Wuthering Nights: Live in Birmingham [Region A & B & C]

Introduction…Released on the 26th January 2018 Wuthering Nights Live In Birmingham captures Steve Hackett’s live performance in my own town at the Birmingham Symphony Hall on the 1st May 2017. Hackett is with his regular band of musicians to accompany him, plus some special guests who lend an hand in supporting him on some of numbers he performs throughout the live show.The concert was from just one of the many shows that took place in 2017 to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the last studio album he played on with his old band Genesis and features many songs from that 1977 album Wind and Wuthering.It’s a concert I never went to myself, but I always enjoy Steve Hackett’s live DVD & Blu Ray releases, and each one gives you something a bit different over the years I have been buying them. I have quite a good few of them too. They give you a chance to see the show without having to leave your seat or home so to speak.Though nothing will ever beat being there in reality if you want to capture the real atmosphere, but these days with high definition (HD) and high quality sound formats they do help a lot to get near the real thing in some ways.To be honest I do not go to a lot of live concerts these days, and it’s perhaps mainly down to the price they do charge for concert tickets these days too. I tend to stick to the much smaller venues as well like the Robin 2 in Wolverhampton where you generally pay around £15 to £30 for a ticket. To be honest you could of seen Steve Hackett play that venue for the price of £17.50 back in 2007/08.Since he’s taken up doing the Genesis revisited material live he’s become a lot more popular again and is playing bigger venues. Ticket prices to see him these days are from around £70 to £90 plus. So for me the price of the DVD & Blu Ray is much more suited to my pocket.The Blu Ray Contents.The Blu Ray contains the whole 2 hour and 27 minute concert that was filmed at the Birmingham Symphony Hall on the 1st of May 2017. In total the band played 18 songs over 2 sets. The first hour or so of the set contains 8 songs from his solo material, the second set consists of 10 Genesis songs. The bonus material consists of a documentary, and 3 videos that were made for 3 of the latest songs from Steve Hackett’s latest album The Night Siren which was also released last year.The audio options come in 3 formats all of which are in 24/48K and gives you the choice of LPCM Stereo. Dolby Digital 5.1 and the HD Master True Dolby 5.1. The Blu Ray also comes with a 6 page booklet that consists of photographs and linear notes of the musicians and concert and Blu Ray production.Picture Quality.No doubt the concert was shot in HD and the picture quality is superbly detailed and pristine. Film 24 done the production and it was directed. produced, filmed and edited by Paul Green who had 8 camera operators onboard with him. Martin Knight was in charge of the concert sound recording and Gentle Giant’s Ray Shulman did the authoring.They really have done a top quality job as to be expected with Blu Rays that contain real HD footage filmed today, rather than old films that have been transferred to HD for Blu Ray.Incidentally I just read that the catering was taken care of by Flying Saucers. It must be some sort of new fast food service that Whizzes the food to you :)))))).The 5.1 Mix.Has with many of the 5.1 mixes that are on Steve Hackett concerts they are generally very good and have a good engineer behind the mix of them. I would say the majority of them project the right elements and effects into the rear speakers and are panned out very well across the 6 channels of a surround system.Perhaps one of the most effective and most exiting concerts of his mixed in 5.1. I would have to say is Somewhere In South America. That particular concert was from the tour of his To Watch The Storms album back in 2003.To be honest it’s one of his better albums that does contain material, that is more familiar with his earlier albums, and is very much more of an electric album that contains a load of effects. Those effects get utilised with great detail on that live DVD of his.Another concert of his released on DVD in that very same year of 2003 was his acoustic concert he performed live in Budapest. The DVD is titled Hungarian Horizons. Now this concert also comes with a 5.1 mix that is mixed very well. Although none of the instruments are panned in the rear speakers at all, and the only thing they did put in the rear speakers was the actual audience.To some 5.1 freaks mixing a 5.1 mix like this may not appeal to them, without everything flying across the room in the other channels so to speak. But this is actually quite an amazing mix simply because it gives you more of the impression of actually being there at the concert itself. It’s literally like you had your very own seat at the concert.The 5.1 mix for this latest concert Wuthering Nights is perhaps one where the rear speakers only come into effect throughout certain parts of the show. In some cases apart from the audience applauding at the end of each song, that does project out the rear speakers very well, and gives you that sense and feel of being there. In between I suppose it’s a bit like waiting for something to happen at times.To be honest on some of the songs it does not really happen at all. But when it does boy is it good, and on some of the