As early as May 2012, after their Yellow show at Poppodium Dru Fabriek in Ulft (see review), the Italian progressive rock band The Watch told me of their plans to perform the music of the legendary Genesis album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974).
In May 2013, when they did their Seconds Out tour at De Pul in Uden (see review), they told me they had plans to return in November of that same year, probably shortly after the (expected)

Simone Rossetti

release of a brand new studio album, and furthermore intended to perform a selection of songs from The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway in 2014. Well, things took a slightly different turn for the band, because in the end that new studio album, called Tracks From The Alps, wasn't released until early 2014.
The band did indeed return to the Netherlands to perform the music of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (40th anniversary), however in the meantime, for the first time in years, the band had undergone a line up change. Unfortunately for the band, Guglielmo Mariotti (bass, acoustic guitar, bass pedals, backing vocals) had to step out because of changes in his personal life - he got married and had a baby - that no longer allowed him to go on the road. He has been replaced by Mattia Rossetti (double neck 4-strings bass guitar/12-string electric guitar, bass pedals, 12-string electric guitar). Mattia is the son of founding member and bandleader Simone Rossetti (lead vocals, flute, tambourine).

Before they started their difficult job to perform one of the musical highlights in the history of progressive rock music, namely The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, they opened the show, with A.T.L.A.S., a song taken from their brand new album Tracks From The Alps.
Most people in the audience probably didn't know this piece of music, because the album had only just been released and sold out straight away during their short European tour.

Mattia Rossetti

Well, I guess they could still enjoy it because the music was very much in the vein of the music that was soon to follow. After a PA-announcement was made that The Watch were going to perform the entire 'Lamb', that was released in 1974, they started with the piano parts of the title track as expected. It was performed very well by keyboard player Valerio De Vittorio and after this opening more songs from that superb concept album followed and all was played the best way possible! Just before performing Back In N.Y.C., in which Simone wore a black leather jacket, Mr. Rossetti grabbed a piece of paper to perform his usual Dutch speaking part. He explained both in Dutch and English, how Genesis found the name of the leading character in the story. He told the audience that Rael is a mix of the words 'reality' and the last two letters of the surname of their guitarist Giorgio Gabriel. Well, of course he meant the surname of Genesis' original lead singer and writer of the story, Peter Gabriel.
After playing The Chamber Of 32 Doors, most of the spectators would probably have expected Lillywhite Lilith would follow straight away, however, as a kind of short intermission, the band played a nice rendition of Deeper Still from Vacuum (2004), next Simone Rossetti explained another part of the story from his piece of paper and subsequently the band performed Lillywhite Lilith . The instrumental song that followed this track on the album was left out of the set. I guess they didn't do The Waiting Room because, at the time, it was just a song to which the musicians of Genesis improvised. Therefore The Watch moved on to Anyway, which contained an amazing guitar solo played by Giorgio Gabriel.

Right before the band was about to play an excellent version of Colony Of Slippermen, a female announcer broadcasted that the son of Slippermen had been spotted on a ferry and was brought in to join them to perform this wonderful composition, so instead of Colony Of Slippermen it became Colony Of Slipperson.

The Slipperson?

For the performance of this song Rossetti donned a special face masque that looked really cool. After the last song of this strong, musical concept album had been played, the band left the stage, probably knowing they were going to be called back for an encore.

The first encore, again, was a song that hardly anyone knew, because Devil's Bridge is another song from their brand new album Tracks From The Alps. I guess the second song was more familiar, namely The Musical Box, a song taken from the Genesis album Nursery Cryme, released in 1971. Simone Rossetti said he already expected the crowd to know what was to come, because every time keyboard player Valerio De Vittorio picks up his acoustic guitar, it means this song will be performed. After the superb performance of this piece, it was time for the bandleader to introduce his fellow musicians. Each one of them got a well deserved applause, because they succeeded to perform the music that can be found on The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway in a wonderful way. Well, all I can say is, it was just bloody awesome!!!

Henri Strik (edited by Esther Ladiges)

Live video recordings by Henri & Roel Strik