Steve Hackett - An essential bootleg guide by Alan Hewitt.

4th October this year witnesses the THIRTIETH anniversary of Steve’s first solo performance at the Chateau Neuf in Oslo Norway. In honour of that considerable milestone, and also with the likelihood that Steve will be gracing us with another tour in support of the rock album he is currently working on, I thought it might be interesting to have a look back at some of Steve’s finest bootleg moments.

Manchester Apollo Theatre 24th October 1978

Well…. I HAD to include this one. Not only because it is a damn fine recording brought to us by the people at SHRP (The Steve Hackett Remastering Project, to you), but also because this is the audio document of the first time that I was privileged to see Steve play live. What a gig it was, too! You never forget your first time so they say and it is certainly true… this gig is ingrained on my memory and listening to it again just makes me smile. Opening with Land Of A Thousand Autumns-Please Don’t Touch was an inspired move, giving the audience no chance to settle into their seats. Steve’s star was firmly in the ascendant by the time he undertook this tour, Please Don’t Touch itself had achieved respectable chart success and in many ways these inaugural gigs were a celebration of his new found freedom. As such, this recording is a wonderful document of that tour, including most of the tracks that would become longstanding stage favourites such as Ace Of Wands, Please Don’t Touch itself; the as yet unreleased Spectral Mornings and Kim to name but a few. Of the handful of recordings that are available from this debut tour, this one is by far the best in terms of its quality and is a vital document of Steve’s first solo tour.

Track Listing: Land Of A Thousand Autumns/Please Don’t Touch/Racing In A/Ace Of Wands/Carry On Up The Vicarage/Ace Of Wands/Hands Of The Priestess/Icarus Ascending/Narnia/Acoustic Set (Inc: Black Light-Blood On The Rooftops-Horizons)/Kim/ The Optigon/A Tower Struck Down/Spectral Mornings/Star Of Sirius/Shadow Of The Hierophant/Clocks/I Know What I Like.
Source: 2nd Generation Audience Recording.

“If You Break It, It’s Yours” Reading Festival 25th August 1979

One of the most common bootlegs by Steve in circulation this one features an almost complete recording of his performance at the Reading Festival of that year. Taken from the BBC’s “Friday Rock Show” broadcast which was always a great source of material for bootleggers over the years, this is an excellent quality recording which includes many of the highlights from that year’s tour. Opening with Please Don’t Touch itself, it is evident from the start that Steve and his band are in great form and having a lot of fun. Steve’s banter with the audience is amusing but there is nothing lightweight about the performances themselves. A dramatic Tigermoth and enigmatic Everyday follow with Steve swapping harmonies with Pete Hicks on the latter. The sense of humour inherent in so much of Steve’s material is on display in the performance of The Optigon which gives Steve’s mechanical lounge device a good workout before the dramatic element is re-established with amazing performances of A Tower Struck Down, new stage favourite; Spectral Mornings and the bombastic Clocks which rounded off the show proper in truly explosive style. There was never any doubt that the band were going to return for an encore and it is great to hear Steve’s nod to his former band mates in the shape of a tongue-in-cheek run through of I Know What I Like which closes the show in fine style. A nice recording of a great show and one which always brings back happy thoughts for me as one of the lucky festival goers who saw the show at the time.

Track Listing: Please Don’t Touch/Tigermoth/Everyday/The Optigon/A Tower Struck Down/Spectral Mornings/Clocks - The Angel Of Mons/I Know What I Like.
Source: FM Radio Broadcast.

City Hall Sheffield 17th June 1980

Spectral Mornings had firmly established Steve as one of the UK’s foremost performers and he consolidated that success with the Defector album in 1980. Once again, Steve was soon on the road and playing to enthusiastic crowds both at home and overseas. Thankfully, Sheffield’s own radio station; Hallam FM captured the performance at the City Hall in glorious stereo! This gig was definitely a party when Steve thanked the audience, and by extension his fans everywhere for the fact that Defector had reached the number nine position in the UK charts! With so much material to choose from, the show was a musical feast of old favourites and new. Opening with Slogans and Everyday, Steve took no prisoners as he and his band rampaged through his back catalogue. The new album itself was particularly well represented even with the only live appearance of the wonderfully camp B side; Hercules Unchained as well as another as yet unrecorded track in the shape of Jacuzzi. Highlights of the show include The Steppes, Everyday and The Show but whichever way you look at it, this recording is another wonderful addition to your Hackett archive.