songs it’s quite mind blowing, especially on “Shadow Of The Hierophant“. The 5.1 mixes and stereo mixes were done by Benedict Fenner of Front House Sound. He’s done a very good job of it too.The Musicians.The line up of musicians are made up out of Steve Hackett’s main band that has been with him quite awhile, and other guest musicians that feature throughout certain songs during the concert who have also been featured in many of his live shows. The main band consists of the following:Steve Hackett: Guitars/Vocals/Harmonica.Roger King: Keyboards.Nick Beggs: Bass/Guitars/Bass Pedals.Rob Townsend: Saxaphones/Woodwind/Keyboards/Bass Pedals/Percussion/Vocals.Gary O’ Tool: Drums/Percussion/Vocals.Guest Musicians:Nad Sylvan: Vocals/Tambourine.Amanda Lehmann: Vocals/Guitar.John Hackett: Flute.Wuthering Nights Concert In Review…First Set.The concert kicks off in familiar style with one Hackett’s older songs from his 3rd album Spectral Mornings with “Everyday“. It’s a song that opens perhaps quite a few of his live shows, and is the only track from this album that does gets played at this concert. The band is also joined by Amanda Lehmann for this opener too, contributing some vocals and guitar.To be honest one may get the impression that this is perhaps going to be one of those oh too familiar live concerts featuring many of the usual songs Hackett plays from his back catalogue and includes a lot of his old classics.But it’s far from the case, and only 3 of the 8 songs in this first set are from the earlier days of his solo career. They even manage to make this live performance of “Everyday” sound quite fresh, especially with some of the little different touches Hackett plays on his guitar. They really all play it so well and it gets the show off to a really good start.I am not going to be taking on all the 18 songs that we get on this live concert here individually for my review, and am merely going to point out some of the highlights of the live show. The show does contain some really great performances and even contains a couple of surprises regarding the material Hackett had chosen to play.Only 2 of the guest musicians make an appearance in this first set consisting of Hackett’s solo material. who are Amanda Lehmann who features on 3 of the songs, and Steve Hackett’s brother John Hackett features on 1 song only. It’s only on the first half of the set they do appear on as well, and the second part of the show which consists of Genesis material only. Nad Sylvan takes on all the vocal songs of the set, bar one to which is sung by the bands drummer Gary O’ Tool.Getting back to the first half of the set again. The only other two very early songs from Hackett’s solo material that do feature here, are “The Steppes” from his 4th album Defector and “Shadow Of The Hierophant” which is the song that closes the first half of the set and once again features Amanda Lehmann.Being that Hackett’s latest album The Night Siren was released in the same year this particular concert, it was bound to feature more songs from that album, and 3 of the songs from it do feature in this first part of the show. They do add to making this concert that much different too, and are performed extremely well.The only song John Hackett gets to feature on is “Serpentine Song” which is from Hackett’s 2003 album To Watch The Storms. Though this song has been performed at many of Hackett’s live shows before, it’s the first time that his brother John has ever played it. His brother used to play on a lot on his earlier shows and I was quite surprised to see him turn up to feature on just the one song here.But the real surprise for myself in this part of the set, was the song from his 1999 album Darktown entitled “Rise Again” to which I do not think he’s ever performed the song live before. Though he has performed quite a few of the songs from this album live in the past. It was great to see him air it at this show. Hackett sings it very well too, and over the years his voice has improved a lot.To be honest with many of Hackett’s concerts that have been released on CD/DVD & Blu Ray they do tend to contain many of his more known earlier material. The fact that a lot of it is not featured here, makes it that much more different, and worthy of getting.Second Set.The second half of the set is perhaps more familiar, if like myself you have both of his Genesis revisited concerts on DVD or Blu Ray that were both played in London at Hammersmith and the Royal Albert Hall. You may think that being as both of those shows were quite alike with the material they performed live from the Genesis back catalogue. You were getting more of the same here.It’s also fair to say that both the DVD’s of Somewhere In South America and Once Above A Time are quite alike and also contain some of the Genesis material we are seeing once again here. Those were the very first shows we got to see him perform “Blood On The Rooftops” that featured the bands drummer Gary O’ Tool doing a grand job not only on the drums, but singing it at the same time.It was fairly obvious that he was going to be singing it here too, and in many ways the song is suited his voice.Nad Sylvan is the guy who takes on the rest of the other vocal Genesis songs here, and he was the guy who mainly sang the majority of them on both of those earlier London shows. I have to confess I was not that so impressed by his voice on those shows, and a lot of that really boils down to me being very much a fan of Peter Gabriel’s voice.But on this concert he as really learned them a lot more, and his vocal performance on them is quite impressive to be honest. He does express his vocal range very well on this concert, and it’s not just on the songs Phil Collins sang either from that album Wind and Wuthering that is featured mainly in this set.In total 5 of the tracks from the album Wind and Wuthering are performed live and the opening track off that album “Eleventh Earl Of Mar” kicks off this second half of the live show.Out of the 9 tracks that are on the original album. 