Steve Hackett has expressed his willingness to reunite with Genesis. The longtime guitarist acknowledged that Phil Collins’ ongoing health struggles could stand in the way of any potential comeback.
Hackett made clear that he holds no reservations about rejoining his former bandmates. He went as far as to say he would take on any role to make it happen.
“I’ve always said that if they wanted me to reform, I would do it,” Hackett said. “I would even play harmonica or do a walk on.”
He also reflected on his continued relationship with the band’s music. His solo work has allowed him to revisit and shape the Genesis catalog on his own terms.
“I’ve re-recorded some of [Genesis’] stuff. And I sometimes do it with orchestras. So there’s some sort of sense of development there,” he continued. “But it means that I get a chance to choose what I think is the best of it. And I like to think that it’s agenda free.”
Hackett also touched on the complexity of defining which era of Genesis would be considered the “classic” period for a potential reunion.
“When they were a three piece, would they consider that to be the classic period where most of the hits were hit singles?” he said. “But then would it be the stuff that turned on musicians, the earlier stuff, the transition?”
The reunion question remains complicated by the health of Genesis frontman Phil Collins, who previously spoke candidly about his condition. “I have a 24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication as I should do,” Collins said. “I’ve had challenges with my knee. I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me.” No further announcements regarding a Genesis reunion have been made at this time.
Hackett was a member of Genesis from 1971 to 1977. That period is widely regarded as the band’s most artistically ambitious era. During that time, he appeared on landmark albums including Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, and A Trick of the Tail. Those records cemented Genesis as one of progressive rock’s defining acts.
The most recent chapter of Genesis’ live history came with The Last Domino? Tour. It ran from September 2021 to March 2022 across 47 shows in Europe and North America. The tour marked the band’s return after a 13-year hiatus and was billed as a farewell run. Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford performed together for what many assumed would be the final time.
Collins’ ability to perform on that tour was already significantly limited. Nerve damage stemming from a spinal injury, combined with persistent knee problems and other health complications, left him unable to play drums. His son Nic Collins filled the role behind the kit, while Phil Collins performed seated at the front of the stage.
Those physical limitations have only added to the uncertainty surrounding any future Genesis activity. With Collins unable to perform at full capacity and Hackett not included in the most recent reunion, the prospect of a complete lineup comeback faces considerable obstacles on multiple fronts.