Track Listing: Slogans/Everyday/The Red Flower Of Taichi Blooms Everywhere/Tigermoth/Kim/Time To Get Out/The Steppes/The Toast/Narnia/Acoustic Set/Sentimental Institution/Jacuzzi/Spectral Mornings/A Tower Struck Down/Clocks/Please Don’t Touch/The Show-It’s Now Or Never (Ending)/Hercules Unchained.
Source: FM Radio Broadcast.

Casino Den Bosch Hertogenbosch Holland 26th September 1981

Barely a year separates Defector from Cured and yet they are poles apart as albums. Cured took Steve’s fans by surprise as he embraced the “commercial” side of his music with an album of shorter and poppier songs and opted to sing them himself! Reaction at the time was mixed but the shows on his tour were sell-outs and no wonder. Even with a new band, the old magic was still there and the new tracks stood up surprisingly well against the older elements of the set. Once again, opening the show with a new track; the dramatic Air Conditioned Nightmare, there is no evidence on this recording of the same kind of audience reaction to new material which greeted Genesis when they undertook their Abacab tour at roughly the same time. Steve’s vocals work very well and his new band are tight and energetic throughout this show which manages to capture the atmosphere and excitement of the gig very well, another enjoyable recording.

Track Listing: The Air Conditioned Nightmare/Jacuzzi/Ace Of Wands/Everyday/Picture Postcard/The Steppes/The Red Flower Of Taichi Blooms Everywhere/Tigermoth/Overnight Sleeper/Slogans/A Tower Struck Down/Spectral Mornings/Funny Feeling/The Show/Clocks/I Know What I Like.
Source: 1st Generation Audience Recording.

Empire Theatre Liverpool 23rd April 1983

The two year wait for Steve’s next album finally ended on the day of this concert, when his new album: Highly Strung, was finally released, preceded by the “hit” single Cell 151 the week before. Anticipation was high for the new record and Steve didn’t disappoint. The show was the usual mix of old and new.

This recording is a decent one if a little bassy in places but then again, Steve’s rhythm section on this tour was particularly potent. So was the mix of old and new material here. By now fans had become used to Steve taking on the vocalists’ job himself and he does himself proud here. Cell 151 had already proven itself with a respectable chart position - yes, Hackett in the charts, shock, horror! Not that the new album was your mere pop fodder and as usual, the emphasis was on a rock show and that is precisely what you get on this recording. Sadly, no sound board or radio broadcasts exist from this tour but nonetheless, the taper who made this recording did a decent job in capturing the atmosphere and humour of the gig itself.

Track Listing: The Steppes/Camino Royale/Funny Feeling/Can’t Let Go/Funny Feeling (Reprise)/ Weightless/ Always Somewhere Else/Hackett To Pieces/Slogans/Give It Away/Spectral Mornings/Acoustic Set/Kim/Overnight Sleeper/Cell 151/Please Don’t Touch/Every Day/Waling Through Walls/The Show/Clocks - The Angel Of Mons/Hackett’s Boogie.
Source: Audience Recording.

