STEVE'S BLOG - Latest muses from Steve


TOUR BLOGS - CLICK HERE TO VIEW TOUR BLOGS

The passing of a great man - April 2013

A friend once described a Havens show as 'like watching the whole of humanity perform.'... More...

A Midsummer Night's Dream - April 13

I'm thrilled that EMI is re-releasing this album... More...

Factory fires burning bright - March 13

It's been an active week, with band rehearsals for the Genesis Revisited world tour, plus attending shows... More...

Wild and Wuthering - February 13

It was great see so many friends both old and new at the Classic Rock Society (CRS) awards on Saturday... More...

Shedding light on the past - February 13

It's great that InsideOut are re-releasing seven albums from my back catalogue, spanning several eras... More...

Happy Birthday! - February 13

Thank you everyone for all your fabulous birthday messages... More...

Top of the Progs! - February 13

I was thrilled to receive both Prog Magazine award for top guitarist and Album of 2012 Prog Rocks! award for Genesis Revisited II... More...

Silver snowstorm - January 13

"Silver snowstorm, music without words..." this line from "Serpentine Song" somehow encapsulates the snowy landscape for me... More...

Into a primal paradise - January 13

From the moment the plane touched down in Mexico's Yucatan, Jo and I were captivated by the area... More...

Christmas message - December 12

As sure as Eggs is Eggs, Aplocalypse in 9/8 didn't occur on the 21st... More...

Lamb Lies Down on the Runway - December 12

From tanks to tigermoths... by coincidence in the same week as the tank excursion around Budapest, I visited a huge abandoned airbase... More...

Stepping through time - November 12

The last two weeks have been full of experiences with a strange sense of time travel... More...

Genesis Revisited II - Secrets of the images - November 12

In late 2008 Jo and I noticed various photos of me and images in a book about Genesis in Italy that were particularly special... More...

Whirlwind week - October 12

This last week has been extraordinary, kicking off with the release of Genesis Revisited II and the launch party... More...

Launched in style - October 12

The launch party for my new album was held at Proud Cabaret... More...

Genesis revisited and remembered - October 12

Steve Hackett's Genesis Revisited II song choice commentary - A retrospective with memories of the original recordings... More...

Genoa remembers Genesis - October 12

Jo and I flew to Genoa on Saturday 6th October for an event to celebrate Genesis' first tour in Italy in 1972 following the release of Foxtrot... More...

The world behind the wardrobe - October 12

I've read many books by CS Lewis... and I've often wondered about the man behind the work and the world around the man... More...

There's no place like Rome - September 12

Just been on a lightning visit to Rome with Jo and our friend Dizzy... More...

Progtastic! - September 12

The first Prog Awards ceremony organised by Prog Magazine took place last night (5 September) at Kew Gardens... More...

Spanish spirit rising... August 12

On a short visit to Granada in Andalusia with Jo I knew beforehand it was going to be a kind of pilgrimage... More...

Into the past... August 12

It was an emotional trip to Adria on Friday 10th August, revisiting the scene of Genesis' first gig in Italy, a mere 40 years ago... More...

Supper's almost ready! - August 12

Since re-opening the Musical Box earlier this year to re-live the magic of the band I was once involved with, between shows I've been working flat out on Genesis Revisited II... More...

Purple passing - July 12

I was saddened to hear of Jon Lord's death... More...

Northern Italy earthquake - June 12

I was concerned when I heard about the earthquakes in Northern Italy in a region close to where I recently played... More...

Squackett revealed - A Life Within a Day - May 12

Look out everyone - Squackett is about to be unleashed... More...

Through your window - May 12

The 20th May show in Islington and release of the double single Enter the Night (re-mixed) / 'Til these Eyes on 21st May are both supporting the charity Childline... More...

Guitar pioneer - April 12

Dear Bert Weedon struck a chord with all of us on black and white TV, forever in our childhood... More...

Marshall memories - April 12

All my guitar heroes of the sixties used Marshall amps... More...

Festival fanfare - March 12

The Isle of Wight beckons as the sun gains strength... More...

Squackett on the loose - March 12

How to handle a Squackett?... More...

Classic Rock Society Awards - March 12

It was an honour for me to receive the best guitarist award when Jo and I attended the CRS awards ceremony on 3rd March at the Montgomery Hall in Wath-Upon-Dearne near Rotherham... More...

