duties, even in the early days, so perhaps it wasn’t so surprising. Anyway, he certainly did justice to the old classics which took me back 40 odd years. Before we knew it we were on the home stretch, with more hits such as “Throwing It All away” and the closing song “Invisible Touch”. Excellent. And somehow my bottle of wine was now almost empty and I felt pretty merry (to say the least).
turning history that has taken them from prog rock heroes to almost middle-of-the-road pop/rock stars. And a particularly triumphant performance by Phil Collins, who clearly in ill-health, pulled off a magnificent showing. If this was to be the last time, then they couldn’t go out any better.
Setlist: Behind the Lines / Duke’s End; Turn It On Again; Mama; Land of Confusion; Home by the Sea; Second Home by the Sea; Fading Lights; The Cinema Show; Afterglow; That’s All; The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway; Follow You Follow Me; Duchess; No Son of Mine; Firth of Fifth; I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe); Domino; Throwing It All Away; Tonight, Tonight, Tonight; Invisible Touch. Encore: I Can’t Dance; Dancing With the Moonlit Knight; The Carpet Crawlers. 
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