Steve Hackett – Live Magic At Trading Boundaries – review

Preface:

It’s dark and gloomy. The blues of the endless grey, cold days after Christmas and New Year’s Eve have people huddled indoors, listening to music, reading, sipping warm drinks and dreaming of summer days gone by. It so happens that a colourful group of musicians head to a place called Trading Boundaries in the middle of sleepy Sussex to enjoy the magic of hours of pure music-making. A few brave souls follow them to listen to this music over a good meal.

The Location:

What is this place that is less than two hours’ drive from Greater London?
The building was built in 1777 as a post office. Conveniently located on the main road to Brighton, it was popular as a rest stop for commercial travellers and tourists. It survived the years as a hotel, pub and centre for the public. In 1996, the house was bought by a couple and developed into a meeting place for art, music, festivities with hotel rooms, small shops, a petting zoo and manufactories. The result is a place full of cultural vitality¹. It is thanks to the owners’ penchant for (progressive) rock music that Trading Boundaries has become a focal point for concerts. Genesis musicians such as Noel McCalla, Amanda Lehmann and the Rocking Horse Music Club have performed here. Even Bill Bruford will do the honours with two colleagues in spring 2025². In addition to the concert venue, there is also a gallery with artworks by cover artist Roger Dean (Yes)³.

The Concert:

Steve Hackett has been playing acoustic concerts at Trading Boundaries on two consecutive days in the run-up to Christmas or in the dark months of January⁴. Like all artists, he enjoys the warm, intimate atmosphere of the venue with its Indian flair. It’s not just that the listener listens to the music, perhaps with a drink in their hand, no, there is also a festive dinner. There are only a few standing tickets available, the focus is on the two-course menu with music⁵.

The Band:

Steve (guitar, harmonica) is usually accompanied at his gigs by his brother John Hackett (flute), Roger King (keyboards), Rob Townsend (flute, saxophone) and Amanda Lehmann, who, at the latest since the release of her solo album, has contributed the opening programme or a show the day before (guitar, vocals). Nick Magnus (keyboards) has also been involved.⁶

The Songs:

Improv, 2:10
The concert begins with an improvisation by Steve on the acoustic guitar. A breathtaking finger exercise that he often plays in the acoustic sets of his rock shows.

Blood On the Rooftops (Excerpt), 1:16
Steve then treats us to the well-known ‘Overture’ from Blood on the Rooftops. However, just as you expect the keyboards and vocals to start playing, the game comes to an abrupt end.

Barren Land, 1:46
Steve sticks closely to the studio original from the Bay of Kings album. The reverb there is missing, so that the piece penetrates the ears in a purer, more direct way. The gentle finale is beautifully played.

Black Light, 1:20
This is followed by another track from Bay of Kings. Steve plucks the strings of his acoustic guitar fantastically, letting the sounds float through the room. A dream that is far too short and is a perfect transition to …

Horizons, 1:47
No more words need to be said about this ‘overpiece’ from Steve’s ouevre. It fits wonderfully into the Victorian atmosphere of the house and brings old England back to life.

Jacuzzi, 3:28
Now it’s time for the band to take the stage. John and Rob play the fantastic flute part of the song by Defector, Steve joins in and the music continues to meander. From minute 2:06, Steve takes the lead and then, together with his two flautists, they reach the furioso finale. Roger can be heard filling the rooms in the background. A perfectly coordinated team delights its audience.

Supper’s Ready (Excerpt), 1:41
The flute solo of the quiet, menacing part at the end of Willow Farm before the apocalypse, played by John, casts a spell over the audience. Steve and Roger follow. Unfortunately, the excerpt ends just before the ‘Donnerhall’, although you think you can already hear the Guards of Magog. The confusion is further heightened as the classical beauty play of …

After the Ordeal, 2:10
.. follows seamlessly, which Steve and Roger initially master as a duo, only to be supported by John and Rob.. The marvellous interplay of the four unfolds the true splendour of the instrumental of Selling England by the Pound.

Hairless Heart, 5:04
The piece from The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway follows without interruption and ends the Genesis suite. One of Genesis’ most beautiful instrumentals is brilliantly performed. Floating, weaving dreams, sinking into harmony, the original is played away. Roger solos fantastically here, finally letting the piece fade away accompanied by Steve. The highlight of the album!

Jazz On a Summer’s Night, 3:57
We first heard the piece on the album Hungarian Horizons and the concerts on which it is based.⁷ A piccolo flute heralds the chirping of jazz. The guitar picks up the melody, a flute joins in and the keyboard provides a discreet accompaniment. But is that jazz? Perhaps folk jazz with a baroque feel? Well, Bach would certainly have enjoyed this lively tune.

