G2 Definitive Genesis - The Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury Friday 15th March 2024

But if ever there was a case for making your life difficult, it’s attempting to conjure the spirit of a group who produced music so quirky, sprawling and complex that it’s hard to imagine anyone really doing it justice. And yet, as Piers de Lavison takes his place on the smoke filled stage, and delivers a flawless recreation of the keyboard introduction to ‘Watcher of the Skies’ it becomes apparent that accuracy is no problem for this accomplished five-some. Even more so as Jeff Walker adds the familiar staccato drumming, transforming the song into something altogether more frantic. Apparently without a bass drum through the first half of the set (I think there was an issue with the mic?), it’s an issue that passed me by, only obvious once it was pointed out and at no real detriment to the performance. 

Dressed all in white, there’s (mercifully) no attempt to look like Genesis - and despite an unusually good light show, it’s the music that really shines. ‘Squonk’ and ‘One for the Vine’ follow, both lengthy, unwieldy and beautiful, as nature intended. Vocalist Dave Whitehouse is impressive, and a decent imitator of both Gabriel and Collins. Bizarrely though, I can hear a strong similarity to Fish and find myself wondering if Dave ought to be fronting another tribute given his loose resemblance to the ex-Marillion man! But I digress. Warm and entertaining, Whitehouse encourages us to sing along to ‘I Know What I Like’, proceeding to beat himself about the head and legs with a tambourine as the song reaches its crescendo. It’s the closest we get to pop until ‘Follow You Follow Me’ makes an appearance later; perfectly rendered but oddly incongruous when bookended with the epic ‘Firth of Fifth’ and emotional ‘Afterglow’. 

‘For Absent Friends’ is presented as a touching tribute to John Hayes, a long-term fan of the band who apparently used to travel from Canada to see the group perform. It’s easy to understand the level of devotion. Though Steve Hackett keeps some of these songs alive in his live shows, there is really seldom opportunity to see showstoppers like ‘The Cinema Show’ or ‘Supper’s Ready’ performed live, in their unadulterated form. The latter is particularly spectacular, a tour de force performance that is utterly compelling through all of its 23 minutes. Instrumental sagas ‘Los Endos’ and more surprisingly, ‘Duke’s Travels’ and ‘Duke’s End’ also make appearances, showcasing the incredible talents of guitarist Chris Cawte and bassist Jamie Vale. 

Of course, 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway' is not neglected. At the commencement of the second half, Whitehouse dons a leather jacket to symbolise we’re in that territory. The title track and ‘Fly on a Windshield’ are met rapturously, ‘Carpet Crawlers’ as strangely catchy as ever. If anything, we want more, but there's only so many songs that can be squeezed into a generous, nearly 3-hour performance. 

As encores go, they don’t get much better than ‘Dance on a Volcano’. At nearly ten minutes long, it's still over too quickly, testament to a wonderful evening that I feel very lucky to have witnessed. If you love Genesis, you'll love G2. Just don't shout out for 'I Can't Dance', ok?