4 of the 5 of them (they play one after the other) have been played at many of his other earlier concerts, just like this one that opens this half of the show. The only one that had never been played live before was the 2nd track on the album “One For The Vine“. It’s very much one of my favourite tracks on that album, and in many ways enticed me to buy this concert too.The band do quite a decent job of it too, although the clanging percussion part that features on the studio version, does not get to be quite as well projected here. The sax and wind player Rob Townsend bangs it out on one of those Alesis Drum Pad machines similar to my own. But it was great to see it included here.I would of liked to have seen them do another song they have never performed live from this album too. And that is “All In A Mouses Night” which is another one of the great tracks on the album. Sadly it was not the case here, but who knows it maybe featured at future shows.Once the shows main feature of the 40th Anniversary of Wind and Wuthering is out the way, it’s time for a few more earlier Genesis songs to finish off the show with. You get another 5 songs here and one of them has never been played live before. That one was on the B-Side of a 3 track EP entitled Spot The Pigeon which was released in the same year 1977.Although I am mainly an albums man. I did actually buy this EP on its release and still have it. Steve Hackett says a few words about the song “Inside Out” which is the song that does get its first airing here, and says that it was originally intended to be put on the album Wind and Wuthering but it got left off.He also felt that it should of been included and it was one of his favourite songs and they could of taken another track off it to accommodate it. He did not say which one, but my choice would of been “Your Own Special Way” :)))))).Both the opening and closing tracks of the Trick Of The Tail album are also played live here, and the show ends off with “Los Endos” from that album.The other 2 songs are Genesis classics from the Peter Gabriel era of the band, and are most welcome here. They are “Firth Of Fifth” and “The Musical Box“. Both were performed at their earlier London shows at Hammersmith and the Royal Albert Hall back in 2013/14 but they are quite different on this performance.The highlight of this particular half of the show for me has to be the latter of those two songs “The Musical Box“. To be honest I do not think the band have ever performed it as well as this before, and you would have to go back in time, to those dark distant days of the early 70’s to have seen it performed this good with the original band.I take my hat off to Nad Sylvan on this performance, and it’s quite outstanding. The whole band really put on a great show, and in many ways it has you wishing you were there.The Bonus Material…The Documentary.The documentary that comes as one of the extras is around 33 and half minutes long. You get to see Steve Hackett and all the individual members of the band that took part in the show, talking back stage and in and around the hotel they was staying at.Being has they are in an hotel it’s perhaps a bit different because they do show you footage of some of the guys in their hotel rooms. There is even an upright piano in some of the rooms, and I like the part where they are showing the bands long time keyboard player Roger King in his hotel room. Basically because he lifts up the lid on the old Joanna and plays a nice bit of a jazzy ditty on it :))))).King even mentions that the Symphony Hall has a Steinway Grand piano and he would of loved to have had that on stage with him so he could have a tinkle on that during the show.Roger King is an excellent keyboard player and he even uses the same full size weighted 88 key Studiologic midi controller I have at his shows with sampled high quality VST’s to get a lot of the sounds for the Genesis set. Including the mellotron sounds to which Hackett has a special software library of. He does also carry a few more known stage keyboards on stage with him too of course.It was also great to see both Rob Townsend & Gary O’ Tool being interviewed in the lobby of the hotel. Between the two of them they are a really great comedy act besides both being excellent musicians, and have been playing with Steve Hackett since the very early 2000’s.Another really terrific musician that is quite impressive and adds to the line up of this band very well is Nick Beggs. Beggs has played bass for Steve Hackett here and there since 2009 when he played on a few tracks on Hackett’s 20th studio album Out Of The Tunnels Mouth which was released back in 2009. He also was in the line up that toured that same album live right up to 2011. It’s another really great Hackett album I like a lot.He also played on a few tracks on another later couple of studio albums