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The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center will be playing host to not one, but two ’70s-era performers on June 20: Steve Hackett, known for his work with the British progressive-rock band Genesis and his subsequent solo career; and the 2009 incarnation of Renaissance, another set of English prog-rockers who are celebrating their group’s 40th anniversary this year.
Though the two acts have similar roots, they have blossomed differently. Mr. Hackett has a home in Twickenham, West London, while Renaissance singer Annie Haslam lives in Pennsylvania. Mr. Hackett is known as an influential rock guitarist who’s dabbled in classical, pop, and world music; Ms. Haslam brings folk, opera, and avant-garde sensibilities, plus a five-octave vocal range, to the synth-heavy sound of Renaissance. But, as Ms. Haslam explained in a recent phone interview, sometimes the beauty is in the diversity.
“It was decided that both bands touring together would make for a powerful evening’s entertainment,” she said, “and I think that both bands are different enough for it to be an evening full of memorable music.”
Mr. Hackett, too, is excited by the possibilities—“Annie has a beautiful voice, and Renaissance has always been a great band,” he said in a separate interview—but is more amused by one of his own bandmates, eccentric Kajagoogoo bassist Nick Beggs, who often sports outlandish vest and kilt combinations and other quirky stage garb.
“The best surprise is wondering what Nick Beggs is going to wear,” Mr. Hackett laughed.
Mr. Hackett, who spent seven years (1970-1977) with Genesis before departing to work on his own music, is also a recent inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with Genesis. At the Hall of Fame ceremony, Mr. Hackett and his Genesis bandmates, minus Peter Gabriel, attended but did not perform; that early lineup of the band hasn’t performed together since 1982. But take heart, dedicated Genesis fans: Mr. Hackett is not counting the possibilities out just yet.
“I won’t stand in the way of the ‘last waltz’ together,” he says, “but it takes more than one to tango.”
Mr. Hackett actually has six new bandmates to tango with on this particular tour. The “Hackett Live” band, including Mr. Beggs on bass and ‘related paraphernalia,’ will help Mr. Hackett reanimate his musical catalog, from old Genesis favorites to songs from his new album, “Out of the Tunnel’s Mouth,” on the Westhampton Beach stage.
“It will be a whole mixture of things,” he said. “There will be plenty of Genesis and solo work. It’s always great to play in New York, and I hope the weather gods smile kindly on us. I’m looking forward to plugging in my surfboard and rolling with the soundwaves.”
Ms. Haslam’s re-creation of Renaissance has followed a similarly twisted path. After a plethora of lineup changes from the early ’70s onward, the band went through a partial reunion in 1998 with Ms. Haslam at the center. But that attempt was short-lived, and Ms. Haslam went forward with her own solo career, including, in an odd bit of rock happenstance, several collaborations with Yes/Asia guitarist Steve Howe, with whom Mr. Hackett formed the side-project “supergroup” GTR in 1985.
While Ms. Haslam’s solo work continues today, it’s the Renaissance tour that will be keeping her busy this summer, though it took a little convincing to get her to participate.
Renaissance guitarist Michael Dunford “instigated the reunion,” she said with a laugh, “which at first I had no interest in. The other members were approached and declined. But Michael and I work together very well, we balance each other. We are now writing new songs together for the band.”
Ms. Haslam, Mr. Dunford and the rest of the Renaissance 2009 band will also be performing favorites from back in the day, in addition to presenting some more current works.
“The show will consist of classic Renaissance favorites, and a song from our new three-song EP, ‘The Mystic and The Muse,’” Ms. Haslam said. “A special highlight will be Mark Wood, who plays violin for Trans-Siberian Orchestra; he will be joining us on stage for our epic piece “Mother Russia.” It will be a very powerful piece of music, complemented by a great musician, and we are all very excited about it.”
Steve Hackett will perform with special guest Renaissance at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Sunday, June 20, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $70, $80, and $90, available online at whbpac.org, in person at the Arts Center at 76 Main Street in Westhampton Beach, or by calling the box office at 631-288-1500.
on Jun 15, 2010