Supper's Ready

Genesis. Upon mentioning them most of you will probably think of the rather dodgy eighties incarnation led by Phil Collins and back away. I must say my initial reaction came quite close to that as well. Now, about half a year later I can stand straight in my shoes saying every single one of you to think of them that way is wrong. Not only was early Genesis (at the end of the sixties and the first half of the seventies) a band of highly talented musicians (perhaps the more classic one consisting Tony Banks was amazing on keys, Michael Rutherford on bass and guitars, Steve Hackett too on guitars, Phil Collins on drums and last but far from least Peter Gabriel as main man on vocals), they are also a greatly legendary bands when it comes to live performances. To overcome his stage fright Peter Gabriel started to wear highly extravagant costumes, these in - their turn - contributed to the overall atmosphere, turned the gigs into unforgettable, legendary experiences supporting the stories of the songs.

But then, as Gabriel left the band in the mid-seventies, the legendary band evolved to a shade of its former self, and the legendary performances evolved to fond memories in music history books and fans' heads. I myself discovered them thanks to a very good influence late in last year's summer, and somehow I must've come across a band that seemed to revive the experience of back in the days not long after. The Musical Box was their name and – even better – they were about to come to Belgium! I was in doubt if I'd actually would go to see them for quite a while – the gig didn't come cheap – but just about a week or two before the actual gig I decided to go, whilst the expectations had grown to be high, extremely high.

After an afternoon of walking about in our beloved capital (and searching for the Cirque Royale) we arrived at the venue just in time for the opening of the gates (which wasn't a big deal as the seats were numbered anyhow), we found our seats, and the waiting started. After about an hour of waiting, some fifteen minutes late the lights dimmed and on came the band.

The entire stage was white, all instruments (exact replicas of the originals) were white, the musicians were dressed in white and the sole source of light was blacklight. Watcher of the Skies was the opener of the night. It had always struck me it's the perfect song to start a gig with, its slow build-up really made me stretch my every nerve and then Denis Gagné started to sing. Completely impeccable, identically voiced there was no way for me to distinct him from what I had heard Peter Gabriel doing on the albums and boots I had been listening to, he performed exactly as Peter Gabriel had done on the videos I had been watching – wearing a bat cape – a perfect reincarnation of the then group. My jaw dropped slowly and didn't close for the rest of the night – nor did the grin on my face disappear.

Dancing with the Moonlit Knight was next in line. With the introduction it became obvious Gagné even announced the songs in exactly the same way as Peter Gabriel had done as to give the other band members time to tune their instruments. Completely amazed I was, as you'll find easy to believe by now. Classic songs just kept lining up, costumes did too. Introducing Dancing with the Moonlit Knight as Britannia, the 1st World War helmet, suddenly appearing ties, hats, all truly overwhelming! And contributing a great deal to the overall experience along with the black light. After Romeo and Juliet had their Cinema Show, I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) and Firth Of Fifth the Musical Box went for The Musical Box. The famous old man costume was dug out, humping the air, on an entirely darkened stage with just his face lit. Highly impressive and extremely intense!

Time for a slight break then, their song of choice choice Horizons was a perfect fit for this. A calm song, but an excellent choice. Next in line was the Battle of Epping Forest, but after that came the real climax of the night: Supper's Ready. The ultimate Genesis song, 20 odd minutes long, with some of the most remarkable costumes of the entire night. Not just The Flower but more importantly Magog, which really grabbed me by the throat, even more so in its combination with strobes. As the song nearly ended Gagné suddenly emerged in an entirely white suit (as opposed to the black one he had worn underneath the many costumes all night long), with a neon light in his hands. Shivers down my spine.

The Knife was picked for an encore, no specific costumes for this song but once more extremely impressive. So, in conclusion you'll probably find the overall tone of this review is a bit enthusiastic, but it definitely is with a cause, for an amazing night it was.

A true shame this will probably have been their last Gabriel-era tour, for I hope to see them again, and again, and again, and ...