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MG: So, Alan, how did you become a
Genesis fan and what attracted you to the band?
AH:
Well, I first heard Genesis on the radio
in 1974 or 75 with a song about wardrobes or something like that! I
didn't pay that much attention at first as I was heavily invested in
other forms of music at the time, especially orchestral/Classical music
which remains my first love. That changed in the summer of 1976 when at
a schoolfriend's home – he was a year or so older than me – played both
of the Selling England By The Pound and the recently released A Trick Of
The Tail albums during the evening. Of course, I recognised the song
with a reference to wardrobes in it instantly! I was intrigued by the
band's combination of orchestral flavours with rock arrangements. The
clincher however, came on 17th December 1976 when a local radio DJ who
was a massive Genesis fan, played their next album – Wind & Wuthering in
its entirety during his show. From that moment on I was hooked! Here was
a band who satisfied all of my musical requirements and that was it!
MG:
When did you see the band in concert for the first time?
  AH:
Sadly I missed the band during the Gabriel years and also managed to
miss them on the Wind & Wuthering tour even though they played two gigs
in my home town! I did manage to catch Peter Gabriel on his first solo
tour in 77 though but that is another story! Genesis? That would be the
famous gig at Knebworth Park on 24th June 1978. Every detail of that day
is ectched in my memory. You really can't begin to explain the
excitemenent and spectacle unless you were there!
MG:
Of all the Genesis gigs you have seen, which ones stand out in your
memory and why?
AH:
Oh my, that's a tough question to answer! If you factor in all the solo
shows I have seen in addition to the ones by Genesis (Over 300 and
counting!) then there are so many to choose from. Obviously, you
always remember your first gig. Others would include my first overseas
gig to see Genesis in Hamburg in 1982 when they had the recently
reformed King Crimson as guests – that was memorable for so many
reasons, not least the band performing Supper's Ready in its entirety
for the last time on that tour.
 The
Milton Keynes reunion show that year is one which was unforgettable too.
I just wish we could establish for certain if it was filmed! I know the
band sound recorded it, because I have seen the tapes at their studio.
It was a dreadful night – the weather was awful, Peter was woefully
underrehearsed but we didn't care, and when Steve joined them on stage
for the encores ... well, once again, you had to be there!
 Being
a guest of the band at the final dress rehearsal for the Calling All
Stations tour at Bray Film Studios was special – that was where you and
I met for the first time I believe? In fact I have very fond memories of
the entire Calling All Stations tour and saw some twelve shows over all
including one as a guest of the band again in Lyon on my birthday which
was quite a way to celebrate I guess!
Finally getting to see the band in my home town on the Last Domino tour
was special after all those years of hoping they would play here – two
very emotional nights for me as was the last gig in London on that tour
where a few tears were shed.
MG:
You established The Waiting Room back in 1987 , why did you decide to do
this?
AH: Dear old TWR... I can honestly say that The Waiting Room was NOT
my idea! As I recall it, a few weeks after the end of the Invisible
Touch tour, two friends of mine were visiting. One of them (Ted Sayers)
had briefly operated a fanzine about Peter Gabriel a few years earlier
and suggested that we have a go at one about Genesis. It is hard to
believe now, but I said no. I had my reasons which would take too long
to explain here, but eventually I agreed, much against my better
judgement and we published our first edition in August 1987. I really
didn't think it would get anywhere, but people seemed to like it and
that's how we got started. It is hard to believe now that in just over a
year's time the magazine/site will celebrate its fortieth anniversary!
MG: Which band member did you meet first?
AH: Thereby hangs a tale! In the autumn of 1987 a friend of the guys
who were running the excellent Australian fanzine, Ripples kindly
provided me with Anthony Phillips' address. I wrote to Anthony including
copies of our first couple of issues and then... nothing! I had given up
on hearing from Anthony but then, at the end of January 1988 a letter
arrived.... Now when it arrived I was off work with flu and laryngitis.
I remember this vividly! I opened the envelope, written in that spidery
handwriting of Ant's and read the letter. I didn't even recognise the
address at the top of the letter. It was only when I read the line... "I
would be delighted to help your magazine" that I realised who it was and
I shouted out and consequently lost what little of my voice I had left
which meant that I could not take up the invitation to phone Anthony
until I had recovered a week later! I then very nervously phoned Anthony
and an interview was duly arranged for 31st May.
