Live Review: Steve Hackett: Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo

Steve Hackett - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Steve Hackett - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Writing and Photography by Bobby Talamine
Edited by Fiza Javid

Rialto Square Theatre - Joliet, IL
Thursday - November 6, 2025

Have to give Steve Hackett credits and props- lots and lots of props.
To successfully and meaningfully resurrect the magnificent catalog of Genesis, over and over again, like over a decade- just amazing.

This current tour, "Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & More", at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, and still with the same band intact, except for Nick D'Virgilio on drums, replacing for the time being Craig Blundell.

Nick has solid chops, as is well needed in anything Genesis related, let alone Steve's solo material, "complex" of course being the order of the day.
He was a member in Spock's Beard, along with Big Big Train, and has done session work with Tears for Fears.

Along with Nick on drums, the longstanding bandmates with Steve are Roger King (keyboards), Nad Sylvan on vocals, Jonas Reingold on bass and backing vocals, and Rob Townsend (saxophone, flutes, and additional keyboards and samples).

Speaking of Jonas Reingold- his bass solo in particular- have to give him credit.
The solo- a huge nod to the mighty Jaco Pastorius, known for his work with Weather Report of course, let alone side by side with Joni Mitchell as well with some important albums.
Still, his solo, although dialed down and delicate, still vibrant with the theme of Jaco's, emphasizing fearless fret work with a nod and a wink to song snippets of yore. Very well done, especially in the Steve Hackett camp of all things.

So the musicians surrounding Steve, like all in, making this such a memorable show.
The evening- comprised of two sets along with encore.
The first set- Steve Hackett solo material, nine songs in total, dating back to Steve's first solo album back in 1975, to the present day.

All songs in the first set blended and bounded together nicely, opening with "People of the Smoke", from Steve's latest release, "The Circus and the Nightwale", back in 2024.
A song that covers all bases with Steve to the present day, gnarly with twists and turns of course, but still captivating, accentuated with the divine fretwork of Steve throughout.

So is much of Steve's solo material, particularly the ending to set one with "Shadow of the Hierophant", from Steve's first solo album "Voyage of the Acolyte" back in 1975.
That song in particular, although edited a bit down in length, still captivates and resonates, still builds and builds and builds with sonic overdrives of immeasurable beauty, like a guitar army coming down from the heavens to convey bursts of passionate English anguish followed by blissful peace of mind.
Yes, I know that last sentence speaks lots.

Still, no other way to capture in writing the meaning of it, hearing it performed live and in person.
Such a sonic onslaught of purpose and fortitude.

A brief twenty minute break, then off into set two, and all things Genesis.

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Steve Hackett - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Steve Hackett - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Steve Hackett - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Steve Hackett - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Steve Hackett - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Steve Hackett - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Steve Hackett - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

Steve Hackett - Bobby Talamine (c) 2025

​Opening of course with "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway", now over 50 years old...
Hard to comprehend that, considering just how fresh and clean and pertinent it still sounds to the present day, played with urgency, played with sonic might.

All manner of Lamb songs picked and chosen for this tour- sounding superb, lyrics still fascinating and sung, courtesy of Nad Sylvan, and the keyboard work of Roger King adding the necessary sonic oversight to the proceedings, all things "bass pedals" intact.

Can't overlook the woodwinds throughout as well, courtesy of Rob Townsend, and the steady backbeats from Nick as well.

The Lamb songs, they just have a sense of longing to them, like being with your best friends from the past, that you haven't seen in years and years.

"Fly on a Windshield", "Broadway Melody of 1974"- such was the case with the opening of set two, with three songs in particular from Lamb that still have a grip on you, like most of them do.
But still, hearing the song "it" performed live...that conveys so much to me.

"it", often overlooked unfortunately, especially in radio airplay over the decades since Lamb's release...why?

Who knows.

Maybe partly because it was buried as the last song on that double album, like a throwaway, or whatever, considering the dumbass minds of most radio programmers from the seventies and early eighties.
How unfortunate.

That song in particular, although a bit short in length, like a bit above four minutes- just so enlightening, so full of life and promise.

What a magnificent song, played live with a band that has the same grit and DNA as Steve.
And of course the mighty encore, encompassing the trailblazing "Firth of Fifth", mighty Steve guitar solo from the heavens intact.

Followed by a rambunctious drum solo from Nick, and ending with a wallop - "Los Endos / Slogans / Los Endos".
What and evening with Steve Hacket and band, songs they can dive in and sink their teeth into, leaving fans like me stunned,
All things Steve Hackett and anything Genesis revisited, with this band of his, never never gets old.

Bobby Talamine   JBTV Music Television Chicago

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Steve Hacket, Joliet, Illinois, Genesis, Live Music, Winter 2025, JBTV Music Television, Bobby Talamine, Jerry Bryant, Fiza Javid