“The Acoustic King” Mountford Hall Liverpool 27th October 1983

Otherwise known as “the one that got away”. Yes, sad to say, this remains the only Hackett UK tour which I did not have the pleasure of seeing for myself - grrr! Steve’s decision to “go acoustic” took the majority of his fans by surprise, none more so than I! However, Bay Of Kings was a superb effort so imagine my horror to find out that Steve had performed it in my own home town some THREE days AFTER the gig! Thanks to some appalling advertising which also saw Steve booed at a previous gig where the audience had turned up expecting the full rock show! Anyway, thankfully my blushes have been spared since then and also thanks to the efforts of this taper, I have been able to listen to what I missed. This recording is an above average one which is very enjoyable to listen to. Taking an acoustic album on the road was practically unheard of back in 1983 and it is evident that Steve and John are slightly nervous about it and that hesitancy can be heard at times. There is nothing lacking in the performance department though as the brothers Hackett run through some of Steve’s finest moments and treat us to some classic rock done in a fine acoustic style. Another enjoyable and essential recording.

Track Listing: Horizons/Time-Lapse At Milton Keynes/Bay Of Kings/Calmaria/Hands Of The Priestess/ Jacuzzi/Overnight Sleeper/Hairless Heart/The Barren Land/Medley: The Steppes-In That Quiet Earth/Tales Of The Riverbank/Second Chance/Chinese Jam/Petropolis/Kim/The Water Wheel/Concert For MunichThe Journey/Ace Of Wands/Cradle Of Swans/Jazz On A Summer’s Night/Horizons.
Source: Audience Recording.

“The Acoustic King Returns” Palace Theatre Manchester 1st May 1988

After the GTR aberration, Steve was soon back at what he does best. The success of Bay Of Kings back in 1983 had persuaded him that there was a willingness on his fans’ part to take on board his acoustic leanings and 1988’s Momentum album saw him pushing the acoustic envelope even further. Thankfully once again, there are plenty of enjoyable recordings available from that tour. None more so, than this one from Steve’s show in Manchester. This is an excellent recording from what must have been an excellent vantage point and sound quality is nicely balanced throughout. Once again, Steve and John perform impeccably throughout and Steve’s sense of humour is displayed with his response to one audience member’s requests for “Supper’s Ready” with… “That was before the war…” bravo, Steve! Momentum itself, is a much more austere album than its predecessor and this concert was much more of a recital although there were some humorous moments too, not least Steve’s rendering of Katchachurian’s Sabre Dance during his only concession to electric music during his demonstration of the new Stepp DGI Guitar synthesiser, oh and who can forget the curiously titled The Carrot That Killed My Sister final encore?! Either way, this was another excellent performance captured on an equally excellent recording.

Track Listing: The Journey/Horizons/Bay Of Kings/A Bed, A Chair And A Guitar/Time Lapse At Milton Keynes/Tales Of The Riverbank/Ace Of Wands/Hands Of The Priestess/Jacuzzi/Overnight Sleeper/ Cavalcanti/ Second Chance/Portrait Of A Brazilian Lady/Still Life/Jazz On A Summer’s Night/Concert For Munich/Notre Dame Des Fleurs/Momentum/Stepp DGI Guitar Synth Improvisation/Silver/The Carrot That Killed My Sister.
Source: Audience Recording.

The Strand Redondo Beach CA USA 8th September 1992

Steve’s fans had a long wait before they had the chance to see him in action again but eventually in the autumn of 1992, Steve undertook a short tour of the USA and Canada during which he successfully road tested material that was to form the basis of his next album. Fortunately, there are several recordings available from these gigs but of the ones I have heard, this one is definitely the best. An above average audience recording captures the atmosphere and the fun of a Hackett gig in fine style. It is also a valuable document of material that was still very much a work in progress. The opening medley comprising excerpts from several of Steve’s finest moments including Please Don’t Touch gets the show under way and continues with Camino Royale which is every bit as enjoyable as on previous tours. The emphasis here is on the new however, and the set includes most of what was to become the Guitar Noir album several months later although some pieces are radically different from the final recorded versions and some have different titles too; Flight Of The Condor, for example which became Sierra Quemada on the album. Either way, an excellent and essential addition to any Hackett boot collection.

