Steve Hackett...

Last week I went to Bristol for the night to see Steve Hackett at the Colston Hall with Paul.

The Genesis Revisited Tour was largely to promote Hackett's covers album Genesis Revisited II and thus was stuck firmly in the era Hackett was with the band for the six studio albums between 1971-1976. The audience demographic largely reflected that era too.

Nostalgia crashed over us in waves as we sang along to prog track after prog track. Great music, great visuals, we loved it. 

Set List:-

Dance on a Volcano 

Dancing With the Moonlit Knight 

Fly on a Windshield 

The Carpet Crawlers 

The Return of the Giant Hogweed 

The Musical Box 

Horizons 

Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers... 

...In That Quiet Earth 

Afterglow 

I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) 

Firth of Fifth 

The Fountain of Salmacis 

Supper's Ready 

Encore:
Watcher of the Skies
Los Endos

Philip Glass...

Last Tuesday I traveled down to Bristol to stay the night with the lovely Paul and Simon. The reason for the trip was that Paul and I were going to see Philip Glass perform some solo piano works - Etudes and Other Work for Solo Piano - in the wonderful St George's.

Consisting of two 45 minute sections Glass wowed us with his mesmerizing compositions and beautiful fingering. Mainly from the 1990s the pieces sounded magnificent in acoustics of the old hall.

The programme included:
Six Etudes (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 6, 9,10) (1994-1999)
Mad Rush (1980)
Metamorphoses (Nos. 2, 3, 4) (1989)
Wichita Vortex Sutra (1990)

A still-evolving series begun in the mid-90s, recorded in 2003, the ‘Etudes’ have, says Glass, a two-fold purpose: “First, to provide new music for my solo piano concerts. And second, for me to expand my piano technique with music that would enhance and challenge my playing. Hence the name Etudes, or “studies”. The result is a body of work that has a broad range of dynamic, tempo and emotion.”

Inferno...

Guilty as charged. Dan Brown's Inferno for my trip back from Bristol.