Ax Facts and Stats: Steve Hackett

Welcome again to Extreme Guitars “Ax Facts & Stats”. This month I am proud to Bring to you Steve Hackett. I have always been a huge fan of Mr. Hackett since his days with GENESIS and GTR as well as his days following.

Steve Hackett, especially in GTR, was a major influence in me personally as a boy just learning guitar… But enough about me… Let’s get on with this month’s Ax Facts & Stats with a man whose wisdom, humor, knowledge and insight reveals an artist, as well as a talented musician. Thanks again Steve for talking with me and the entire Extreme Guitars family worldwide!

My name is: Steve Hackett

Describe yourself in 5 words: Innate solicitude of specific conviviality

My current job is: Wonderful.

My hometown is: London.

My current album or project is: Very exacting but divinely inspired.

Former band(s): Genesis, GTR, Quiet World .

My guitar influences growing up were: The Shadows.

The guitars I use are: Fender 008’s.

The strings and tunings I use are: Fender 008’s.

My current rig setup consists of: Fernandez & Marshall & Sans Amps.

The greatest invention for guitars is: The human fingernail.

My normal songwriting process: Dreaming.

My Favorite Steve Hackett solo is: The last one.

My Favorite Steve Hackett song is: The next one.

My Career highlight is: My current project – Long in the writing & quick in the recording.

My most embarrassing moment on stage: My first show with Genesis. A new fuzzbox fed back all evening & I forgot all the music.

Other than my guitars, the one piece of my gear that I cannot live without is: Toilet paper.

The first song I mastered on guitar was: Wipeout.

My first guitar was: A ‘Kay.

If I am only sure of one thing in life, It’s: Julie Andrews didn’t star in ‘The Wizard of Oz’

My Greatest fear is: That my bat cave will be closed by sanitary inspectors because Robin is secretly a snitch

The one ritual I always perform prior to going onstage is: Donning my trousers

Favorite quote: “I told you so but you wouldn’t listen”

The exact moment I knew I would pursue a career in music was: After a particularly vehement argument with a girlfriend. I was determined she would no longer hear from me, but ABOUT me

The one thing most fans don’t know about me is: That I started out as a Chromatic Harmonica player .

The best advice I could give beginning guitarists is: Don’t worry about mistakes, I still make them. Often deliberately these days.

The CD(s) I’m listening to right now is: Steve Reich ‘Different Trains’, Ney Matogrosso ‘Pescador Das Perlas’.

My 3 all-time favorite albums are: 1. John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, 2. Ravel’s Bolero 3. Beatles Revolver

I’m a sucker for: Foxes, Squirrels, wild birds & I wish more people would feed them rather than kill them.

If I could meet any ONE person living or dead, he/she would be: be JS Bach.

My favorite junk food is: Sugar.

My biggest pet peeve is: Radio formats which keep music in chains.

The word or catch phrase I say way too much is: ‘Bless you my dear…’

The hardest part of my job is: Is singing, as it takes a lot of work to make my voice sound world class. But still I’m proud of recent efforts.

The first thing I do when I come home from touring is: Make a decent cup of English tea.

I knew I hit the “big time” when: The road to success is always under construction – There IS no big time. Successes are often costly. The first relationship is with the music…that’s all that’s real.

My Favorite Website is: I don’t troll through them. I’m told mine is good, but then I’ve nothing to compare it to.

The worst job I ever had was: As a Junior Local Government Examinations Board Officer in 1966 when everyone else seemed to be having more fun.

Right after this interview I’m going to: Have a cheese sandwich.

I couldn’t imagine being on the road without: My nurse – Now where did I put those pills?

If I wasn’t doing the musician thing, I could really see myself working as: An actress – if only I hadn’t had a sex change.

My favorite movie ever: Cinema Paradiso.

My mission in life: To boldly go…

My greatest obsession: I plead the fifth amendment.

My first band was: Quiet World.

My next major step is: A ten mile walk tomorrow night.

The greatest contribution guitars have brought into my life is: I now make a noise for a living .

The coolest toy I had growing up was: A red Greshen Flyer tricycle.

Check out my Website at: www.stevehackett.com

The one musician I would love to work with that I have not yet had the chance would be: Would have been John Entwistle.

If I could have three wishes, they would be:

To raise the dead To feed the hungry & call me an old hippy but make everyone realise that love is the universal language, especially between ourselves and other species. So be kind to your Dogs, Cats, Horses & Llamas….

When it’s all said and done, I want the world to remember me for: Putting up with all of the rest of you.

Points of Interest:

Steve Hackett joined the legendary rock group GENESIS in 1970 at Peter Gabriel’s request, which led to an 8 album involvement for the distinctive and accomplished guitarist.

His multifaceted playing ability was a central element in GENESIS’s ultimate success. The growth of this guitarist’s complex technique has become his trademark and he has since achieved consistent and vast solo success internationally.

Steve is likewise brilliant performing and composing classical guitar pieces.

Hackett’s first solo album was recorded in 1975 and has been followed by a further fifteen releases including three collections of exquisite acoustic guitar work.

In 1986 Steve formed GTR with Steve Howe and the subsequent tour produced a top ten US single and platinum album as well as attracting immense media coverage from MTV and nationwide press and radio. It was noted by Time magazine and Billboard that during one two week period in August all of the current and past members of Genesis had albums in the Billboard Top Twenty! A total of five albums between them.

In December 1989, outraged by the forced repatriation of the Vietnamese Boat People, Steve instigated Rock Against Repatriation and, together with a host of other artists recorded a new version of the classic song “Sailing”, which was released and charted in February 1990.

Like many of his former collaborators who have succeeded artistically on their own terms, Steve Hackett has remained true to his muses, someone who cannot be easily packaged and indeed has an aversion to the trappings of rock stardom. Yet, there can be no denying that Hackett is a legend whose reputation rests on sheer talent, sensitive playing and a never failing ability to challenge and intrigue his audience. These and many other points of interest and bio facts can be found at Steve’s www.stevehackett.com.

EG: Thank you so much Steve for joining Extreme Guitars and bringing your insight and humor. I’m always thrilled to have great guitarists join us as we compare notes with other guitarists and fans alike in “Ax Facts & Stats”. I want to invite our visitors to check out Steve’s Website at www.stevehackett.com. Also be sure to check back for the next installment of “AX Facts & Stats” coming soon!

Extreme Guitars is the web home of articles and interviews written by Dave Roberts. All Dave Roberts interviews & articles are available for use or reprint ONLY by Permission. All materials are Copyright Dave Roberts and Oceanbreeze Ent., All Rights Reserved.

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