Steve Hackett – The Lamb Stands Up: Live at the Royal Albert Hall [2CD/Blu-ray Review]
There are live albums—and then there are experiences.
The Lamb Stands Up: Live at the Royal Albert Hall is the latter.
This new 2CD/Blu-ray set from Inside Out Music captures Steve Hackett at the absolute height of his powers. Recorded at the iconic Royal Albert Hall, this performance is a breathtaking blend of solo brilliance and Genesis-era majesty, delivered with a sense of vitality, reverence, and emotional fire that’s simply stunning.
Presentation and Sound
Presented in a smart four-panel fold-out digipak, this release doesn’t include a separate booklet—but the story, credits, and artwork are all beautifully integrated. There’s also a 4LP vinyl edition, which I can only imagine is equally spectacular, but the 2CD/Blu-ray edition left me more than satisfied.
I watched the Blu-ray in full surround sound and later played the CDs in the car—two very different environments, but both revealing just how meticulously this show has been recorded, mixed, and mastered. From the visuals to the dynamics, this feels like a complete experience.
Musicianship at Its Peak
Steve Hackett is now in his 70s, but you wouldn’t know it from the way he performs here. His guitar work is technically jaw-dropping and emotionally resonant. Early in the show, tracks from his autobiographical solo album The Circus and the Nightwhale—”People of the Smoke,” “Circo Inferno,” and “These Passing Clouds”—serve as a reminder that Steve is still pushing boundaries and creating vital new music.
Watching him perform the instrumental sections, you’re reminded how he pioneered guitar techniques like tapping before it became the calling card of other icons. His solos are not ego-driven displays—they serve the emotion, the narrative, the memory. They serve the music.
Spotlight on the Band
Steve is surrounded here by an absolutely phenomenal lineup:
Roger King – Keyboards
Jonas Reingold – Bass
Craig Blundell – Drums
Nad Sylvan – Vocals
Amanda Lehmann – Vocals & Guitar
Rob Townsend – Woodwind, Percussion & Keys
Steve Rothery (Marillion) – Guest Guitar on “Fly on a Windshield”
Ray Wilson (Genesis) – Guest Vocals on “Carpet Crawlers”
Each musician is given room to shine. Amanda Lehmann’s vocals are as ethereal as ever. Nad Sylvan continues to evolve into a masterful frontman, inhabiting the songs with both grace and power. And the moment where Steve Rothery trades guitar solos with Hackett on “Fly on a Windshield”—completely improvised, as Steve later told me in our recent interview—is simply spellbinding.
Genesis Reimagined
This set isn’t just about Hackett’s solo work. It lovingly dives into the Genesis back catalogue—particularly The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The band conjures the iconic atmosphere of that original album so vividly, it gave me goosebumps.
The selection includes:
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Fly on a Windshield
Broadway Melody of 1974
The Carpet Crawlers
Chamber of 32 Doors
The Lamia
Lilywhite Lilith
Every note is performed with both reverence and renewal. If you’re a long-time Genesis fan, these performances will feel like coming home—only to find your favourite rooms have been redecorated in a way that enhances every memory.
Solo Gems and Highlights
Classics like “Spectral Mornings,” “Every Day,” “Hands of the Priestess,” and “The Tower Struck Down” stand tall here. Spectral Mornings in particular feels revitalised—elevated beyond even what longtime fans might expect.
There are also stunning renditions from Selling England by the Pound—”Dancing with the Moonlit Knight,” “Cinema Show,” “Firth of Fifth”—and the show concludes with a glorious “Los Endos” from A Trick of the Tail.
And I must say, there’s an emotional pull to this whole event that I wasn’t quite prepared for. Perhaps it’s the Royal Albert Hall setting, or perhaps it’s the sense that Hackett—like the rest of us—is reflecting deeply on his journey. It’s there in the playing. It’s there in the joy onstage. It’s there in the faces of the audience.
Steve Hackett remains one of the most prolific, consistent, and emotionally compelling guitarists in the world. If you’ve followed his journey—even lightly—The Lamb Stands Up is essential.
ORDER THE 2CD / BluRay Edition
And if you’re new?
This is a perfect place to start.
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