of Hackett’s and he’s not only a great bass player, but plays guitar really well too. It was great to see him on this tour.Beggs also formed a new 3 piece progressive rock band with Hackett’s keyboard Roger King in 2014 and has also been a long time member of the new wave band Kajagoogoo since 1978 and played with many other artists including the Steve Wilson band.Besides the main band the other guests John Hackett. Amanda Lehmann and Nad Sylvan can be seen loitering around the hotel and in their rooms just like the rest of the band. These have also played a big part in Hackett’s solo career over the last few years and featured on his studio albums and many live concerts. His brother goes right back to the beginning in 1975.You also get to see some time-lapse footage of the stage being put together and taken apart and it all adds up to being a nice bonus feature.The Videos.The 3 videos you get are songs off his latest solo album The Night Siren. It’s an album that has a touch of the east and other world music influences. A cross between being electric and orchestrated. To be honest I am not a fan of world music and it’s textures and colours. But Hackett does a pretty good enough job on the album.Though I have to confess it’s not one of his albums I would put up there with his best I am afraid. But that’s perhaps to my disliking of this flavoured music more than anything else on that score. A lot of the inspiration for this particular album would of been inspired from the many exotic places he visits with his wife.The first of the video songs up is “Behind The Smoke“. It’s the only one of the new songs out of the 3 here that is played live at this concert. The other two video songs are “Fifty Miles From The North Pole” and “West East“.The total playing time of all 3 videos is around 20 minutes, and just like the documentary it only has a stereo soundtrack which is most common with bonus material.The videos are very well shot in HD and I would of expected his wife also had a lot to do with them as well. I am pretty sure she is into photography and film.Steve is getting on a bit now and personally I would of felt that if it was not for his wife he would be not be appearing in these videos himself. I could be wrong and I am only speculating here. But making these type of videos today I hardly think they would make top of the pops sort of thing, even if they are very professionally done and contain some great effects.But of course we can all be kids at times no matter how old we are, and I bet it was good fun making them too. So fair play to him and his wife.Summary…To sum up Wuthering Nights Live In Birmingham by Steve Hackett. I personally think it offers something a bit more different with the material Hackett and the band are presenting you with here.Some people may think do I really need another Steve Hackett concert on Blu Ray or DVD?. But for me personally I do not think there is one single person in this whole world, who is capable of playing the same song twice live, and making it sound exactly the same.Each performance is very much different, and both Steve Hackett and his band like to keep things fresh by adding different textures and colours to the sounds of their instruments, and throw in a bit of live improvisation along the way to make each live show that much different and appealing to the audience.Each concert can give you as the listener a different buzz, and one will always take away something special away from it. The same can be said for these concerts that have been released on DVD & Blu Ray. They are all different and can even give a reviewer like myself something different to talk about.Personally I think buying the release of this particular concert is a must for those who were at the same show in Birmingham on the night it was performed. Even if it’s just for a souvenir. I would also say it would appeal to those who got to see the same live tour at other venues where is was not filmed.But even for the likes of those who never went to see him like myself. It still offers and presents you with an highly entertaining night in your own home watching it, and is worth having.Conclusion…Steve Hackett’s Wuthering Nights Live In Birmingham is a very good concert and perhaps tries to be different in the way it presents you with 2 different sets taking on Hackett’s solo material in one half, and Genesis in the other.Both set lists contain material that he has never performed live before, and both set lists contain a different bit of variety about them, in comparison to most of his live shows that feature more of same thing with more renowned material.The concert was done to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the 1977 Genesis album Wind and Wuthering and the fact that they covered more than half of the original album in this live performance, it was quite spectacular and I really think they done a grand job of it.The price point of the DVD or Blu Ray is very reasonable and peanuts in relation to the price of the concert ticket. Personally I do not think you cannot beat being there simply because no cameras can capture everything you are seeing with your own eyes and no recording can truly capture the live atmosphere either.But what the DVD or Blu Ray will offer you is a very good representation of the actual live show. Both the picture and sound quality are really superb, and a lot of pleasure and enjoyment can still be achieved from it.