Reopening the musical box - January 12

For the past two weeks I've been starting work on a successor to the Genesis revisited project... More...

In and out with the tide - December 11

Taking a break up in Norfolk, I've had a chance to get down to the sea and enjoy its vibrant energy in the wilder parts of the coast... More...

Winter Londonland - December 11

It's been an action packed year with such an exceptional response to all the band work, or do I mean play?... More...

Whirlwind week - November 11

This week has been all systems go... More...

There's no place like Roma - October 11

At the weekend I took part in the Prog Exhibition 2011 at the Teatro Tendastrisce, Rome, featuring several acts under a huge circus tent... More...

New album - Welcome to an odyssey - September 11

I'm thrilled by the reaction to "Beyond the Shrouded Horizon". Many people have shown interest in the ideas behind the songs, so I'll take you on a brief journey through the album's inner universe... More...

Celebrating new album release - September 11

Last night band members, partners and our publicist Sharon all celebrated the album release together... More...

Hands of the stringbender - September 11

Dear friend, enter this treasure-trove where you'll find a secret map. Herewith exhumed are the bones of an album and the confessions of a committed stringbender... More...

In memoriam to a friend - September 11

I was very sad today to hear the news that Richard Stewart, friend and fellow musician, died this morning after a long fight with cancer... More...

Singing seas and mythical islands - September 11

Jo and I have just returned from a belated honeymoon in the Greek islands... More...

Into warp drive - August 11

Life has been really busy these past weeks, but in a good way, preparing for the album release amongst other things... More...

Beyond the shrouded image - August 11

As there has already been a considerable amount of interest shown so far in the forthcoming new album cover, I felt it appropriate for Harry Pearce to share his personal recollections of taking this intriguing image... More...

Tales of a riverbanker - July 11

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner, but walk the river with me. Of course it's a beautiful day... More...

Straight on to paradise - June 11

Just three days after the wedding, Roger, John, Katrin, Jo and I with Brian and Richard headed off the Italy for an acoustic trio gig... More...

Celebrations & Jubilations! - June 11

Jo and I are overwhelmed by all the wonderful messages we have received to wish us well for our wedding... More...

Final destination in sight - April 11

I once referred to my studio as "The ship". With its blue and white walls and expanses of wood it does indeed have that feel, but perhaps even more to the point, the albums I make invariably feel like a voyage of discovery... More...

The moon's other face - March 11

It's as much perspiration as inspiration in the studio right now, but I of course I wouldn't have it any other way, as reluctant songs allow themselves to be led into the dance. But at night from the Land of Nod dreams can be incredibly vivid and useful. If I'm especially lucky I might awake with a present of a new melody or two.... More...

Awakening the past - March 11

Jo and I were invited by our friend and editor of Dusk Magazine Mario Giammetti to attend a celebration of music in honour of his Musical Box book at the San Pietro a Majella Music Conservatory in Naples... More...

Support for Japan - March 11

I was in Naples contemplating the horror of the last day at Pompeii just after seeing the shapes of those who had died from the explosion of the volcano Vesuvius, when a close friend from England called to say that there had been the terrible disaster in Japan... More...

Cheering on - March 11

In the midst of an increasingly hectic recording schedule, my fiancé Jo and I fortunately managed to attend the Montgomery Hall in Wath-upon-Dearn for the Classic Rock Society annual awards... More...

Steve and Jo on Valentine's Day - February 11

On this Valentine's Day, I am very happy to announce my engagement to Jo Lehmann... More...

Happy Birthday Steve! - February 11

Some birthday wishes... More...

Blues for Gary - February 11

It's always sad to hear of the death of a fellow musician, but especially so when it's a guitarist of the calibre of Gary Moore... More...

Stoking the furnace - January 11

All seems quiet on the surface, but the creative melting pot is bubbling with many ideas and several projects... More...

Return to the studio - January 11

After about three years of having to forego recording my studio, I'm now able to be back in there... More...

Defying the elements - January 11

The Christmas lights have gone, it's raining outside, the temperature has plummeted again... but deep inside Hackett Towers, the fires have been lit, they're burning bright, and a new album is beginning to emerge from the darkness... More...

