Steve Hackett Interview: The Spirit of The Lamb Stands Up
It was an absolute pleasure—and a genuine honour—to welcome back legendary guitarist Steve Hackett to the Now Spinning Magazine Podcast. This is the fourth time I’ve spoken to Steve, and every conversation feels like a journey through the very soul of progressive music, musical experimentation, and emotional storytelling.
This time, we focused on the extraordinary new release:
The Lamb Stands Up – Live at the Royal Albert Hall, available as a 2CD+Blu-ray set and also across vinyl formats. A landmark live album that doesn’t just revisit the Genesis classic—it completely reimagines it with vitality, nuance, and boldness. And as you’ll hear in this interview, Steve is still very much on the edge of musical adventure.
A Life in Motion
When we last spoke, Steve was just about to embark on the tour that would become this live album. Now, fresh off a whirlwind trip to Japan—literally circling the globe in eight days—he shares the deep impact travel and cultural immersion continues to have on his creative spirit.
Rather than retreating into familiar comfort zones, Hackett embraces change, risk, and evolution. As he tells me, even something as iconic as “Fly on a Windshield” has evolved to now include guitar-generated police sirens, reverse effects, and improvised melodic cues—a far cry from how it was originally conceived.
The Royal Albert Hall: A Sacred Space
The Albert Hall show wasn’t just another concert. It was deeply personal, featuring Steve’s brother John Hackett and even being witnessed by their mother—her verdict? “The best concert I’ve ever been to.”
Steve spoke of the emotional weight of playing in a venue graced by so many legends. And yet, rather than pulling back, he pushed himself further, performing technically demanding pieces like “People of the Smoke” with a delicate balance of precision and emotional risk.
He compares the experience to riding a musical thoroughbred—keeping control while allowing the music to lead. It’s that fine line between structure and freedom, preparation and spontaneity, where real magic happens.
Saying Farewell, Embracing Change
One of the most moving parts of our conversation was Steve confirming that Roger King, his long-time collaborator and orchestral co-pilot for 30 years, is set to retire at the end of this year. A significant shift for Hackett, who is now exploring new partnerships with musicians like Ricardo Romano and Steve Roderick, embracing fresh chemistry and unexpected outcomes.
Rather than seeing this as a limitation, Steve welcomes it as an opportunity to reinvent his creative process, allowing more improvisation, fresh textures, and even a deeper connection to orchestral sounds—sometimes real, sometimes sampled, always felt.
The Music Evolves
We also explored the live performance of tracks from “Voyage of the Acolyte”, his groundbreaking 1975 solo debut, as well as selections from his powerful 2023 album “The Circus and the Nightwhale”.
Steve reflected on how these songs, particularly the autobiographical material, continue to transform when brought to the stage. There’s an energy, even a spiritual aspect, that comes from letting the music breathe, evolve, and reveal new emotional truths.
Amanda Lehmann’s “Memory Lane”
The recent live set ‘Live Magic At Trading Boundaries’ also features Amanda Lehmann’s haunting “Memory Lane”, a deeply personal piece about her mother’s experience with dementia. Steve highlighted how important it was to include this track, and how beautifully the band embraced and honoured its message. It’s a moment of stillness and reflection amidst the more bombastic pieces—a reminder of music’s power to heal and connect.
Wiping Away Genre
One of the overarching themes of our conversation was genre-bending—or rather, genre-erasing. Steve’s music has never sat neatly in a box. Whether it’s classical, flamenco, progressive rock, blues, or cinematic orchestration, it’s always about what the music needs.
He says it best himself: “Genres are like fences. And sometimes you have to climb over them, knock them down, or just walk straight through.”
From Chaconne (the Everest of classical guitar pieces) to African rhythms, to finger-tapping virtuosity and quiet acoustic interludes—Steve continues to explore, challenge, and defy expectations.
The Spirit Lives On
As the interview closed, we touched on spirituality, loss, and the ongoing journey of life. Steve spoke openly about receiving a message from Amanda’s mother in the days after she passed—a deeply personal, affirming moment.
And it tied into something he said that really stayed with me:
“Death is not the end. It’s the great impostor.”
Final Thoughts
Steve Hackett remains, without question, one of the most important and expressive guitarists of our time. And not just in the world of progressive rock. His curiosity, humanity, and unrelenting creativity make every release—especially The Lamb Stands Up—an event worth celebrating.
Go to HackettSongs.com to check out tour dates and more.
ORDER THE LAMB STANDS UP – LIVE AT THE ALBERT HALL – CD/Bluray
ORDER THE LAMB STANDS UP – LIVE AT THE ALBERT HALL – Vinyl
And if you’ve never listened to Now Spinning Magazine before, welcome aboard.
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