This is where things take a bit of a twist as before that, Steve
Hackett re-emerged with his new acoustic album, Momentum and was on tour
in the UK in April/May 1988. The three of us saw the show in Manchester
on 1st May and managed to speak to Steve's then manager beforehand and
he asked us if we were going to any of the other shows and we said yes,
we were going to the show at Nottingham on 14th May and so an interiew
was duly set up. So, technically Anthony was the first to agree to speak
to us, but Steve was the first one to actually do so and and I am proud
to say that they are both now very good friends of mine – and yours too
of course!
MG: Your first book: Opening The Musical Box – A Genesis Chronicle was
published in 2000. What made you write it?
AH: I had no intentions of writing a book. I didn't think that I had
the talent to write one despite what fans had kindly said to me. So, it
was during a visit to Canada to see the Canadian Genesis tribute band
The Musical Box that I was fortunate enough to meet the legends that are
Armando Gallo and Paul Whitehead. I managed to interview both of them
along with Thomas Holter who at the time was running the excellent The
Path website and during that interview with Armando it became apparent
that he had no intention of updating his wonderful I Know What I Like
book. The seed was sown... I returned from that trip and started to
marshal my ideas and informtion and began writing ... some three months
later I had what looked suspsiciously like a text of a book. Then came
the fun bit! Trying to find a publisher. As I recall it, I sent six
manuscripts off to six publishers. A couple didn't reply, others did
saying they weren't interested but one publisher – Firefly/SAF did and
they took on the onerous job of publishing it which they did in the
spring of 2000. It was also issued as an Italian language book a year or
so later.
Here's a fascinating trivia fact for your readers: SAF/Firefly had their
offices in Denmark Street London which was where Regent Studios, the
place where the band recorded their earliest recordings. As it turns
out, their offices were in the very building that housed – and these
days houses Regent Studios!
MG: You followed that in 2007 with Genesis Revisited and since then you
have published several other volumes including the first authorised
biograohy of Steve Hackett, what have been the challenges in writing
these?
AH: As I am sure you are aware, Mario, the biggest challenge in
writing anything about a band like Genesis is getting the details right
– Genesis fans are incredibly knowledgeable and don't hold back in
criticism! That was the main reason why Genesis Revisited was published
as so much additional information had come to light and is still coming
to light even after all these years!
Then there were the challenges associated with Steve's book... I got
permission from Steve to write it as his authorised biography back in
2003 and I was writing it in tandem with Genesis Revisited. By the time
the text was ready, Steve was in the throes of the divorce from Kim. As
a result of that, drastic changes had to be made to the text for reasons
which I am not at liberty to discuss but they all contributed to the
delay in publication until 2009 with a revision in 2011. I may revise it
again at some point, who knows?
MG: Have the band members been receptive to your work?
AH: I am pleased to say that yes, both the band and their
managements have been incredibly supportive. It doesn't get much better
than hearing Phil Collins talk about one of your books during a
documentary as he did during one of the out takes from the Together And
Apart documentary which the producer has made available to the public.
MG: How do you go about writing a book such as these? What comes first?
How do you go about organising your ideas and information?
AH: I am sure you will appreciate Mario, writing books like these is
a major investment of time and resources. For me what comes first is
marshalling the data, the trivia if you like and from that ideas can
come and then there's the process of constantly reviewing what you have
written; checking sources, trying to reconcile apparent contradictions
and so on until you are finally happy with what you have written
although you are never truly happy with the end result and vow to do
better next time!
MG: Of all the books you have written, which one has given you the most
pleasure?
AH: I have enjoyed all of them for different reasons. I guess seeing
your first book on the shelves of bookstores is a major pleasure.
Steve's book was a joy to write and despite the issues mentioned above,
I am still immensely proud of it as indeed I am of all the books I have
written and what give me the most pleasure is the pleasure that comes
from hearing that fans have enjoyed the work – after all, without them
it would be a pointless exercise!
MG: Do you have any plans for other language editioms of any of your
books?
AH: That is out of my hands really. I would love it if a publisher
in Italy or anywhere else approached me with a contact for an edition of
any of my work in their language!
MG: If you hadn't decided to dedicate so much of your time to Genesis,
are there any other bands you would like to write about?
AH: Crazy as it sounds, Genesis are not my favourite band. That
honour belongs to Jethro Tull and I guess if I had to write about any
other band, they would be the ones I would focus on. |