Christmas message from Steve - December 10

Hot off the rails from the UK tour, Roger and I are doing some last minute recording before we're all spirited away to the festive land of Seasonal Cheer... More...

Memory Lane - November 10

On the weekend Jo and I had a 'busman's' holiday, taking none other than the Magical Mystery Tour around the haunts of Liverpool made famous by the Fab Four courtesy of our tour guide Neil and the ever resourceful Mr Alan Hewitt... More...

Subterranean - November 10

In the above photo, beneath one railway and overlooking another is a lone window... More...

Inspiration on the doorstep - October 10

I'm recording at home right now, and when I can make a break for it, I go out walking... More...

Ports of call - September 10

Although I'm back from touring for a bit, life continues to be busy!... More...

Blue fire on Eel Pie - April 10

All the great advances in the '60s guitar sounds centred on the blues. For me around 1966 the earthly centre of blues delights was at the old hotel on Eel Pie Island in the middle of the River Thames at Twickenham... More...

Park days and waterways - April 10

Yesterday I revisited the setting of To Watch the Storms' Serpentine Song... More...

Hercules shines on - April 10

A short jaunt to Coruna, Galicia in the far north west of Spain, started a trifle early in the morning for our normally intrepid team... More...

In the sidewalk steam - March 10

Whilst on hand to receive the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction award with Genesis at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, I was reminded that New York appears to be built on steam... More...

In the Hall of the Mountain Fame - March 10

Make no mistake, the continuous howling symphony that haunts New York City is a shock to the virgin visitor at the best of times, but imagine that augmented by hurricane force winds ripping flag poles from the top of King Kong's favourite building, the Empire State, and it'll give you some idea of the weather that greeted our arrival two days prior to Genesis' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame... More...

The Lamb Wakes Up on Broadway - March 10

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was originally Ahmet Ertegun's brainchild. The idea was to give notable musicians and music business people recognition... More...

Into the night - March 10

Although now I'm practically teetotal I wasn't always so abstemious. I was able to turn in a passable stage performance most nights in my young Genesis days, but once off stage I would head for a drink... More...

All the world's a stage - February 10

In the mid seventies the Holland Park area of London loomed large as a backdrop against a life of relentless touring... More...

The ice between the worlds - February 10

This biting cold winter in which we're stuck was highlighted for me in Helsinki, where amidst the snow on the edge of a frozen sea it wasn't hard to imagine we were in the grip of the Snow Queen's magic... More...

Walking through rainbows - January 10

When I was a child in the mid 50's living at 40 Sullivan House, Churchill Gardens an awesome site confronted me very night from my bedroom window - Battersea Power Station, belching out fumes sometimes from all four smokestacks... More...

Full steam ahead - December 09

It's been a bumper year for guitar solos. Fifteen billion notes clocked up on my patented fretometer designed to thwart any attempt to enter the hallowed portals of the Guinness Book of Records... More...

It's a wrap for Christmas - December 09

Blessed are the cracked for they shall let in the light... whilst it's sleeting down outside the window, be of good cheer... More...

Yes it's Copenhagen! - December 09

One of the many salubrious pals on Out of the Tunnel's Mouth was Chris Squire, which made for an interesting approach to the tracks he contributed to - specifically Fire on the Moon and Nomads... More...

Selling Progressive by the Pound - October 09

Whilst the Prog genre is currently being reappraised to the extent where it's arguably hip once again to admit to having had a record collection that included a Yes album or two, not to mention the occasional Procul Harem (or was it Progul Harem?)... More...

Live Longer - October 09

Amongst the group of people we spent the evening with after Marco's concert at Westminster Cathedral was Jo Cummins, who had been active that day in supporting a walk for Lynn's Bowel Cancer Campaign, Live Longer Walk in Hyde Park... More...

Marco's Magical Organ Recital - September 09

When I was a nine year old kid I remember being chased out of Westminster Cathedral with a bunch of other little urchins for making too much noise... More...

Out of the Tunnel & into the Living Room - September 09

This year has been full of problems turned into unique solutions and triumphs out of disasters. More...

The Passing of a Legend - August 09

There must be something significant about great guitarists rarely making it past the age of 94. Witness the death of Andres Segovia, still active into his 90s. Now the passing of Les Paul at the same age... More...

Smoke Signals - August 09

I wrote this blogette because Steph Kennedy wanted to know more about the album cover... More...