Gnossiene No. 1, 3:09
The showpiece for John’s flute skills from the Sketches of Satie album. Swaying slowly, casting a magical spell over the listener, the melodies of the flute, accompanied by the guitar and string sounds of the keyboard, drift through the room and create an unearthly atmosphere.

Walking Away from Rainbows, 3:37
The beautiful, transfigured instrumental from Guitar Noir, one of Steve’s most beautiful compositions ever, picks up on the otherworldly mood. It continues the journey into infinite harmonic spaces. Steve’s guitar becomes entangled in the sonic fabric of Roger’s keyboards. Rob’s alto saxophone takes over the guitar melody and engages in a duel with the guitar. No, it’s a dance that both instruments perform.

Poulenc Organ Concerto (Excerpt), 3:46
Powerful organ sounds flood the hall. Roger is in his element. The piano finally frees the audience from the organ noise, guitar and flutes join in. All together, Poulenc shines in a jazzy guise. Finally, the last half minute belongs to the organ to say farewell with force. A successful tribute to the great composer and piano virtuoso of the 20th century.

The Red Flower of Tachai Blooms Everywhere, 2:18
If not this one, which piece from Spectral Mornings, with its Far Eastern flair, would fit better on the stage of Trading Boundaries, which is reminiscent of a Buddhist temple? The flutes, especially the bamboo flute, solo in front of Steve’s guitar arpeggios and create this mood. The melodies drift softly and carried by the eternal sound of the Pacific Ocean…

Hands of Priestess, 5:50
Heard countless times, but always enchanting. How much the reviewer would like to fall into the hands of the priestess and be gently cradled in her music. May this music never end. Incredibly beautifully played, especially by Rob on the saxophone and John on the flute. Another highlight!

Memory Lane (Amanda Lehmann), 5:23
Now the stage is set for Amanda. Accompanied by Steve and Roger, she sings heartbreakingly about her mother’s dementia. Rob’s saxophone nestles beautifully around the vocals. The lyrics of the song are reproduced on the inside cover.

Only Happy When It Rains (Amanda Lehmann), 4:21
Steve opens for Amanda with a bluesy solo on the harmonica. She doesn’t need to be asked twice and begins to shine with powerful, wicked-sounding vocals, mimicking a diva from the 1920s. She accompanies herself on the guitar, piano and flute join in.

Ace of Wands, 3:56
Steve then invites John, Rob and Roger back on stage to perform a brilliant Ace of Wands from his first solo album Voyage oft he Acolyte. Exhilarating, fast and playing together like a dream, the band makes the electric original fade away. What excellent musicians they are, standing or sitting on stage. A great performance of a classic!

The Journey, 3:51
The album ends with the calm, floating journey of Bay of Kings. Steve and Roger are united in their melodies. How fitting it is to sing about a journey in a former post office and take the listener on it. Here and now it comes to a soulful end.

All in all:

“I love the delicate dreamlike quality of this show with John and Rob interplaying beautifully on flute and sax, interspersed by surprising moments of power, such as the point when Roger’s keys become the sound of a full blown pipe organ! Amanda’s lovely vocals on her own spellbinding songs also provide a special contrast.”⁸

There really isn’t much to add to these words from Steve. The album wonderfully captures the quality of his acoustic shows, which were always rare, intimate moments. It is a joy to listen to the musicians, to marvel at their perfect interplay and to be carried away by the music into harmonious worlds. Even the pieces of electric rock music are transformed into new adventurous landscapes to be discovered through their reduction to the playing of quiet, acoustic instruments. At last, we can once again hear Steve’s acoustic show captured live on disc. Long after the release of the Live Archive series.⁹ Unfortunately, we can only hear it, as the show will not be released as a filmed document.¹⁰

Nevertheless, the reviewer highly recommends letting yourself be enchanted by the magic of a Steve Hackett concert at Trading Boundaries. The setlist covers his extensive solo work very well and presents us with a few highlights from the Genesis ouevre. Amanda’s songs fit in wonderfully. They form a nice complement to Steve’s sound dreams floating away. She grounds the concert and arouses curiosity about her work.
A small, quiet jewel has seen the light of day. Not just a consolation for those who can’t or don’t want to make the journey to wintry Sussex, but marvellous music that enchants everyday life.

Author: Thomas Jesse

The album will be released as 2LP in FOC and CD in Digipak on 17 January 2025 and can be (pre-)ordered at Burningshed, InsideOut or the Hackettshop. It’s also available on amazonUK.
On that day Amanda Lehmann will play her show at Trading Boundaries. Steve’s concerts will follow on the next two days.

References

*1 see here
*2 see here. Some GNC Editors have also visited the place
*3 see here
*4 see here and here
*5 see here
*6 2018
*7 see here
*8 Linernotes of the album.
*9 see here
*10 see below

Video recordings by Michaela Ix: