Following this gig, I had cause to call up the dictionary to check the plural of the word ‘maestro’. Turns out you can use Maestros or the Italian ‘Maestri’, which I find much more satisfying.

My reasoning for this search was how best to describe Mr Hackett and his fellow players after them giving a masterclass in musicianship over the course of their 150 minute set. The hall was packed for the show, demonstrating that there is no drop in interest in hearing Steve’s musical legacy and older Genesis classics.

The programme for the evening was the same tried and tested formula, Steve’s solo set to start, a short interval, then into the Genesis back catalogue. The band for the evening were the same as on the last tour, except for the addition of Lalle Larrson on keyboards who replaced the now retired Roger King.

The evening opened with the dark tale that is ‘The Devil’s Cathedral’. The opening gambit, with dramatic church organ swirls from Larsson and haunting clarinet courtesy of Rob Townsend, was enough to give anyone shivers. Nad Sylvan appeared on a platform at the rear of the stage to tell of murder and intrigue whilst Steve played up a storm.

Crowd favourite, ‘Every Day’, made an early appearance, before Steve introduced a new song into the mix with ‘The Sea Inside’ which sounded excellent. ‘Ace Of Wands’ again showcased Steve’s fantastic fretwork, and that then led into a very heavy and dramatic version of ‘The Steppes’. This track conjured up images of rumbling Russian caravans travelling across windswept and barren wastelands, a bit like parts of Glasgow to be honest!

Rob Townsend then donned his saxophone for a full jazz workout during ‘Camino Royale’. I am not the biggest Jazz fan in the world, but Rob’s playing was off the scale. The fact that he is so multi-faceted, and can turn his hand to so many instruments at such a high level is deeply impressive.

The closing section of ‘Shadow Of The Hierophant’ was another sonic sensation with the deep, bellowing bass pedals of Jonas Reingold building for the song climax and shaking the concert hall walls. This brought the first half to an end with plenty more to come by, as Steve put it, ‘some boy band called Genesis’.

As the lights dimmed again, the incessant and throbbing opening chords of ‘Watcher Of The Skies’ pumped out of the PA. Nad again appeared at the rear of the stage to deliver his vocals bathed in bright white light. A mention should go the lighting team who did a great job throughout the show to bring each song to life, the lighting was spot on and enhanced the performance.

We then took a trip back with Father Tiresias to the ‘Cinema Show’ with Lalle Larsson faithfully recreating Tony Banks complex keyboard parts, before things were rounded off with ‘Aisle Of Plenty’. Larsson then took his turn in the spotlight with a stunning solo spot. With his fingers a blur on the keyboard, he proved to the crowd that he was a fitting replacement for Roger King, and a fantastic addition to Steve’s band.

It was then Mr Hackett’s time to shine as the band launched into ‘Firth Of Fifth’. This is always a Steve ‘tour de force’, and tonight’s performance was no exception. ‘As the river dissolves in sea’ the crowd showed their admiration with a standing ovation for another guitar masterclass.

Talking of a giving a masterclass, Steve had hardly taken a breath before he and Jonas Reingold started to pick out the delicate intro to ‘Suppers Ready’. This is always a set highlight, and tonight’s rendition was no exception. Consummate musicianship, coupled with a great vocal from Nad, ensured that the capacity crowd were not disappointed and the cheers at the last chords were deafening.

After a quick trip off stage, the band were soon back for a couple of encores. ‘Dance On A Volcano’ kicked things off, with Felix Lehrmann leading the way with some powerful drumming. Felix then had his five minutes in the spotlight with an impressive drum solo, which then morphed into ‘Los Endos’ to round off the evening in bombastic style.

This proved to be another phenomenal night of top prog entertainment, with a sprinkling of jazz thrown in for good measure. Steve and the guys continue to keep the older Genesis legacy alive, and as stated earlier, the halls are still packed country wide showing there is still an audience keen to hear the classics live.

Whether you want to go with Maestros or Maestri to describe Steve and his merry men is up to you. Alternatively, you could just go for bloody amazing!

Review by Dave Wilson

Pictures by Dave Wilson and Iain Wilson

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions,

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Josh now hosts “Taerk’s Tracks” as part of the Singer Songwriter Sunday sequence on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio.

This is the first show broadcast on 27 September. Josh presents some of his inspirational artists and tracks.

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast 27 September 2026.

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Power Plays w/c 12 October 2026

TAKIDA – Lion’s Den (Drongo Records)
SCARDUST – Symphony (Frontiers)
ANBERLIN – Gravity (Rude Records/Equal Vision Records)
MISSING TOYS – Lifeline (Pride & Joy Music)
SWEET GORILLA – It’s Your Life (5000 Records)
ROYAL BLOOD – Dead Company (Warner Records)

Featured Albums w/c 12 October 2026

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

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