GROUND-BREAKING GUITARIST STEVE HACKETT WAS A MEMBER OF PROGRESSIVE ROCK GIANTS GENESIS FROM 1970 TO 1977; A PERIOD WIDELY RECOGNISED AS THE BAND’S CREATIVE HIGH WATERMARK.

With Gabriel fronting the band, Hackett played on the much-loved albums NURSERY CRYME, FOXTROT, SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND and perhaps the band’s most notable work; dense, brooding and futuristic urban epic THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY. He was there when Peter Gabriel first put on a fox’s head and slipped into a slinky red number, and he was there when the enigmatic frontman resigned in 1975. He was also present when talismanic ball-of-energy drummer Phil Collins stepped up to replace him. This tentative four-piece incarnation released a pair of transitional, but truly excellent, studio albums (A TRICK OF THE TAIL and WIND AND WUTHERING) before Hackett himself – burned out by creative compromises – quit during the mixing of seminal 1977 live set SECONDS OUT. He’d actually already released his first solo album while still a member of Genesis; the critically acclaimed VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE, in 1975. The band – without Gabriel and Hackett – would eventually go on to produce much more deliberately ‘singles heavy’ albums and dominate global mainstream charts during the 1980s.

Since his first foray Hackett has issued a further 22 studio albums, including several classical works, all of which express great versatility and deep sympathy as what Peter Gabriel once memorably described as “a colourist”, alongside an attention to detail as a writer. Now Hackett is on the verge of releasing THE TOTAL EXPERIENCE LIVE IN LIVERPOOL (24th June through INSIDEOUT MUSIC), recorded during a run of dates last year. Shows on the tour were split into two distinct halves: the first, solo material; the second, Genesis favourites. In this new edition of The Mouthcast Hackett looks back forty-one years to THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY and reflects candidly on his days as a member of Genesis. He also, carefully, reveals his thoughts about the 2014 ‘agenda led’ band documentary film SUM OF THE PARTS…

Order The Total Experience Live In Liverpool on CD / DVD here