Track Listing: Medley (Inc: Myopia/Please Don’t Touch)/Camino Royale/Vampyre With A Healthy Appetite/Flight Of The Condor/Take These Pearls/Always Somewhere Else/In The Heart Of The City/Walking Away From Rainbows/There Are Many Sides To The Night/In That Quiet Earth/Dark As The Grave/Etruscan Serenade (Bass-Drum Duet)/Depth Charge/Everyday/Acoustic Medley (Inc: End Of Day/Horizons)/The Stumble.
Source: Audience Recording.

Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton 28th May 1993

The Guitar Noir album was finally released on 21st May 1993 and Steve played his first UK rock gig (excluding the 1990 TV show) in TEN years in Liverpool on the same day. This recording is from a few days later at the gig in Wolverhampton which has always been a stronghold for Hackett over the years. Once again, the recording is an above average audience one and it is an extremely enjoyable listen. By the time of this gig the set, had pretty much firmed up to that which would be performed throughout the rest of the tour. The audience are enthusiastic and it is great to hear some light hearted banter between Steve and the audience at times. Once again, the emphasis is on the newer material and it merges extremely well with the handful of classics that remain in the show including glorious renditions of In That Quiet Earth, Everyday, Spectral Mornings and Firth of Fifth. Several of the newer tracks have, of course, become bona fide Hackett classics too, none more so than Sierra Quemada and Cinema Paradiso. The audience were so enthusiastic at this gig that we were rewarded by an extra encore in the shape of the opening medley again an excellent end to an superb gig.

Track Listing: Medley (Inc: Myopia/Please Don’t Touch)/Camino Royale/A Vampyre With A Healthy Appetite./Sierra Quemada/Take These Pearls/In The Heart of The City/Walking Away From Rainbows/There Are Many Sides To The Night/Dark As The Grave/Depth Charge/In That Quiet Earth/Bass-Drum Duet/Always Somewhere Else/Lost In Your Eyes/Everyday/Acoustic Medley (Inc: Blood On The Rooftops-Horizons)/Cinema Paradiso/Spectral Mornings/Firth Of Fifth/Clocks- The Angel Of Mons/Medley (Reprise).
Source: Audience Recording.

Olgiate Comasco 26th November 1994

Steve decided to go “Unplugged” again for his 1994 tour in Italy this time, accompanied by keyboard maestro, Julian Colbeck who had been in Steve’s “Rock” band during the 1992/93 Guitar Noir tours. Once again, Steve explored different parts of his back catalogue and gave some established classics an unexpected twist. He even found space for a brief nod towards his Blues With A Feeling album including a marvellous acoustic rendering of A Blue Part Of Town. There were only a handful of shows on this tour and this is sadly an incomplete recording but what it lacks in completeness it more than compensate for in quality, as the taper has produced a real gem here with excellent sound quality throughout and another excellent addition to any collection.

Track Listing: Beja Flor/Kim/Second Chance/Oh, How I Love You/The Journey/Baroque/Walking Away From Rainbows/Concerto In D/A Blue Part of Town/There Are Many Sides To The Night/Ace Of Wands/Cinema Paradiso/Blues Coda/Jazz On A Summer’s Night.
Source: Audience Recording.

Castello Malatestiana Cesena 11th July 2001

Apart from the handful of shows in Japan in December 1996 which were to form the basis of the Tokio Tapes album VHS and DVD, fans had to wait an inordinate amount of time before they had the chance to see their hero again. Once again, Steve continued his love affair with Italy with a handful of electric shows in the summer of 2001. With almost three years elapsed since the release of the Darktown album, this was the first chance fans had to hear material from that album and indeed more road-testing of unreleased material. Thankfully, a few of the gigs were recorded and of those, this is the best in my opinion. An open air gig, which of course means you have the usual problems of sound disappearing at times. Nonetheless, the recording does capture the atmosphere and excitement of the show. It is obvious that Steve and his new band are having a great time and the mix of old and new material threw up a few surprises, none more so than the trio of Genesis tracks that nestle nicely between some of Steve’s own solo tracks. The new material gets a good reception too and deservedly so, the performances of Serpentine Song and Darktown and In Memoriam are superb!

