Magpie of music is always on lookout
Not that Steve is complaining; he is proud of his contribution to the mix during the seven years he spent in the company of Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks et al. And he does still play some old Genesis numbers in his live shows – to the delight of loyal fans.
But there is so much more in the musical repertoire of this highly respected guitarist and songwriter who delights in hopping from genre to genre – everything from rock and blues to jazz and classical – and taking a magpie-like approach to combining them.
Steve's considered and skilful guitar playing lies at the centre of it all. No getting over-excited and hanging from the rafters or plucking strings with his teeth for this mild-mannered musician who started his Genesis years conspicuously bespectacled, seated and floor-gazing.
"I grew up listening to Bach and blues and I didn't think there could be a band that combined the two, but in the 1970s it was all the rage," he says.
"There was pressure to be a guitar hero at the time, and a lot of bands were picking up the crumbs that Hendrix left at the table. But the goalposts were changing and I was interested in things that were more tightly arranged."
He placed an ad in a music paper looking for like-minded bandmates and Genesis, in need of a new guitarist, responded. Since parting company he has worked with countless top-notch artists, from Randy Crawford to Evelyn Glennie, and in supergroup GTR with Steve Howe of Yes, as well as ploughing his own furrow, surrounded by a changing cast of musicians.
Steve's latest and newly released album, Out of the Tunnel's Mouth, recorded with an eminent cast, mostly in the living room of his home in Twickenham, is testament to his love for blurring the boundaries.
"We have a substantially new set and it seems to be going down really well," says Steve, on the road in Germany ahead of his Westcountry dates this month.
"There's a mix of ancient Hackett stuff and the more guitary Genesis from my era, too. We must be doing something right because the audiences seem to respond as well to the new songs as the old ones."
He appreciates the emotional significance of music, with each generation responding to artists of their own era.
"For my mother's generation it was Frank Sinatra – he could do no wrong," he says. "It's nice to be part of that feeling."
Steve, who grew up in London's Pimlico, recalls the life-changing experience of buying his very first record – by The Shadows – and later being able to tell Hank Marvin how special that was to him.
"It's a powerful thing," he adds. "When I went to see Buffy St Marie performing back in the early 1990s I told her that I was listening to her when I was 15."
The Steve Hackett live show is less of a spectacle and more of a feast for the imagination, with the music at its heart – he describes his music as "a film for the ear rather than the eye". So while the performance may be static, the atmosphere can be mesmerising.
"Our home is on the road. I have no plans to retire – in fact I'm probably getting louder as I get older.
"I love playing in front of people and meeting them afterwards, chatting and signing things. Sometimes they turn up with 50 vinyl albums to sign, which is a bit much!
"And then there are fans who dig up things from my past that I'd be happy to forget," he laughs.
Steve Hackett and his band play the Princess Pavilion, Falmouth (01326 211222) on Wednesday, November 11 and at The Phoenix, Exeter (01392 667080 or www.exeterboxoffice.com) on Thursday, November 12.
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