Six of the Best

Six of the Best was a reunion concert between the rock band Genesis, their original lead singer Peter Gabriel and former guitarist Steve Hackett. It took place on a wet Saturday, 2 October 1982, at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. Genesis were introduced on to the stage by Jonathan King, who discovered and christened the band fifteen years earlier. The support bands were John Martyn, The Blues Band and Talk Talk.

Background[edit]

The classic Genesis quintet of Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Steve Hackett and Phil Collins became a quartet when lead vocalist Gabriel left Genesis at the end of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour in 1975. After a lengthy search for a new lead singer, the band decided that Collins could take on the role while remaining the band's drummer. For touring, they needed an additional drummer to play while Collins sang. Ex-Yes and King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford joined for their 1976 tour before Chester Thompson took on the role for all future live dates. Lead guitarist Hackett's departure in 1977 made Genesis the trio they remained. In 1978, Daryl Stuermer was recruited as a touring guitarist and bassist on live shows.

Peter Gabriel pursued a successful solo career, releasing four albums between 1977 and 1982. Also in 1982, Gabriel and his company planned and staged the first WOMAD concert. It was a commercial failure, put down to lack of suitable transport to the venue and publicity, and left Gabriel facing financial ruin and considerable personal pressure. At the suggestion of his and Genesis' manager, Tony Smith,^[1] he and his ex-band mates agreed to play together for a single show under the name 'Six of the Best' ^[2] along with Chester Thompson and Daryl Stuermer.

Genesis were completing their Three Sides Live Encore tour with three concerts at Hammersmith Odeon on 28–30 September. At least one full band rehearsal took place on 29 September at Hammersmith Odeon.^[3]

Gabriel opened the show by rising from a coffin carried to the stage by four pallbearers, a stunt that was not known by the other musicians prior to the show.^[4] Hackett appeared on stage during the encores after arriving late from Brazil. Rutherford celebrated his 32nd birthday on the day of the concert and the crowd sang 'Happy Birthday' to him during the show.

The set list was drawn largely from the Gabriel-fronted era of Genesis, featuring songs from four of the band's first five albums, one song from the post-Gabriel iteration of the band, and one song from Gabriel's post-Genesis solo career.

The revenues generated by the concert allowed the WOMAD creditors to be paid, the festival to be established and Gabriel to resume his solo career. To date, Six of the Best is the last time Peter Gabriel played with Genesis for a full-length concert since his departure in 1975.

Set list[edit]

1. "Back in N.Y.C." (from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway)
2. "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" (intro and first verse only) (from Selling England by the Pound)
3. "The Carpet Crawlers" (from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway)
4. "Firth of Fifth" (from Selling England by the Pound)
5. "The Musical Box" (from Nursery Cryme)
6. "Solsbury Hill"^£ (from Peter Gabriel)
7. "Turn It On Again" (vocals: Phil Collins; drums: Peter Gabriel^[4]) (from Duke)
8. "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" (from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway)
9. "Fly on a Windshield" (from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway)
10. "Broadway Melody of 1974" (from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway)
11. "In the Cage" (from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway)
12. "Supper's Ready" (from Foxtrot)

Encore

13. "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" (guitar: Steve Hackett) (from Selling England by the Pound, featuring elements of "Stagnation" from Trespass)
14. "The Knife" (guitar: Steve Hackett) (from Trespass)

• £ – performed in lower key

Recording[edit]

No official recording of the concert has been released but several audience recordings were gathered during 2007 and digitally remastered.^{[citation needed]}

In 2015, Mike Rutherford expressed his regret that the concert had not been filmed.^[5]

Personnel[edit]

• Peter Gabriel – lead vocals, drums ("Turn It On Again")
• Phil Collins – drums, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocals ("Turn It On Again")
• Tony Banks – keyboards, backing vocals
• Mike Rutherford – guitars, bass, backing vocals
• Steve Hackett – guitars ("I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)", "The Knife")
• Daryl Stuermer – guitars
• Chester Thompson – drums, percussion

References[edit]