Track Listing: Mechanical Bride/Serpentine Song/Watcher Of The Skies/Hairless Heart/Firth Of Fifth/Riding The Colossus/The Steppes/Walking Away From Rainbows/Sierra Quemada/A Vampyre With A Healthy Appetite/Gnossienne #3/A Tower Struck Down/Darktown/Camino Royale/In Memoriam/Los Endos.
Source: Audience Recording.

Santa Rosa Las Condes Santiago Chile 3rd July 2001

Surprisingly enough for someone who has spent a great amount of time in Brazil, Steve had never toured the South American continent before but he put that right with a lengthy tour there again in 2001. Once again, the emphasis of the gigs was on the newer material and continuing the road testing of unreleased music which Steve was still working up. Amazingly, a mixing desk recording of this gig has turned up and it is superb! Once again, it is obvious that the band are having a good time and they sound relaxed and confident throughout the show. Once again, the mix of old and new works a treat although the emphasis is deservedly put on the later period material which stands up extremely well against some of the more established classics in Steve’s catalogue.

Track Listing: Mechanical Bride/Medley; Jazz Jam/Los Endos/Imagining/Ace Of Wands/Hackett To Bits/Serpentine Song/Watcher of The Skies/Hairless Heart/Firth Of Fifth/Riding The Colossus/The Waiting Room/The Steppes/Gnossienne #1/Walking Away From Rainbows/Sierra Quemada/A Vampyre With A Healthy Appetite/A Tower Struck Down/Darktown/Camino Royale/In Memoriam/Blood On The Rooftops/Horizons/Los Endos/In That Quiet Earth.
Source: Soundboard Recording.

Tribute To The Love Generation Odaiba Aqua City Tokio Japan 12th January 2002

By the beginning of 2002 Steve had really been bitten by the touring bug and even visited Japan again for the second time. This time however the performance was of an acoustic nature with these being the first performances by the acoustic trio of Steve, his brother John and Roger King. These gigs marked the welcome return of John to the performing stage after his accident and it is wonderful to hear him with Steve again.

The show continues the trend set by Steve’s previous acoustic outings by mixing old established classics from his repertoire along with re-workings of rock tracks in an acoustic setting which was very much to become the mould for many o f his future outings. With the addition of both the A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Sketches Of Satie to the catalogue, there was no shortage of excellent new material for fans to get their teeth into and thankfully all three of the shows Steve played in Japan are captured in near perfect quality and this is the first of them - excellent stuff!

Track Listing: Horizons/Gnossienne #1/Bacchus-Firth Of Fifth-Bay Of Kings/Syrinx/Imagining/Second Chance/Jacuzzi-Overnight Sleeper/The Barren Land/Kim/Time Lapse At Milton Keynes/Improvisation/Concerto In D/Hairless Heart/Cinema Paradiso/Mustardseed/Gymnopedie #1/Jazz On A Summer’s Night/Little Cloud/Cavalcanti/Walking Away From Rainbows/Tales Of The Riverbank/The Journey-Skye Boat Song-By Paved Fountain-Blood On The Rooftops-Hands Of The Priestess/All Is Mended/Ace Of Wands/Idylle/Aubade/Meditation/Bacchus-Firth of Fifth (Reprise).
Source: Audience Recording.

Teatro Sociale Trento Italy 28th April 2002

Yet another “Italian Job”! Steve’s ongoing love affair with Italy continued in the spring of 2002 with a handful of shows featuring the acoustic trio again. The emphasis of these gigs was purely on the acoustic side of Steve’s music although once again there was a fair amount of rock in an acoustic setting. The set tonight, was pretty much as it had been for the Japanese gigs back in January. Once again, the taper has done an excellent job and this is a recording to be set alongside any of the others in this article.