Time Bandits into the frame - July 09

Many moons ago in the early '60s Dad painted an intriguing picture entitled Rooftops of Dubrovnik... More...

The "Din Machine" Part II - The Last Overdub - June 09

Once again I've become a proud father of... a new album! More...

A Window on the Din Machine - May 09

Just to put you in the picture regards recording progress, my album's reaching that stage when the team gets to do all of the things that change it from a sketch into a proper painting.... More...

Orvieto Remembered - April 09

As reaction to the website has been so positive of late, I thought it might be a good time to glance back at an event which took place a short while before hackettsongs.com was up and running... More...

Italian Earthquake - April 09

Hard on the heels of the band’s recent Italian visit where we once more enjoyed the warm hospitality and enthusiasm of all our Italian friends, it was sobering to watch news reports of the L'Aquila earthquake and see the terrible tragedy unfold.... More...

A Silent Drum - John Mayhew - April 09

With the passing of John Mayhew it seems as if the book of Genesis has all of a sudden become a slimmer volume... More...

Rehearsals and Other Rackets - March 09

On 4th March the new thoroughly electric band convened in Darkest Putney... More...

The Snows of Sarajevo - February 09

Having just participated in the Organic Art Life Festival with Djabe, my Hungarian pals, I'm trying to get a feel for what life must have been like during the siege of 1992 - 1995.... More...

Songs of Experience - February 09

As Rock itself gets older, the obituary column gains more entries than we'd all like. I know I recently mentioned John Martyn and our brief encounter at the Townhouse, but how to pay homage to all the fallen, let alone do them justice?.... More...

A note on John Martyn's recent passing - February 09

In 1981 I was lucky enough to be in the Townhouse Studio with both John Martyn and Phil Collins just as Phil was playing John the latest mixes of 'Glorious Fool'.... More...

Addicted to Books - January 09

There are three books featuring characters that made very entertaining company recently, between recording sessions.... More...

TOUR BLOGS

From the rolling hills of Britain to the Emerald Isle - May 13

The British tour began on a high with Friars Aylesbury... More...

Euro tour blog part 3 - April / May 13

As I'm travelling in the tour bus now on the UK leg of the tour, the fun memories of Europe come flooding back... More...

Euro tour blog part 2 - The road to Rome - April 13

In gleaming sunshine with its fountains and Baroque splendour, Vienna was as beautiful as ever... More...

Genesis Revisited Europe tour blog - April 13

Waves of joy accompanied the start of the Genesis Revisited tour in Paris... More...

Genesis Revisited tour launched! - April 13

From the icy wastes of the UK to electric storms in Florida, we flew to the starting point of our tour in the shape of a large cruise ship, due to sail from Fort Lauderdale... More...

Tears for Peace - December 12

It was great to reconnect with Attila and all our Djabe friends when Ben Fenner, Jo and I arrived in Budapest... More...

Weeping angels and demon players - September 12

Playing at Weyfest near Farnham, UK, on the evening of 2nd August was delightful - a bit like a club of pals out for a Sunday jaunt... More...

South Bank Sparkle - August 12

It's an extraordinary time in London right now. The Olympics have created a real buzz and the city celebrates day and night!... More...

Rock around the ruins - July 12

Abbey Fest was held in Bury St Edmunds, where the romantic ruins of an old abbey adorn a beautiful park... More...

Band on the Rhine - July 12

I was thrilled to return to Loreley, an exquisite setting in an ancient Roman amphitheatre on a craggy outcrop above the river Rhine... More...

Magic on a summer's night - July 12

Saturday night's acoustic trio show was held at Trading Boundaries in Sussex, an old rambling house where several people claim to have seen ghosts... More...

Turning on the Sun - June 12

We left soon after 6am on Sunday morning for the Isle of Wight festival with coats and wellies at the ready... More...

Bridges between worlds - June 12

It's been an eventful week, starting with the much anticipated Squackett album release... More...

An event to remember - May 12

The Past and Present show at the Islington Assembly Hall, London was special... More...

Between the sunset and the date palms - May 12

From cold, rainy England to sunny Israel... our hosts Lior and Maya gave us a warm welcome at Tel Aviv airport... More...

Time travel through Italy - April 12

From an Etruscan sunset to a Roman spring, Italy is full of things to celebrate and explore... More...

