Steve Hackett Event, Remscheid, Germany - March 09

Enormous exhibit at the venue, courtesy of Attila Egerhazi
Photo © Jo Lehmann

The Exhibition
Photo © Jo Lehmann

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

The spectacular exhibition of photos was impressive in its comprehensiveness covering humble beginnings to the present day... Thank you everybody for all your efforts in making the whole thing such an unforgettable event. These days every gig is a highly emotional experience, made all the sweeter for the swift passing of time. It's impossible to be blasé no matter how many times I've made live appearances, when received with such obvious love and enthusiasm from the crowd.

As we arrived, the empty streets of Remscheid had a Pied Piper/Grimm’s Fairytale feel to them, as if in mourning after all the town's children had just been removed for nefarious purposes. Even spookier was the feeling of walking those same streets at night with a light foggy drizzle settling in, giving its archaic daylight charm the sudden appearance of a Tim Burton set... doors closed... obvious recent vampire/werewolf activity. But it never ceases to amaze me how one minute you're in an apparently deserted town, only to find out the gig is packed to the rafters!

Steve in Remscheid
Photo © Jo Lehmann

Sometimes it's good to just join the audience out front to see and hear something of what drew them in the first place. On Friday 27 March, the first day of the event, I got that chance as I wasn't due to play until the following day. I felt proud watching John Hackett and Nick Magnus' obvious musicianship sound so fine.

On the Saturday I believe I managed to sign every last memento and be photographed with virtually everyone individually. But I couldn't see straight for a while after all the popping cameras... then on to the stage... a flurry of talcum powder before a wonderfully enthusiastic crowd. It was certainly fab to be at work with the Trio once more, so hard on the heels of the Body Electric in Italy. You know I love both bands and it's even more than music when you’re working with friends. Roger King, who as well as being a great musician and all-rounder, has become a lynch-pin of the new organisation. Of course the one-time church had great acoustics, with a little help from the odd touch of heavenly reverb, courtesy of Richard Buckland, R.B. to his friends, a man of many parts and often little sleep on these jaunts.

For all those on the road this time, thank you Jo, Roger, Nick, Dick, John, Katrin and Richard... Brian and Win for liaising... Steph, Martina and Jana, Mino, Franco and the guy who had a portrait of me tattooed on his leg, plus all who participated, 'til next time with lots of love, Steve.

Congratulations to the members of The Watch for their powerful performance. Special thanks to everyone who contributed and particularly to the dynamic team who mounted the event... Helmut Janisch, Christian Gerhardts, Peter Schütz, Mark Brinkmann, Martin Klinkhardt, Jan Kruse, Johannes Strosche, Martin Timmerbeil, Volker Warncke, Karsten Weidner, Bernd Zindler and Steffen Gerlach.

Set List for Saturday's concert