Can there not be more stars for this review?We were there in the front row, I shook the man's hand, and I can't believe I've been to EVERY gig he's done on this round of Genesis Revisited sets at Birmingham too... It was an amazing night, dead in front of the man himself with my fabulous daughter.I think I've seen him live well over 50 times now since 1977! The first was at Birmingham Odeon, the Voyage' tour, if I remember right, that was just £3.75 on the ticket, the amazing Roland GR 500 was in use, and then Don't Touch, Spectral Mornings, Defector, good grief, I think I must have paid for the guy's house! We even have seen his acoustic tour at Wolverhampton's Wolfram Hall. But that's a lot of Fernandez guitars we've bought you there Mr H... Thankfully though, it was an end to the "marketing" of Ovation UKll guitars back then 'eh?One criticism now though is, in the theatre at any rate, Nad's vocals are a bit too far back in the mix, maybe a compressor/limiter would help? But boy is Mr H on fire.Love this DVD/blue ray. Get it: if it's the last disc you buy, get it....K and BeeOh yeah, and we're also off to see the 41 piece orchestra tour too....

Wind and Wuthering has to be one of the top Prog Rock LPs ever. If you're a Hackett or Genesis fan you will already have this or the CD of Wuthering Nights as well as the original 1976 vinyl. Still brilliant music after all these years and Steve has lost nothing in terms of ability and musical genius- his band is excellent too. Only the vocals remind you that it's not the original thing but that doesn't take anything away from a fine performance. I caught the them later in the tour, at Nottingham, which is probably a bit more intimate than the Birmingham venue but the DVD/CD has some great additional tracks and the atmosphere at the show comes over really well on the DVD.

This is yet another wonderful record of a wonderful show. The quality of the picture and sound on the bluray is stunning and I too found absolutely no issues with the editing as another music fan reported in a separate review. Steve and his band of stunning musicians have found themselves a perfect niche market for the still thousands of old school Genesis fans craving this experience and product. The balance of solo and Genesis material is perfect and Nad Sylvian strikes that perfect level on vocals of being himself whilst being authentic to the early Genesis style and not overdoing the theatrics. It's wonderful stuff.

I was there and this is an excellent souvenir of an amazing evening. The sound at Symphony Hall is always first rate and the recording captures that, whether you listen to it on a bog standard TV or put it through a Class A sound system. After years on the road together this band can do anything and it's wonderful to see Steve going from strength to strength. Part of me misses him playing smaller venues like the Assembly Rooms in Leamington but I've already got my tickets for his symphonic show in October...just a few weeks before King Crimson!

Great bluray.

Another classy performance from Steve and his extremely professional and dedicated group of musicians.I would just love to see them live but always seem to miss out on decent tickets ,at least I get to see and listen to them on a decent av setup cranked up when my wife is in work !!!!.

Superb sound quality through my surround sound system; I really felt I was there with him. Great selection of songs. Truly amazing musicians one and all! A must have for any Steve Hackett fan.