THE MUSICAL BOX, THE USHER HALL, EDINBURGH

Genesis “tribute” act The Musical Box plays at The Usher Hall, Edinburgh, and John Scott is there to take in the experience.

In 1974 Genesis released The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, the most ambitious album of their career. Sprawling over two LPs, it saw the band toughening up their sound on tracks like Broadway Melody Of 1974 and Back In N.Y.C and experimenting with sound textures with a bit of help from Brian Eno. While the band had established a repertoire of storytelling songs, with the characters brought to life on stage with the help of singer Peter Gabriel’s costumes and props, this was Genesis’s first (and only) fully-fledged concept album. The surrealistic, impressionistic story sees Puerto Rican street punk Rael transported into a psychological underworld in which he is tested and ultimately transformed. Ironically, the band also found themselves tested during the recording of the album and Gabriel left the band after the album was toured.

The tour for the Lamb began two days after the album’s release. In common with most rock fans, Genesis audiences knew what they liked and liked what they knew so playing the entire album from start to finish was a brave move. The tour was also the most technically complex that the band had attempted with 1,200 images projected onto three screens throughout the performance and Gabriel’s Slipperman costume proving difficult to sing in. Ticket sales suffered and the last two dates of the tour were canceled. If the tour was a disappointing end to Gabriel’s tenure in the band, the album is now regarded by many as the best that Genesis recorded during his time with them.

Forty-nine years on, it’s unlikely that anyone in the audience for The Musical Box’s performance of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway tonight is unfamiliar with the album. The band prides itself on recreating Genesis shows as faithfully as possible. Happily, this means that the band has permission to use the aforementioned 1, 200 images and can recreate the stage production exactly as it was back then. Less happily, Gabriel’s use of make-up to simulate Rael’s Puerto Rican skin tone now seems inappropriate and unnecessary and it is disappointing that the band has chosen to retain it.

As the lights go down and the familiar keyboard intro to the album’s title track begins, we are transported back to 23 April 1975 when Genesis brought The Lamb here to The Usher Hall. In common with Genesis at this time, guitarist François Gagnon, bassist Sébastien Lamothe, keyboardist Ian Benhamou, and drummer Marc Laflamme remain seated behind their instruments for most of the show. Singer Denis Gagné emerges from a simulated burst of sidewalk steam and the story begins. In case you haven’t seen the show or are unfamiliar with the album I won’t spoil the plot; it’s a bit like one of those dreams where you turn up naked at school for an exam you haven’t taken the class for, but a lot more sophisticated.

Musically, The Musical Box is spot on. François Gagnon nails all of Steve Hackett’s guitar tones as does Ian Benhamou with Tony Banks’ keyboard playing. Marc Laflamme has a difficult job to do in filling Phil Collins’ boots but impresses throughout and Sébastien Lamothe juggles guitar, bass, and bass pedals admirably. If I have any criticism, it is that the band, in trying to recreate the Genesis experience as authentically as they can, failed to bring any of their own personality to the performance. Similarly, Denis Gagné’s attempts to mimic Gabriel during the spoken interludes don’t really come off and I’d rather have seen him break character at these points.

This small criticism aside, it was a real joy to see and hear The Lamb played live in its entirety. Just as Genesis did at the time, the band finish off the evening with rousing versions of The Musical Box and Watcher Of The Skies. Rumour has it that this is the last time that The Musical Box will tour The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway show so if you are a Genesis fan, I recommend that you get along to one of the remaining shows. If like me, you were too young to see it the first time around, it’s an experience not to be missed.

Setlist 

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Fly on a Windshield

Broadway Melody of 1974

Cuckoo Cocoon

In the Cage

The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging

Back in N.Y.C.

Hairless Heart

Counting Out Time

The Carpet Crawlers

The Chamber of 32 Doors

Lilywhite Lilith

The Waiting Room

Anyway

Here Comes the Supernatural Anaesthetist

The Lamia

Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats

The Colony of Slippermen

Ravine

The Light Dies Down on Broadway

Riding the Scree

In the Rapids

it

The Musical Box

Watcher of the Skies

John Scott