As an influential guitarist since the seventies, Steve Hackett knows a thing or two about playing to the crowd. He should, after all in his days with Genesis, he was often playing to 20,000 fans per night. But, by his own admission, financially, the touring juggernaut that was Genesis consumed most of the profits. However, times and circumstances change. The upside from those early years is he's been earning a few more bucks since going solo. But he's quick to point out that money is not his main motivator, but it does help.

Four decades since 'Voyage of the Acolyte'

There's no denying that Steve Hackett is a consummate guitarist. And it's somewhat hard to believe that four decades have flown by since "Voyage of the Acolyte", but the man and his music have matured like a fine vintage. With countless tours under his belt, Steve is set to release his new album "The Night Siren" on Friday, March 24th. He describes it as a "wake-up call to the world." It's an album with a deep underlying message.

The narrow line between war and peace

For this offering, Steve went international, not only with his choice of musicians, but also with recording venues; Sardinia, Hungary as well as here in the UK. The underlying theme throughout the album is the narrow line between War And Peace, a message made all too evident near the end.

The song "West to East" includes Kobi Farhi, an Israeli and Mira Awad, a Palestinian, combining their vocal talents.

2017 Genesis Revisited World Tour

Never one to rest on his laurels, Steve is also out on the road from March with his Genesis Revisited World Tour. Kicking off in Barcelona on Thursday March 23rd, he and the band are due to circle the globe on a trek which will take them as far afield as New Zealand and Australia.

Dates in Europe and the UK are also scheduled for the middle of the year. Somehow, I think there's a very strong probability that both he and the band will do slightly better than break even on this trip. The tour is set to finish in Melbourne on August 25th