Track Listing: Horizons/Gnossienne #1/Bouree-Bacchus-Bay Of Kings/Syrinx/Imagining-Second Chance-Jacuzzi-Overnight Sleeper-The Barren Land-Black Light-Kim/Time Lapse At Milton Keynes/The Chinese Jam/Hairless Heart/Mustard Seed/Cinema Paradiso/Gymnopedie #1/Jazz On A Summer’s Night/Cavalcanti/Walking Away From Rainbows/Tales Of The Riverbank/Munich/The Journey/Skye Boat Song-By Paved Fountain-Carcassi-Blood On The Rooftops-Hands Of The Priestess/There Are Many Sides To The Night/Ace of Wands/Idylle/Aubade/Meditation.
Source: Audience Recording.

BB King’s Club New York NY USA 28th June 2002

Back to Rock ‘n’ Roll a-la- Hackett for this show, one of a handful that Steve performed with his new band in the USA in the summer of 2002 during which he continued to work up material from the as yet unreleased follow up to Darktown. The set is a dramatic one and one which was to be indicative of Steve’s new direction. Opening with the as yet unreleased Mechanical Bride, it was evident that Steve was not going to take any prisoners tonight! Once again, the emphasis was on the new material with outings for both Mechanical Bride and the wonderful Serpentine Song as well as several instrumental pieces which are still to be recorded officially. Thankfully Darktown too gets a good look in with parts of Omega Metallicus making their way into one of the medleys while both Darktown itself and the marvellous In Memoriam also feature. This latter is a poignant recording because Steve had heard about the death of The Who’s bassist; John Entwistle and he dedicates it to John tonight - a nice gesture and an all too rare performance of this superb track! Another rarity also appears here in the performance of Spectral Mornings. Why? Well, surprisingly enough, this performance includes the introduction which has seldom (if ever) been played since the album was released back in 1979. Another surprise was the inclusion of Hairless Heart which once again, served to demonstrate exactly how under represented Steve was on The Lamb…The recording is a bit flat but clear throughout. I suspect that the flatness of the recording is down to the acoustics of the room itself but either way, another essential recording for collectors.

Track Listing: The Floating Seventh/Mechanical Bride/Medley (Inc: Myopia-Los Endos-Ace Of Wands-Please Don’t Touch)/Serpentine Song/Watcher Of The Skies/Hairless Heart/Riding The Colossus/Pollution/ The Steppes/In Memoriam/Slave Girls/Vampyre With A Healthy Appetite/Spectral Mornings/Lucridus/ Darktown/Camino Royale/Everyday/Medley: Los Endos-Dancing With The Moonlit Knight-Los Endos.
Source: Audience Recording.

“A Midsummer Night’s Concert” Club Naima Forli Italy 1st November 2002

Back to acoustic delight for this one. The trio continued to build their reputation for live excellence with this show. Once again, the set is predominantly the same as it had been for the earlier shows in Japan and Italy. The trio are obviously having fun and none more so than when Steve wryly replies after a mobile telephone has ruined a flute passage by John. That he didn’t know that John could get a ringing effect on his flute! Crystal clear throughout, this is one of the best bootleg recordings I have ever heard and it is definitely a must have for collectors.

Track Listing: Horizons/Gnossienne #1/Bouree-Bacchus-Improvisation-Firth Of Fifth/Bay Of Kings/Medley (Inc: Syrinx-Imagining-Second Chance-Jacuzzi-Overnight Sleeper)/The Barren Land/Kim/Medley (Inc: Cuckoo Cocoon-Dancing With The Moonlit Knight-Blood On The Rooftops)/Time Lapse At Milton Keynes/Improvisation/Hairless Heart/Cinema Paradiso/Gymnopedie #1/Jazz On A Summer’s Night/Cavalcanti/Walking Away From Rainbows/Tales Of The Riverbank/Concert For Munich/The Journey/Skye Boat Song/By Paved Fountain/Hands Of The Priestess/Ace Of Wands/Idylle-Aubade-Meditation.
Source: Audience DAT Recording.

