The first forty minutes saw Hackett reminding us he’s not just all about keeping the Genesis flame alive, he’s also still a contemporary recording artist of some significance All photos by Mark Stimpson 'Well, isn’t it lovely to be able to go out again? Our first tour in 18 months', Steve Hackett gushes after the..
MARIO GIAMMETTI – GENESIS: The Phil Collins Years 1975-2021 (Book Review) (Kingmaker Publishing)
After Peter Gabriel departed from Genesis in 1975, following the completion of the Lamb Lies Down On Broadway tour, Genesis went through a short process of auditioning singers to replace their iconic singer, with Mick Stickland the only serious contender, before finally realising the right man for the job was already there, sitting behind the..
YES – THE QUEST (InsideOut / Sony)
Initially driven by the vision of Jon Anderson, the seventies Yes helped to pioneer new developments in the usage of synths and sound effects in contemporary music and, in their pomp as grand overlords, helped create the template of progressive rock, releasing timeless albums like Close To The Edge, consistently voted as a prog classic...
NEW DAY FESTIVAL 2021 (August 20-22, Mount Ephraim Gardens, Faversham)
PHOTOS BY John Bull ([email protected]) After a year’s enforced absence, the New Day Festival welcomed back fans to listen to three days of music, performed by a wide assortment of acts, in the sumptuous settings of beautiful Mount Ephraim gardens, just a few miles north-west of Canterbury. A new day perhaps, but it seemed as..
TONY KAYE – End Of Innocence (Spirit Of Unicorn Music)
Watching the twin towers collapsing on September 11th 2001 triggered conflicting emotions and responses in different people. For ex-Yes man Tony Kaye, watching in the US, it triggered a desire to want to express his feelings and emotions in music. He stated: 'The day after, I unpacked my keyboards for the first time in a..
CARAVAN – Who Do We Think We Are? – Box Set (Madfish)
Billed as the ultimate tribute to legendary Canterbury band Caravan, this monumental undertaking comprises all sixteen studio albums, some with a CD of bonus tracks, four official ‘live’ albums plus eleven previously unreleased ‘live’ albums, a Blu-Ray of In The Land Of Grey And Pink, and a DVD of rare performances across Europe, including recordings..
TRIFECTA – Fragments (Kscope)
Trifecta is an amalgam of three superlative musicians who, while playing together on tour with Steven Wilson, often jammed together in their downtime, forming their own little ‘jazz club.’ The three guys, Nick Beggs (bass), Adam Holzman (keys) and Craig Blundell (drums), finding themselves with the opportunity, despite the many other projects they’re all involved..
SCOTT McKEON – New Morning (Scott McKeon Music)
...an earthy, raw guitar-led album,and a good showcase for McKeon’s remarkable guitar dexterity Any guitar man who can make a name fronting his own band when only thirteen has to have some kind of special talent. Scott McKeon has proven down the years he has the rare ability to play guitar and be able to..
STEVE HOWE: Discussing the strength of his latest ‘Homebrew’
Still caught up in the clutches of a global pandemic preventing touring, Steve Howe has once again fallen back on his inner resources and come up with another solo album, his 22nd, following on from 2020’s Love Is. In July 2020 he stated, 'In terms of writing and recording work, it (the lockdown) was a..
AIRBAG – IDENTITY: REMASTER (Karisma)
Airbag emerged when a group of friends went to see Pink Floyd on their Division Bell tour, 1994, with Identity being their debut album, released in 2009 and now being reissued in 2021 after being remixed and remastered with some vocals and guitar being rerecorded. Prior to Airbag, however, they were a Pink Floyd tribute..