From exotic tropics to Andean horizons - March 2015

On top of the world! Steve in Santiago

Steve and Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio

Steve on the Cocovado mountain, Rio

It's been at least thirteen years since my last tour in South America and I was thrilled to have the chance to go back. Lee Pomeroy was back on bass with us this time and it felt great to take our Genesis Revisited show to the area.

On our day off after arrival in Brazil, Nad, Jo and I went up the Corcovado in Rio where the gigantic statue of Christ watches over a magnificent view of the city with its incredible tropical mountains and beautiful coastline. The Rio gig had a terrific vibe, as did the São Paulo show which followed a couple of days later. It was good to be back in the saddle again with the boys. São Paulo is a huge built up city, but kind pal Arnie took Jo and me to a verdant peaceful park in the centre with a fascinating museum displaying the history of Afro-Brazilians... An amazingly vibrant culture shining through all the suffering.

And so on to Argentina... And what glorious weather! I don't think I've ever enjoyed my time there so much. On the first evening Jo and I were invited to join members of the Genesis tribute band Genetics with families and friends for a BBQ. it was a special evening. Lead singer Nacho had recently died in an accident and our hearts went out to his wife and two daughters. We saw some great sights. Pals Mike and Eli showed Jo and me around the spooky labyrinthine Recoleta cemetery along with those amazingly huge old trees nearby. From the atmospheric city of the dead to a hive of vibrant creativity... Friends Claudio and Mariana took us to La Boca, an area of Buenos Aires once very poor, which gave birth to the Tango. This place is now alive with art, crafts and a riot of colour, and it was wonderful to eat outside in the blazing sunlight watching couples dance the Tango.

The two gigs in Buenos Aires were even hotter than the weather. Support Act 'Bad Dreams' gave a great performance and the evening went off like a rocket. What an amazing crowd! We were all overwhelmed by the incredible reaction... Thank you all for your fabulous enthusiasm.

The flight to Santiago, Chile was incredible, seeing the Andes Mountains below, and some peaks even appeared to be around the same height as the plane, they were so extraordinarily tall. The following morning Jo and I climbed aboard the funicular train up the steep hill to San Cristobal, where from the top you can see the wonderful view of Santiago with mountains towering behind. Everywhere you hear music of all kinds. Chile strikes me as having an eclectic interest in music. Great to hear those pipes too - the spirit of the Andes.

The gig that night had a great feel with a really fabulous audience. We all felt a special glow with the amazing experiences of this tour, both on and off stage.

My thanks to Live Nation, all agents and promotion teams, Brian Coles, the band and our team for making this tour so special and for enabling it all to happen. I look forward to returning to South America as soon as possible...