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Here's my recollection of going to see Genesis Live At The Marquee in September 1982:
Imagine queuing up outside your favorite rock venue, in my case the Marquee Club in Wardour Street, Soho, London. It's not there anymore but not a lot is. Anyway, imagine queuing up to buy tickets for Bernie Tormé's Electric Gypsies and noticing the name of a band appearing near the end of September that catches your eye.
The Garden Wall? I Know That Name..
There I was looking at the schedule of gigs behind the glass, just as I was about to hand my money over. The band that caught my eye was called 'The Garden Wall' and it made me stop for a moment. Why was that so familiar? Where had I heard that name before?
The Girl behind the counter tapped on the class. 'Are you gonna buy the tickets or what?'
My mind desperately searched it's inner rock library, and the only thing that was surfacing was something from a book by Armando Gallo. He'd published an in depth book on the band Genesis which I'd purchased a couple of years prior to me standing outside the Marquee annoying the nice lady in the ticket office.
Then it hit me.. and it hit me hard. I looked puzzlingly at her and said. 'This band, The Garden Wall?'
'Yeah.. what about them?' she said with a raised level of annoyance which I dismissed. I was on to something.
'You got tickets?' I said with as much nonchalance as my drunken, denham clad body could muster.
She squinted slightly. 'Might have, why do you want one?'
The look on her face was giving it away that she knew, that I knew who this band actually was.
It was in Armando Gallo's book called Genesis: I Know What I Like and my well thumbed and read copy had divulged a great secret which I'm sure she knew.
I decided to test the waters. 'The Garden Wall, that's Genesis right?'
She visibly stiffened and said slowly. 'No idea, want a ticket of not?'
I decided to go for it. I had a hunch. 'I'll have 6 please.'
'Only 2 per customer.' she said with a snap, it was at that moment I knew I was right. I bought a couple of tickets knowing that I'd snapped up some gold. As she handed over the tickets I came closer to the little grill in the glass. 'Now I've got them' I said quietly, 'it's Genesis isn't it?'
She could not help but smirk, she was going to make me suffer. 'Have to wait, won't ya.'
Listen To Genesis LIVE At The Marque NOW!
You Won't Regret It..
As the day approached, I had convinced myself that I was right, was going to witness the mighty Genesis live at the Marquee Club, the bloody Marquee! Genesis had played their way across America, Canada, Switzerland, France, Italy and Germany. Then on the 18th of September 1982 they played the first of the UK tour at the Cornwall Coliseum in St. Austell. I was getting so excited.
Me and the boys had purchased our tickets for Hammersmith Odeon a few months earlier. It was sort of a tradition to go to as many nights as we could afford when Genesis came to town.
They were playing 3 nights in London and I had tickets for 2 of them. 29th and 30th. Now I had a ticket for what I had convinced myself was a undercover Genesis gig at the Marquee. The timing was right. The day before the first London gig.. It must be.
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Even on the train up to Hammersmith I still didn't know. I had heard rumours, there was talk in the trenches, but nothing official. I remember getting into the venue and seeing the stage for the first time and nearly fainting... There it was. The twin kits, totally unmistakeable. Tony's keyboard on the right, Phill's kit just behind it with Chester's kit on the left. Oh my fookin' god. I'm going to be watching Genesis at the fookin' Marquee.
The gig was a pre London show warm up as part of the Three Sides Live Encore Tour. It was insane. It was hot, the Marquee always was, but that night was really hot. It was also packed to the rafters with Genesis fans.
All the photographs within my video (above) and the shots on the page are the ones I took at The Hammersmith Odeon in the days following the Marquee gig.
Genesis Live At The Marquee Set List
1- Dance on a Volcano (0:00:36)
2- Behind the Lines (0:05:28)
3- Follow you, Follow me (0:11:09)
4- Dodo/ Lurker (0:17:09)
5- Abacab (0:24:44)
6- Supper's Ready (0:35:46)
7- Man on the Corner (1:01:32)
8- Misunderstanding (1:06:14)
9- In the Cage (1:14:59)
10- Cinema Show (Conclusion) (1:23:02)
11- The Colony of Slippermen (Solo) (1:26:04)
12- Afterglow (1:27:06)
13- Turn it on Again (1:31:41)
14- Drum Duet (1:36:59)
15- Los Endos (1:39:19)
16- The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1:46:36)
17- Watcher of the Skies (1:52:09)
18- I Know What I Like (1:55:43)