Queen Elizabeth Hall London 28th October 2003

With To Watch The Storms showcasing Steve’s happier side, it wasn’t long before he was on the road again and this time for his first extensive tour of the UK since 1993. These long-awaited shows were not a disappointment and thankfully most of them appear to have been recorded in one form or another. This recording, taken from the gig at the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Hall in London is typical of both the set and the quality of recording available from this tour. For this tour, despite the fact that he was ostensibly promoting a new album, Steve gave the audience a healthy mix of the old and new although from this listener’s perspective, it was disappointing that Darktown was grossly under represented in the set with only the title track making an appearance this time round. However, there was something for everybody in the set list really. Sound wise, this is an above average audience recording although, once again as was the case with the recording from the B B King’s club, the acoustics of the hall give it a somewhat flat sound which is nevertheless clear throughout.

Track Listing: Mechanical Bride/Serpentine Song/Watcher Of The Skies/Hairless Heart/Darktown/Camino Royale/Pollution B/The Steppes/Acoustic Set/Kim/Walking Away From Rainbows/Slogans/Everyday/Please Don’t Touch/Firth Of Fifth/A Vampyre With A Healthy Appetite/Clocks/Spectral Mornings/Brand New/Los Endos/In That Quiet Earth.
Source: Audience Recording.

Mick Jagger Centre Dartford 4th March 2004

Aaah, the memories! Yes, this is one of those gigs that yours truly was lucky enough to attend and one which I will remember to my dying day! Many fans made the mistake of thinking that the 2004 tour was merely an extension of the 2003 To Watch The Storms tour. How wrong they were! If this tour can be called anything it should definitely be “Greatest Hits” because without doubt, the set list played in 04 was the most representative of Steve’s career. This recording is from the opening night and man ages to capture the excitement and atmosphere of this magnificent gig. Thankfully, the taper was nowhere near yours truly when Steve announced Blood On The Rooftops! An impeccable recording and one which fully does justice to this magnificent set.

Track Listing: Valley Of The Kings/Mechanical Bride/Circus Of Becoming/Frozen Statues/Slogans/ Serpentine Song/Ace of \Wands/Hammer In The Sand/Acoustic Set/Horizons/Imagining/Second Chance/Blood On The Rooftops/Fly On A Windshield/Please Don’t Touch/Firth Of Fifth/A Dark Night In Toytown/Darktown/ Brand New/Air Conditioned Nightmare/Clocks/Spectral Mornings/Los Endos.
Source: Audience Recording.

Carnglaze Caverns Liskeard 8th April 2005

Yes, a ROCK gig in every sense of the word! This one took place inside a series of slate quarry caverns and has to be the most unusual venue for a gig I have ever been to! Another wonderful night all round and captured here in excellent quality too! Steve, John and Roger were all in excellent form although the prize for funniest comment of the night must go to the manager of the caverns with his exhortation for everyone to leave their mobile phones ON. Anyone who managed to get a signal would be rewarded with free beer! Not that you needed alcohol at this gig...!

Back to acoustic delight for the set list which continued the format which had become the norm during previous outings by the trio. The humour didn’t get any better with Roger moaning about who was the “star” of the show because Steve was the only one with access to the portable on stage heater! Musically the show was every bit as enjoyable as previous ones by the trio and the taper has managed to do a magnificent job of capturing the show in excellent quality sound.

Track Listing: Classical Jazz/Metamorpheus Medley/Black Light/Tales Of The Riverbank/Tribute To Segovia/Brand New-The Barren Land/Skye Boat Song/Horizons/Jacuzzi-Overnight Sleeper/Bacchus/Firth Of Fifth/Whole Tone Jam/The Red Flower Of Taichi Blooms Everywhere/Hands Of The Priestess/After The Ordeal/Hairless Heart/M3/Imagining/Second Chance/Jazz On A Summer’s Night/Next Time Around//Kim/Idylle-Aubade-Meditation/The Jourmey/Ace Of Wands/Walking Away From Rainbows/Gnossienne #1.
Source: Audience Recording.

With Steve’s most recent outings being further acoustic shows which predominantly feature the same set list as the 2005 tour, I will draw this feature to a close. I hope it proved of interest and thanks to the efforts to all of the “anonymous” people whose efforts it documents!