Steve Hackett - The Glasshouse, Gateshead
There are some gigs that entertain, some that impress, and some that transport you somewhere else entirely. Steve Hackett's visit to The Glasshouse in Gateshead fell firmly into that last category.Walking into the venue felt less like attending a concert and more like boarding a slightly unreliable Victorian time machine designed by prog rock fans. One minute you're in Gateshead, the next you're drifting through mythical kingdoms, forgotten landscapes and songs with more twists than a box set of Doctor Who.
Steve Hackett has long since earned legendary status, but what makes him special is that he doesn't perform like a man polishing old trophies. He performs like a musician still completely possessed by the magic of the music itself.
A evening unfolded like a beautifully strange dream.
"The Devil's Cathedral" opened proceedings and immediately dragged the audience into Hackett's wonderfully eccentric world. Dark, dramatic and mysterious, it felt like the soundtrack to a medieval monk discovering a synthesiser and deciding to form a prog band.
"Every Day" and "The Sea Inside" showcased the emotional depth of Hackett's solo work, proving that technical brilliance means very little without heart. Thankfully, Hackett possesses both in ridiculous abundance. " Ace of Wands", still sounding as fresh and adventurous as ever. If Gandalf had abandoned Middle-earth to pursue a career in progressive rock, this is probably what his backing band would have sounded like.
Mega talented musicians around Hackett were phenomenal throughout. Navigating some of these compositions must be like solving a Rubik's Cube while riding a unicycle through a thunderstorm. Odd time signatures, complex arrangements and enough musical left turns to make a sat-nav file a complaint, yet every member delivered flawlessly.
Then came the Genesis classics.
"Dancing With The Moonlit Knight "was majestic, theatrical and gloriously over-the-top in all the right ways. "The Cinema Show" drifted through the venue like a warm blanket woven from nostalgia.
Then there was "Firth of Fifth".Let's be honest. At this point, it's no longer a guitar solo.It's a pilgrimage.
The audience weren't simply listening to it. They were collectively surrendering to it. Somewhere in the distance, thousands of guitars probably lowered themselves out of respect.
Everest of progressive rock "Supper's Ready" Not a song. Not even an epic.It's a full-scale expedition.
You begin in one place, encounter various mythical creatures, survive several unexpected turns, meet the occasional biblical reference and emerge twenty-plus minutes later wondering what dimension you've just visited. Watching the band perform it live was like witnessing master craftsmen rebuild a cathedral while blindfolded.
The Glasshouse itself remains one of the finest venues in the North East. The acoustics are phenomenal. Every note, every nuance and every soaring guitar line was delivered with crystal clarity. As a venue for live music, it's absolutely magnificent.
For nearly three hours, Gateshead wasn't Gateshead.
It was a place where volcanoes danced, moonlit knights rode once more, rivers carried guitar solos into the heavens and supper somehow became the greatest adventure of the evening. Steve Hackett didn't just play a concert. He opened a magical portal.
And every single one of us was lucky enough to step through it.
This was a evening of musical wizardry, progressive rock brilliance and enough imagination to power a small galaxy. All hail the wizard with the guitar.
Review:Seb Di Gatto