Domes, spires and windy places - April 12

The mission... To play four shows in five days covering three countries - Hungary, Romania and Austria with irrepressible fusionites Djabe... More...

Mellotrons, mummies and monster riffs - February 12

And so the Hackett Circus rolled into the sell-out show at Southampton, roaring, rolling and tumbling in every way... More...

From the Hogweed Express to Beyond Loch Lomond - February 12

There was a Harry Potterish start to the second leg of the UK tour starting from Platform 0 at Kings Cross Station... More...

Farnham Fanfares and Brighton Rocks - February 12

Yours truly and band kicked off the Blighty tour at Farnham Maltings to a fantastic homecoming crowd... More...

Here it comes again - February 12

Once again I was invited to play with the Musical Box - this time in Zurich... More...

Across the water - November 11

Our musical Euro-wave began with a tour bus trip of a mere thousand miles... More...

From the moors to the metropolis - November 11

The initial journey towards our first tour destination took us deep into the mystical West Country... More...

La vie en rose - October 11

We had an ecstatic welcome for both French shows. It's fantastique to be gigging in France again now and to share in the joie de vivre... More...

Carefree and car free - August 11

A break from the grey porridge canopy of England! Welcomed once again by Vania Santi's warm embrace, I felt a surge of joy beneath the deep blue skies of Vittoria, Sicily... More...

Summer storms and rocking rivers - July 11

Ben Fenner, Jo and I have just returned from Hungary after a swift series of gigs with Djabe in that land of intellectual thinkers and hardy party goers who celebrate into the night, where the heat of the day lingers until it sometimes explodes into the most spectacular night storms I have ever seen... More...

Warsaw alfresco - May 11

On Saturday 14 May Lazienki Park hosted a free outdoor festival featuring Randy Brecker, brother of the late great Michael, plus the Wlodek Pawlik band and our acoustic trio in a mixture of jazz fusion meets rock meets Baroque in an interesting convergence of styles in front of a huge local crowd... More...

A tale of three cities - May 11

The early arrival of summer in Italy greeted us as warmly as all the wonderful Italians on our flying visit to Milan, Bologna and Rome... More...

From Baroque to Hendrix! - May 11

I was invited to play at a tribute to Hendrix festival in Wroclaw, Poland as the Acoustic Trio with Roger and Rob... More...

Through thick and thin! - December 10

All those of you dreaming of a White Christmas have already had their dream come true, at least in these northern climes!... More...

Gabriel, gremlins And guitar power! - December 10

A brief breather again after Shepherds Bush. We received a lovely photo from our friends Angela and Maurizio from the previous break when we met up with Pete Gabriel at Harry Pearce's inspiring talk, seen here... More...

Snow drifts and guitar riffs - December 10

24th November was a day off and a chance to catch up with Pete Gabriel at the Logan Hall in London... More...

The train returns - November 10

As our tour blasted back into the UK the sparks flew in a full house at the Brook, Southampton... More...

A warm welcome - October 10

Portugal hits you by stealth when you're not looking... More...

Nature magic - September 10

The Acoustic Trio comprising Roger King, John Hackett and Yours Truly, was invited to play in beautiful Ascona in the Swiss part of Lake Maggiore... More...

Land of the Rising Sun - August 10

I visited Japan at the end of a long work cycle of gigs, but I felt renewed and energised rather than drained by it... More...

In the footsteps of Attila and Ghengis - August 10

It's been a wild ten days exploring new territory in Eastern Europe with Hungarian band Djabe.... More...

Ramparts, rainbows and ravioli - August 10

Overlooking the sea close to its cousin Genoa where we played last year is Savona, a stalwart and stronghold of Italian support for the diverse music and band line-ups I've aimed at them over the years... More...

Forums, fountains and festivals - July 10

I always feel that visiting Rome is like coming home... More...

High Voltage - July 10

They used to say that if you stood at Picadilly Circus for long enough you'd encounter everyone you'd ever met in your life - eventually!... More...

Made it to Manhattan! - July 10

Following the electric tour, Roger, Rob and I were due to do some acoustic trio shows back in the States... More...

Chateaux and celebrations - July 10

I always remembered Quebec as a special place, but this time it was more extraordinary than ever, shining like a jewel in the sunlight and bursting with life in the festive spirit... More...

