Live in Rome. "The past is alive in Rome. People say it’s like coming home..." Take those feelings and add a perfect summer night in the grounds of the Castel Sant' Angelo for our show. We were so elated to find ourselves placed in such a stunning setting that we all forgot to become remotely nervous and just seemed to complete the already breathtaking picture as if we were paying homage to its beauty with music... we felt that even the walls were listening. And don’t forget that crowd. They couldn’t have been more enthusiastic-spontaneously bursting into applause for anything that grabbed them, never mind waiting for solos. What I am saying is, that this show was, I think, possibly the best this line-up ever performed. Afterwards, we headed into town, just in time to get our first glimpse of the incredible Trevi Fountain, just before midnight, when it was still fully lit - taking up the whole of one side of the huge building which supports it and moving a body of water, the size of which has to be seen to be believed (forgive this digression from someone who is a fan of fountains for all the inspiration they’ve brought to the music I’ve been associated with, but it has to be said, it too played its part in the evening’s overall success for us and added it’s own magic). For those who that were there, I hope this CD brings back fond memories and, for those of you who bought this record to look back at what a humble guitarist and his band were doing in The Eternal City back in ‘81, I would have to say we were having a wonderful time! The gods of the Romans were smiling upon us that evening and, if there are gigs in heaven, the feeling they invoke must be very similar, where everything you go for as a musician comes off - even the most death defying runs. From the famous bridge (of Angels) to the Castel and the fountain at midnight - Dear Friends, welcome back to the dream, the glory, and the music that was Rome on one of this life’s most unforgettable nights. Steve Hackett 2001

The massive fortress of Castel Sant'Angelo gets its name from the statue, representing the angel Michele, situated on its roof; the statue has been created by the Flemish sculptor Vershaffalt. The castle was built in 139 AC as a mausoleum of the emperor Adriano; since then it has been used as a prison during the Middle Age, and as a safe place for the popes during periods of political uncertainty. There is a Vatican corridor, which can be see from the top of Saint Peter's church, that connects the Vatican palace and the castle; it has been built in 1277 in order to allow the pope to escape in case of danger. The outer walls have a pentagonal shape, and they have been built around the castle during the 17th century; their purpose were of defence against siege attacks. Today there is a museum of 58 rooms that show all the history of the castle. You can enjoy a spectacular sight of Castel Sant'Angelo from Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, especially at night, when all its lights are on.

Before penning these few lines, I looked out an old amateur recording of this show. Immediately I was struck by two things: first, the excellent quality of both the music and the performance; second, the genuine and noisy passion showed by the Italian audience, eminently capable of being stirred by complex instrumental music. My rendezvous with Steve was on September 13th,1981. I took the train to Rome where the venue for Steve’s concert was simply enchanting: Castel Sant ‘Angelo, an antique Roman fortress linked to the Vatican by a long corridor, which seemed to represent a sort of meeting between the old and the new. A few metres away, the chaos of Rome’s traffic and blinking shops; inside the Castle, a green oasis rounded by stately walls and the statue of the angel Michael. Steve’s was at that stage also moving between old and new. The record he had just released, “Cured”, sounded like an attempt to write less complex songs and he had decided to take on the lead vocal himself for the first time. The style change was crystal clear from the concert’s opening notes: “Air Conditioned Nightmare” was a disturbing guitar-driven instrumental, well supported by Nick Magnus’ keyboards but with a drier sound in the rhythmn section, Ian Mosley and Chas Cronk substituting John Shearer and Dik Cadbury. The audience was constantly delighted by the excellent interaction among the three soloists: Steve’s electric guitar, Nick Magnus’ castle of keyboards and John Hackett’s superb flute.

Twenty years have passed, but I still lovingly hold the images of that concert in my heart. It was a great show throughout with the single strength of music: jazzy moments like “Jacuzzi” and “Ace Of Wands”, crazy excerpts like “Slogans” and “A Tower Struck Down”, lyrical masterpieces like “Spectral Mornings”, remarkable songs like “Hope I Don’t Wake” and “The Show”. Splendid and immortal music. Mario Giammetti (editor of Dusk, Italian Genesis Magazine)

Steve Hackett  Guitar and vocals  Nick Magnus  Keyboards  John Hackett  Flute, guitar and bass pedals  Chas Cronk  Bass and vocals  Ian Mosely  Drums

Concert Mix by  Billy Budis  Produced by  Steve Hackett  Mastered by  Benedict Fenner