"Revisiting Old Friends" - Steve Hackett in concert at The Sage Gateshead on 15th May 2013. Review by Ursula Underhay. Photographs by Alan Hewitt.

For all of Steve Hackett and early Genesis fans out there - seeing this guitar legend on his latest tour is truly a godsend!

To me usually the City Hall in Newcastle is usually THE venue to see such classic acts perform. So I was more than doubtful to hear that Steve would be playing the less atmospheric Gateshead Sage. However, if there is one man who could bring the place alive, it would be Steve and his Genesis Revisited tour.

After the evening sun finally set against the Newcastle skyline , the show began with support act; Anne-Marie Helder , a folk type singer-songwriter who definitely set the atmosphere for the night. I would have liked to have seen more of her set but only managed to catch the last couple of songs due to chatting excessively to the many Hackett/Genesis followers at the bar - still the scene was set for the wonderful night which lay ahead.

Steve Hackett is the only ex-Genesis member currently playing music from their golden era of 1971 -77 to promote his latest Genesis Revisited II album. The atmosphere at The Sage (and no doubt other venues across the UK) was electric from start to finish with many fans not realising exactly classics lay ahead on the setlist. Singer Nad Sylvan did not sound dissimilar to the original vocals of Peter or Phil and hearing songs from albums like the wonderfully surreal Nursery Cryme through to the epic Wind & Wuthering being played out by Steve and his band in their own individual style was magnificent.

Classic after classic such as the beautiful The Lamia from Genesis’ most outstanding LP: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and the haunting Entangled kept the audience mesmerised wondering what could possibly be next. Few of us thought however that the entire unedited version of Supper’s Ready which is always interesting live, was going to follow. The encore with one of Steve’s most memorable guitar pieces, Firth Of Fifth was dedicated to the memory of TWR’s Alan’s father which was a nice touch.

Having such songs played out by the great man himself who helped pen these wonderful sounds together with the mighty Banks & Co is a rarity and a must for any Genesis fan.

For anyone who has not yet see the Revisited tour with Steve make sure that you are there for the autumn shows! Steve sounds and looks as fresh now as when we were growing up with his music in the 1970’s (For those of us old enough to remember). It is not a tour to be missed. The Grime on the Tyne will still be waiting for you in October along with a few thousand diehard fans and this time it is at the Newcastle City Hall!