Oh Canada... - July 10

Trois Rivieres in Quebec hosted the Festivoix Festival, which we previously played in 2002. We didn't exactly get the breaks with the weather eight years ago when the skies suddenly turned monsoon... But this year was a different story... More...

Another thousand miles down the line - July 10

And so we entered Chicago - and All that Jazz... in the hotel lobby and corridor, on the street corner and in the local bar... More...

Westward bound - June 10

Falls Church, Virginia was the most southerly spot of the tour, certainly the hottest place so far!... More...

Sunny skies, spirited nights - June 10

Westhampton Beach was a joy to walk around - a picture book coastal town amidst flowers in the sunshine, with an equally spectacular theatre.... More...

Nearfest revisited - June 10

Our North American tour kicked off on Friday 18th June on a gorgeous Mr Blue Sky day in front of a sell out crowd at the Lehigh Zoeliner Arts Center in Bethlehem, PA... More...

Music, missiles and zweets! - May 10

After the excellent Alsacian event the express whistlestop tour extended into Breda, Netherlands, via the suggested sat-nav route which left Swiss authorities bewildered as to why we kept traversing their territory whilst attempting to remain in France... More...

In the heart of Alsace - May 10

After a brief stop at the hotel after the 400 mile journey before climbing back into our transport of delight with Captain Coles at the helm, we wove through wooded hills, ruined castles and past white deer, before finally reaching our destination - the Hackett Event venue in Werenzhouse... More...

On the road again - May 10

Happily the early morning of 21 May greeted us with warm sunshine. Jo and I had a lie-in until 5.30am, standard fare for ferries to France followed by a same day show... More...

A world of celebration in Budapest - May 10

It was fab to play with Djabe again when I joined the band for its 15th anniversary show on 17 May 2010 in Budapest, complete with musicians from far and wide... More...

To the ashes of the cannon - April 10

The Icelandic volcano had delivered its disruptive plume, flights were grounded but as we were booked to appear at the festival in Gouveia, Portugal, we had to find a way to get there... More...

Helsinki freezes over - February 10

From the moment our plane arrived somewhat perilously on the ice-covered runway at lunch time Friday 5 Feb, it was obvious that we were in a land of snow palaces and tinkling sleigh rides... More...

Stand by your caravan - December 09

The Train on the Road tour pulled in to our two final UK destinations, the Brook at Southampton and the Assembly in Leamington Spa, with many familiar faces dotted around the audience... More...

New Kid on the Blog - December 09

Last night was Leamington Spa... the last show of the 2009 Train on the Road Tour, and what a great night it was!... More...

Swimming through the Isle - November 09

Our unforgettable tour of extremes continues through Britain... extreme rain, the heaviest ever recorded in some parts, but with wonderfully undampened enthusiasm from fans throughout the land... More...

Stormships and tramsheds - November 09

The whirlwind tour continues... days off feel like a thing of the past!... More...

Red sky at night... shepherds alight - November 09

As the tour bus hurtles meteorically towards tonight's show at Buxton, I'm recollecting our first UK gigs in Falmouth, Exeter, Shepherds Bush, Norwich and Milton Keynes... More...

All the sleepers send you their dreams - November 09

The Train on the Road tour really kicked off under the railway arches of Putney, whilst we were still in training for a substantially new set featuring most of the new album Out of the Tunnel's Mouth... More...

So far... so good - November 09

Rehearsals, meetings
Red stop, Green Go
Red stop, Green Go... More...

On the road with the Steve Hackett eccentric band - November 09

It's really great seeing this whole thing grow on the road. I only started working with Steve in March (09) after he took a sabbatical from live work and already there is a palpable sense of excitement and anticipation from the audience before each show... More...

It's an ill wind... - November 09

Dear Bloggee, I am delighted to be curator of the Hackett "Olde Curiosity Blog" for a little bit... More...

Hamburg and beyond - November 09

Hamburg was magnificent. We are, of course, unbounded in our gratitude to the good Hamburgers who made the gig what it was - a raucous, energetic affair in a former munitions factory... More...

From rehearsals to Holland - October 09

Back together again for four days beneath the rattle of trains in a dark corner of Putney, the band and I emerged into the light with a new set... More...

Celebrating the Summer's End - October 09

It was the day of the Summer's End Festival in Lydney, Gloucester, a beautiful area between the Forest of Dean and the River Severn... More...

