January 2025

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Here at Hacktrax headquarters we do hope you have had as enjoyable and peaceful a Christmas and New Year as possible in this turbulent world.
On a personal level 2024 had some real highlights but I won’t list them all here as there’s always the danger someone might actually believe the Facebook fiction of this perfect life (though it did feel nice to find myself on stage at the Albert Hall) …

So, on to important landmarks of 2025 – it is 50 years since the release of Voyage Of The Acolyte, the solo album my brother released while still with Genesis. It was the album I worked most closely with Steve on, helping with arrangements and some co-writing as well as tooting a bit of flute and adding keyboards in some places. It only seems the other day that Steve and I were heading off to Kingsway Recorders at Aviation House to begin our recording sessions that went long into the night. It’s hard to believe I’m turning 70 this year but still having to practise my scales and arpeggios in the hope that one day I might get it right…

In honour of this auspicious occasion (the album not my birthday!) the ingeniously named John Hackett Band will be including highlights from Voyage Of The Acolyte in our shows this year – not exact replicas but fresh interpretations. Of course, our other reason for hitting the road is to promote our new album Red Institution – it’s red-hot, fresh out of the oven and just placed to one side to cool until spring before being presented to be devoured, we hope, by all you music loving people, hungry for fresh prog (yes, I have been watching that Julia Child programme recently, why do you ask?).

More than ever I’m grateful to still be doing what I love in the vain hope some of you may come along and say you love it too (now there’s a lyric)! Or maybe just to say hello and meet the fabulously talented musicians I have the honour of working with in my band: Jeremy Richardson (bass/vocals), Duncan Parsons (drums), and our lead guitarist Nick Fletcher who has a rather fabulous new album of his own out – Longing For Home.
See the Shop page for details on how to get a copy.