16th November 2023: Legendary rock guitarist Steve Hackett will release his new studio album The Circus And The Nightwhale on 16th February 2024, via InsideOut Music. A rite-of-passage concept album with a young character called Travla at the center of it, The Circus And The Nightwhales 13 tracks have an autobiographical angle for the musician who says about his 30th solo release: I love this album. It says the things I’ve been wanting to say for a very long time.
The Circus And The Nightwhale is Steve’s first new music in over two years. It follows the beautiful acoustic LP Under A Mediterranean Sky from January 2021 which rose to No. 2 in the UK Classical chart and, in September of that year, his metallic masterpiece Surrender Of Silence, which hit the UK Top 40. His 2023 live album, Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton, reached No. 2 on the Rock & Metal Chart. Steves’s new LP promises ballads, blues, blistering progressive rock… and healthy measures of theatre and fantasia.
Recorded between tours in 2022 and 2023 at Siren studio in the UK with guest parts beamed in from Sweden, Austria, the US, Azerbaijan, and Denmark, the line-up for The Circus And The Nightwhale includes some familiar faces alongside Steve on electric and acoustic guitars, 12-string, mandolin, harmonica, percussion, bass, and vocals. Roger King (keyboards, programming, and orchestral arrangements), Rob Townsend (sax), Jonas Reingold (bass), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Craig Blundell (drums), and Amanda Lehmann on vocals. Nick D’Virgilio and Hugo Degenhardt return as guests on the drum stool, engineer extraordinaire Benedict Fenner appears on keyboards and Malik Mansurov is back with the tar. Finally, Steve’s brother John Hackett is present once more on flute.
The new album will be available to pre-order from the 1st December 2023 on several different formats, including a Limited CD+Blu-ray media book (including 5.1 Surround Sound & 24bit high-resolution stereo mixes), Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 180g Vinyl LP & as Digital Album. All feature the stunning cover painting by Denise Marsh.
The full tracklisting is as follows:
1. People Of The Smoke
2. These Passing Clouds
3. Taking You Down
4. Found And Lost
5. Enter The Ring
6. Get Me Out!
7. Ghost Moon and Living Love
8. Circo Inferno
9. Breakout
10. All At Sea
11. Into The Nightwhale
12. Wherever You Are
13. White Dove
Summing up the Circus And The NightwhaleSteve says: It’s a lovely journey that starts dirty, scratchy, and smoky and becomes heavenly and divine. How can you resist it?
Steve is currently on tour in North America, continuing his Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights run. Next year he will tour the world extensively, including a brand-new UK tour under the name Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo, and that will see him return to the legendary Royal Albert Hall. For the full list of dates, head to: http://hackettsongs.com/tour.html
The Wetton Family & Qedg Management AnnounceLine-Up Of Legends To Play Exclusive John Wetton Memorial ConcertOn August 3rd, 2023In Aid Of Charity Who Cared For JohnStreaming Tickets On Sale Now!
28th June 2023: Lisa Wetton, (wife) Dylan Wetton, (son) and QEDG Management are delighted to announce that a memorial concert will be held in memory of JOHN WETTON (King Crimson, Family, Roxy Music, Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ask, UK, Asia) on 3rd August 2023 at Trading Boundaries in East Sussex. The event will see friends and family of the late lead singer and guitarist gather together to celebrate the life of this extraordinary musician. An all-star line-up of
legends, who were friends and collaborators of Wettons, will perform songs from throughout his incredible career.
The memorial event will be hosted by Prog Magazines editor, Jerry Ewing, alongside Geoff Downes (The Buggles, Asia, YES), Steve Hackett (Genesis, GTR) and artist Roger Dean. The list of performers and special guests who wish to pay tribute to the legendary Wetton is growing by the day, but so far boasts (in alphabetical order):
Chris Braide (Downes Braide Association), Roger Chapman (Family), Mel Collins (King Crimson, Alan Parsons Project, Chris Squire, Roger Waters), Jim Cregan (Family, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, Rod Stewart, Katie Melua), David Cross (King Crimson), Chris Difford (Squeeze), Geoff Downes, Steve Hackett, Annie Haslam (Renaissance), Dave Kilminster (John Wetton, Keith Emerson, Steven Wilson, Roger Waters), Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music), John Mitchell (John Wetton, Icon, It Bites, Fr*st), Martin Orford (John Wetton, IQ, Jadis), Guy Pratt (Pink Floyd, Roxy Music) , Jay Schellen (YES, Asia), Billy Sherwood (YES, Asia) and Rick Wakeman (YES, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe), Laurie Wisefield (Wishbone Ash, Snakecharmer) – all of whom will be supported by The Paul Green Rock Academy.
Geoff Downes commented I am very excited to be a part of the upcoming John Wetton Tribute. As you all know, I had a very close and unique writing partnership with John, and we were dear friends, brothers and band mates for many years.
Wetton died on 31st January 2017, as a result of complications due to cancer. He spent his last days being cared for by the charity Macmillan Caring Locally, at the Macmillan Unit, Christchurch Hospital in Dorset. As a gesture of recognition towards his fans who supported Wetton right up until his death, Johns family and management have decided to allow this private event to be live streamed so that it can be enjoyed by fans across the globe. They have also identified the memorial as being the perfect opportunity to highlight the fantastic work done by Macmillan Caring Locally and to raise much-needed funds for the creation of a special hospice suite dedicated to the star.
Lin Sharp, Fundraising and Communications Director for the charity commented It was a privilege to care for John in the final days of his life and we are so grateful to his wife, Lisa, for her continued support. All monies raised will go to fund a room as a legacy to John, named The John Wetton Suite. A massive thank you to you all for making this possible.
Johns son Dylan went on to say I am delighted and humbled that so many legendary artists who worked with my Dad over the years have agreed to come together both to honour him and raise vital funds for the charity which supported him during his last days.
Tickets for the live stream can be purchased now with all proceeds going to Macmillan Caring Locally. In an effort to raise further funds, a special online auction will run alongside the evenings proceedings boasting some unique lots, including a guitar owned by Wetton himself.
This promises to be an incredible, once-in-a-life time event and it is hoped that fans will support it generously by buying live stream memorial tickets as well as bidding on the various auction lots.
Dylan Wetton went on to say I cannot think of a better way to celebrate my Dads life and the incredible musical legacy he has left behind. Its going to be an amazing night, a unique event – which is exactly what my Dad deserves. Downes agrees To honour Johns legacy in this way with so many of his former musicians, colleagues and family gathered together, shows just what an enormous amount of love, gratitude and respect so many of us held for John and his music. Its going to be a wonderful celebration spanning the whole of Johns amazing career. I am very much looking forward to it. See you all there.
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