At the Polish hop - September 09

A whirlwind visit to Inowroclaw, pronounced Enovrotzlav, in central Poland three hours from Warsaw... More...

Blue Sky Over Italy - July 09

Italy isn't just sunny in postcards. From the point I arrived to the moment I left the sun shone continuously... More...

Postcards from Italy - Postcard 4 - July 09

Our Italian shows ended in Tivoli in an old Roman amphitheatre overlooked by medieval fortifications... More...

Postcards from Italy - Postcard 3 - July 09

After a swift flight from Milan to Naples we pass the apparently benign grey mass of the killer volcano, Vesuvius... More...

Postcards from Italy - Postcard 2 - July 09

It was 42 degrees centigrade on stage during soundcheck for last night's gig in beautiful Casel Maggiori... More...

Postcards from Italy - Postcard 1 - July 09

I might not have had time to imbibe the local Asti Spumante, but all the fizz was in the gig!... More...

Return to Loreley - July 09

Loreley, set in the heart of the Rhine valley, for me is the German landscape at its wild dramatic best... More...

Music on the Lake - Lugano Jazz Festival - July 09

After an hour or so travelling from Milan by road alongside some of the world's most spectacular scenery on a perfectly cloudless day Lake Lugano suddenly blazed into view... More...

Viva Las Palmas! - June 09

Las Palmas in Gran Canaria lies off the West coast of Africa, just across the sea from the Sahara - an unusually exotic location for a gig, but like I’ve always said, "have guitar, will travel!" More...

Giving it wildly in the Hague - May 09

A human whirlwind passes through Holland tearing the air with the sound of a thousand furious blowers at the Hague Jazz Festival... More...

Steve Hackett Event, Remscheid, Germany - March 09

Congratulations to all who organised the Remscheid Klosterkirche show last weekend and to all who attended from far and wide... More...

Viva Italia Part 2! - March 09

In Pordenone the tour turned into a family outing. I was due to meet the most outrageous groupie of all time downtown - my mother June.... More...

Viva Italia! - March 09

At last we were out of rehearsals and heading off towards the culture that originally gave us roads, viaducts, irrigation and of course... pizzas.... More...

From our Italian correspondent - March 09

Buongiorno Italia! What more fitting a place for a rousing finale than magnificent Rome?... More...

CRS Boty Awards - January 09

Great music at the CRS Awards... really enjoyed Majenta and Frost... More...

Malaysia with Djabe - December 08

The invitation to play Kuala Lumpur and Penang Island came from Attila Egerhazi of Djabe a few months ago... More...

ALAN HEWITT

"The Best Of Both Worlds" Steve Hackett's 2009 UK tour as seen through the eyes of TWR's roving reporter: Alan Hewitt - December 09

Shepherds Bush Empire Theatre London.
A busy day this one. Spent the afternoon in the convivial company of Anthony Phillips giving him a severe grilling about his recent work including, of course, his participation on Steve's latest album before making my way in the company of TWR's very own web master, Stuart Barnes to the Empire for the first of this year's extravaganzas... More...

Just One More CD - A Merchandiser's Tale by: Alan Hewitt - March 09

The story of how I got involved within the machinery of Steve's tours seems to have become more apocryphal as time passes, so here for the benefit of those of you who may not be familiar with it, here is the TRUE story in brief... More...

Collecting Hackett - A maniac's guide by: Alan Hewitt - February 09

To the unitiated, the fascination that fans of a particular group or artist have for the assorted ephemera that are attached to their careers must seem nothing short of deranged. Funnily enough, my bank manager thinks exactly the same about my collecting "habit". More...

THE WELL - Hackett related reflections

London - February 09

Where does a certain Stephen Richard Hackett get his ideas and how do his songs take shape? More...

London - January 09

Just walked past Steve's old house in Princedale Road in Notting Hill, dropping off some borrowed Chelsea season tickets, lent by a kindly eye surgeon - I suppose that's one way of ensuring you get a good view of the game. More...

MARIO ON STEVE

'Steve Hackett - The Defector' by Mario Giammetti - January 09

Introduction to the book 'Steve Hackett- The Defector' Translated from Italian. By Mario Giammetti. Edizioni Segno, Italy, 2005. More...