Steve Hackett - Gig Guide Update by Alan Hewitt. Memorabilia: TWR Archive.
It would appear from the interest that my previous article on Steve’s live performances has generated, that there are still quite a few fans of his music out there , so I thought it might prove useful to properly update the information which those earlier features contained.
As we know, Steve’s solo performances began in 1978 after the release of his second solo album: Please Don’t Touch. The shows were well received by fans and critics alike and in addition to the dates already mentioned, I have been given information on the following additional shows…
Steve Hackett Gig Guide 1978
Venue |
City |
Date |
|
|
Konzerthuset |
Stockholm |
5.10.78 |
|
| Eisporthalle |
Gothenburg |
6.10.78 |
|
|
CCH |
Hamburg |
14.10.78 |
|
| Olympia Theatre |
Paris |
16.10.78 |
|
|
WDR TV Studios |
Bremen |
17.10.78+ |
Also there were a couple of alternatives to the set list given for these shows which are as follows: Narnia was played after Icarus Ascending and Racing In A was performed as a second encore.
Steve’s third album also brought an extensive tour of the UK and Europe (far more than I had been led to believe). The additional dates so far are as follows:
Steve Hackett Gig Guide 1979
Venue |
City |
Date |
|
|
Rheinhalle |
Frankfurt |
6.6.79 |
|
| Olympia Theatre |
Paris |
11.6.79 |
|
|
Vredenburg |
Utrecht |
17.6.79 |
|
| Odeon Theatre |
Edinburgh |
21.6.79 |
|
|
City Hall |
Sheffield |
22.6.79 |
|
| University |
Leicester |
23.6.79 |
|
|
Dome |
Brighton |
25.6.79 |
|
Pavilion |
Hemel Hempstead |
27.6.79 |
|
|
Civic Hall |
Wolverhampton |
28.6.79 |
|
| New Theatre |
Oxford |
1.7.79 |
And on the late ‘79 tour…
Venue |
City |
Date |
|
City Hall |
Newcastle |
26.10.79 |
|
St George’s Hall |
Bradford |
29.10.79 |
|
Poole |
Arts Centre |
12.11.79 * |
* Not 11th as previously stated.
Once again, there were some additions to the set. These were mainly during the early tour when Racing In A was performed as an acoustic guitar solo as part of the final encore.
Never being one to keep his fans waiting (?) Steve took to the road again in 1980 in support of his fourth solo album: Defector and once again, there are some dates to be added to the previous listings…
Steve Hackett Gig Guide 1980
Venue |
City |
Date |
|
Hammersmith Odeon |
London |
5.7.80 |
|
Parkwest |
Chicago IL |
10.10.80 |
|
? |
Tampa FL |
14.10.80 |
|
SUNY |
Oswego NY |
8.11.80 |
|
Chateau Neuf |
Oslo |
11.11.80 |
|
Palasport |
Turin |
24.11.80 |
|
Palasport |
Bologna |
25.11.80 |
|
Palasport |
Turin |
28.11.80 |
|
Palasport |
Brescia |
30.11.80 |
|
Palasport |
Genoa |
1.12.80 |
As usual, the set had its variations and I am now aware of the following tracks being played either in addition to or replacing others in the set. Both The Toast and Narnia were played after The Steppes.
The 1981 tour was one of Steve’s most extensive and even though the UK/European tour dates were in the programme (Steve’s first such programme, by the way), it seems that others were added including several more in the USA…
Steve Hackett Gig Guide 1981
Venue |
City |
Date |
|
Rolling Stone Theatre |
Milan |
8-9.9.81 |
|
Castel Sant’Angelo |
Rome |
13.9.81 |
|
Parco Viscegliano |
Naples |
14.9.81 |
|
Grugahalle |
Essen |
23.9.81 |
|
Casino Den Bosch |
Hertogenbosch |
26.9.81 (Afternoon/Evening
show) |
|
| L’Hippodrome Pantin |
Paris |
27.9.81 |
|
? |
Rochester NY |
30.10.81 |
|
Roxy Club |
Los Angeles CA |
27-28.11.81 |
Steve’s next solo outings were in 1983 and it was hectic year for him with the release of the rock album Highly Strung in April and the acoustic Bay Of Kings album in September with UK tours in support of both of them. The tour dates for the April/May tour are as written in the tour programme and as outlined in the previous article. But more dates have come to light for the October/November acoustic tour…
Steve Hackett Gig Guide 1981
Venue |
City |
Date |
|
University |
Leeds |
2.11.83 |
|
University |
Edinburgh |
4.11.83 |
|
Barbican Centre |
London |
7.11.83 |
|
Leisure Centre |
Mansfield |
13.11.83 |
|
Taliesin Theatre |
Swansea |
17.11.83 |
Other venues on this tour included Loughborough, Plymouth, Dundee, Corby, Folkestone, Guildford, York, Birmingham and Cardiff although the exact dates for these shows are not currently available - anyone out there with info, please write in.
No further info has emerged about Steve’s tour dates for GTR in 1986 or on his solo tour in 1988 in support of the Momentum album although it has come to my notice that a second European tour took place in September.
Also the show that Steve played at Central TV Studios in Septmber 1990 has just been screened on TV and apparently Steve has a new band including his brother on flute/bass pedals, Ian Ellis (bass), Fudge Smith (drums) and Julian Colbeck (keyboards). We hope that Steve will be on the road properly soon.
My thanks to Vernon Parker, Luca Benporath, Kevin Powell and Phil Morris for their help with this article.
(These guides are those that originally appeared in #17. For further information refer to: Sketches Of Hackett)
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